[HTTPCLIENT-1218] Serializibility of HttpCacheEntry and BufferedHeader

• Type: Improvement
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Not A Problem
• Fix Version/s: 4.3 Alpha1
• Component/s: HttpCache
• Labels: httpclient-cache
• Assignee: Unassigned
• Reporter: Alexis
• Created: 30/Jul/12 19:44
• Updated: 30/Jul/12 20:48
• Resolved: 30/Jul/12 20:46

Description

Current serialization of HttpCacheEntry relies on java.io.Serializable. But not everybody wants to rely on this RPC format, since there are better alternatives -> Kryo for example. I tested it: once the class is registered in Kryo, serialization is 10 times faster and takes up 4 times less bytes.

Instances of BufferedHeader (which implements FormattedHeader) in the header group are not serialization friendly: Factory is slow and lot's of memory is wasted to generate parsers.
A header is a plain POJO with a name and a value, nothing more. I'm not quite sure of the point of the FormattedHeader interface.

• Quick fix is replacing all BufferedHeader with BasicHeader instances before serializing.
• Long term idea suggestion: If the API wants to keep FormattedHeader would it be possible to allow the API user to disable it?