corda/docs/source/serialization.rst

Object serialization
====================

What is serialization (and deserialization)?
--------------------------------------------

Object serialization is the process of converting objects into a stream of bytes and, deserialization, the reverse
process of creating objects from a stream of bytes.  It takes place every time nodes pass objects to each other as
messages, when objects are sent to or from RPC clients from the node, and when we store transactions in the database.

Whitelisting
------------

In classic Java serialization, any class on the JVM classpath can be deserialized.  This has shown to be a source of exploits
and vulnerabilities by exploiting the large set of 3rd party libraries on the classpath as part of the dependencies of
a JVM application and a carefully crafted stream of bytes to be deserialized. In Corda, we prevent just any class from
being deserialized (and pro-actively during serialization) by insisting that each object's class belongs on a whitelist
of allowed classes.

Classes get onto the whitelist via one of three mechanisms:

#. Via the ``@CordaSerializable`` annotation.  In order to whitelist a class, this annotation can be present on the
   class itself, on any of the super classes or on any interface implemented by the class or super classes or any
   interface extended by an interface implemented by the class or superclasses.
#. By returning the class as part of a plugin via the method ``customizeSerialization``.  It's important to return
   true from this method if you override it, otherwise the plugin will be excluded. See :doc:`writing-cordapps`.
#. Via the built in Corda whitelist (see the class ``DefaultWhitelist``).  Whilst this is not user editable, it does list
   common JDK classes that have been whitelisted for your convenience.

The annotation is the preferred method for whitelisting.  An example is shown in :doc:`tutorial-clientrpc-api`.
It's reproduced here as an example of both ways you can do this for a couple of example classes.

.. literalinclude:: example-code/src/main/kotlin/net/corda/docs/ClientRpcTutorial.kt
    :language: kotlin
    :start-after: START 7
    :end-before: END 7

.. note:: Several of the core interfaces at the heart of Corda are already annotated and so any classes that implement
   them will automatically be whitelisted.  This includes `Contract`, `ContractState` and `CommandData`.

.. warning:: We will be replacing the use of Kryo in the serialization framework and so additional changes here are
   likely.

AMQP
====

.. note:: AMQP serialization is not currently live and will be turned on in a future release.

The long term goal is to migrate the current serialization format for everything except checkpoints away from the current
``Kryo``-based format to a more sustainable, self-describing and controllable format based on AMQP 1.0.  The primary drivers for that move are:

    #.  A desire to have a schema describing what has been serialized along-side the actual data:
        #.  To assist with versioning, both in terms of being able to interpret long ago archived data (e.g. trades from
            a decade ago, long after the code has changed) and between differing code versions.
        #.  To make it easier to write user interfaces that can navigate the serialized form of data.
        #.  To support cross platform (non-JVM) interaction, where the format of a class file is not so easily interpreted.
    #.  A desire to use a documented and static wire format that is platform independent, and is not subject to change with
        3rd party library upgrades etc.
    #.  A desire to support open-ended polymorphism, where the number of subclasses of a superclass can expand over time
        and do not need to be defined in the schema *upfront*, which is key to many Corda concepts, such as contract states.
    #.  Increased security from deserialized objects being constructed through supported constructors rather than having
        data poked directy into their fields without an opportunity to validate consistency or intercept attempts to manipulate
        supposed invariants.

Documentation on that format, and how JVM classes are translated to AMQP, will be linked here when it is available.

.. For information on our choice of AMQP 1.0, see :doc:`amqp-choice`.  For detail on how we utilise AMQP 1.0 and represent
   objects in AMQP types, see :doc:`amqp-format`.

We describe here what is and will be supported in the Corda AMQP format from the perspective
of CorDapp developers, to allow for CorDapps to take into consideration the future state.  The AMQP serialization format will of
course continue to apply the whitelisting functionality that is already in place and described in :doc:`serialization`.

Core Types
----------

Here we describe the classes and interfaces that the AMQP serialization format will support.

