Serialize cyclic object tree – StackOverflowError – custom serialization code needed

Question

I am making an android app where I have a bidirectional cyclic object tree that I need to serialize to fill in a blob field in a Sqlite database. But the default serialization implementation throws a StackOverflowError at me (stack trace at the bottom). But I have no experience in writing custom java serialization code to avoid this situation.

I this thread( StackOverflowError when serializing an object in Java ) he talks about the issue, but how to implement it in my case I haven’t really any idea:

It's possible to define a writeObject() method for such a list class that, when the first link is serialized, simply walks the list and serializes each link iteratively; this will prevent the default recursive mechanism from being used.

This is my object model(look at the 1/M, not the other signs):

This is the method I use to serialize the object model to a byte array (properly not that important):

public byte[] serialize(Object object) {
        byte[] buf = null;
        try {
            ByteArrayOutputStream bos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
            ObjectOutput out = new ObjectOutputStream(bos);
            out.writeObject(object);
            out.close();
            buf = bos.toByteArray();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
        return buf;
    }

Custom serialization functions:

private void writeObject(java.io.ObjectOutputStream out) throws IOException {
    //please help me with this code
}
private void readObject(java.io.ObjectInputStream in) throws IOException, ClassNotFoundException {
    //please help me with this code
}

Hope someone help me getting this issue solved. Any clue is appreciated.

Exception stack trace:

05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451): FATAL EXCEPTION: main
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451): java.lang.StackOverflowError
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.util.IdentityHashMap.findIndex(IdentityHashMap.java:419)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.util.IdentityHashMap.get(IdentityHashMap.java:371)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.dumpCycle(ObjectOutputStream.java:471)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObjectInternal(ObjectOutputStream.java:1739)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1689)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1653)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeFieldValues(ObjectOutputStream.java:1143)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.defaultWriteObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:413)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeHierarchy(ObjectOutputStream.java:1241)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeNewObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1575)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObjectInternal(ObjectOutputStream.java:1847)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1689)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1653)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeFieldValues(ObjectOutputStream.java:1143)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.defaultWriteObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:413)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeHierarchy(ObjectOutputStream.java:1241)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeNewObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1575)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObjectInternal(ObjectOutputStream.java:1847)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1689)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1653)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.util.ArrayList.writeObject(ArrayList.java:651)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:507)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeHierarchy(ObjectOutputStream.java:1219)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeNewObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1575)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObjectInternal(ObjectOutputStream.java:1847)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1689)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1653)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeFieldValues(ObjectOutputStream.java:1143)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.defaultWriteObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:413)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeHierarchy(ObjectOutputStream.java:1241)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeNewObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1575)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObjectInternal(ObjectOutputStream.java:1847)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1689)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1653)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeFieldValues(ObjectOutputStream.java:1143)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.defaultWriteObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:413)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeHierarchy(ObjectOutputStream.java:1241)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeNewObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1575)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObjectInternal(ObjectOutputStream.java:1847)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1689)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1653)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.util.ArrayList.writeObject(ArrayList.java:651)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:507)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeHierarchy(ObjectOutputStream.java:1219)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeNewObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1575)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObjectInternal(ObjectOutputStream.java:1847)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1689)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1653)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeFieldValues(ObjectOutputStream.java:1143)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.defaultWriteObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:413)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeHierarchy(ObjectOutputStream.java:1241)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeNewObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1575)
05-25 20:28:16.231: E/AndroidRuntime(14451):    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject

Answer 1

Java serialization handles cyclic graphs correctly, but long lists are a problem.

If I understand correctly, your problem is a bit different than the one in the article you linked, cause that article talks about linked lists without a proper writeObject .. while currently you are using ArrayLists, which already stores objects as a flat array, and also have a proper writeObject.

However, if I got it right, what happens is more or less this :

You start serializing object A, during that serialization it encounters a long list, takes the first element and serializes object B, object B also has a long list, it takes the first element, say it's A again, since it is already being serialized it skips A, so it does not end up in an endless loop, however then goes to the second object in the list of B, which is C, also C has a long list, the first two elements are A and B again, so they are skipped, the third is D, which also has a list .... and soooo on.

Since each one of these steps are a few lines in the stack stace, it fills up, even if they are all ArrayLists with a proper writeObject method.

This can be the case if those lists scale into relatively "big" numbers, compared to the runtime you have. That's why I asked in the comment. Maybe a solution can be found avoiding to serialize some lists (making them transient), and rebuilding them after the "partial" deserialization.