Collection Types
````````````````

The following collection types are supported.  Any implementation of the following will be mapped to *an* implementation of the interface or class on the other end.
e.g. If you, for example, use a Guava implementation of a collection it will deserialize as a different implementation,
but will continue to adhere to the most specific of any of the following interfaces.  You should use only these types
as the declared types of fields and properties, and not the concrete implementation types.  Collections must be used
in their generic form, the generic type parameters will be included in the schema, and the elements type checked against the
generic parameters when deserialized.

::

    java.util.Collection
    java.util.List
    java.util.Set
    java.util.SortedSet
    java.util.NavigableSet
    java.util.NonEmptySet
    java.util.Map
    java.util.SortedMap
    java.util.NavigableMap

However, we will support the concrete implementation types below explicitly and also as the declared type of a field, as
a convenience.

::

    java.util.LinkedHashMap
    java.util.TreeMap
    java.util.EnumSet
    java.util.EnumMap (but only if there is at least one entry)


JVM primitives
``````````````

All the primitive types are supported.

::

    boolean
    byte
    char
    double
    float
    int
    long
    short

Arrays
``````

We also support arrays of any supported type, primitive or otherwise.

JDK Types
`````````

The following types are supported from the JDK libraries.

::

    java.io.InputStream

    java.lang.Boolean
    java.lang.Byte
    java.lang.Character
    java.lang.Class
    java.lang.Double
    java.lang.Float
    java.lang.Integer
    java.lang.Long
    java.lang.Short
    java.lang.StackTraceElement
    java.lang.String
    java.lang.StringBuffer

    java.math.BigDecimal

    java.security.PublicKey

    java.time.DayOfWeek
    java.time.Duration
    java.time.Instant
    java.time.LocalDate
    java.time.LocalDateTime
    java.time.LocalTime
    java.time.Month
    java.time.MonthDay
    java.time.OffsetDateTime
    java.time.OffsetTime
    java.time.Period
    java.time.YearMonth
    java.time.Year
    java.time.ZonedDateTime
    java.time.ZonedId
    java.time.ZoneOffset

    java.util.BitSet
    java.util.Currency
    java.util.UUID

Third Party Types
`````````````````

The following 3rd party types are supported.

::

    kotlin.Unit
    kotlin.Pair

    org.apache.activemq.artemis.api.core.SimpleString

    org.bouncycastle.asn1.x500.X500Name
    org.bouncycastle.cert.X509CertificateHolder

Corda Types
```````````

Classes and interfaces in the Corda codebase annotated with ``@CordaSerializable`` are of course supported.

All Corda exceptions that are expected to be serialized inherit from ``CordaThrowable`` via either ``CordaException``, for
checked exceptions, or ``CordaRuntimeException``, for unchecked exceptions.  Any ``Throwable`` that is serialized but does
not conform to ``CordaThrowable`` will be converted to a ``CordaRuntimeException`` with the original exception type
and other properties retained within it.

Custom Types
------------

Here are the rules to adhere to for support of your own types:

Classes
```````

    #.  A constructor which takes all of the properties that you wish to record in the serialized form.  This is required in
        order for the serialization framework to reconstruct an instance of your class.
    #.  If more than one constructor is provided, the serialization framework needs to know which one to use.  The ``@ConstructorForDeserialization``
        annotation can be used to indicate which one.  For a Kotlin class, without the ``@ConstructorForDeserialization`` annotation, the
        *primary constructor* will be selected.
    #.  The class must be compiled with parameter names included in the ``.class`` file.  This is the default in Kotlin
        but must be turned on in Java (``-parameters`` command line option to ``javac``).
    #.  A Java Bean getter for each of the properties in the constructor, with the names matching up.  For example, for a constructor
        parameter ``foo``, there must be a getter called ``getFoo()``.  If the type of ``foo`` is boolean, the getter may
        optionally be called ``isFoo()``.  This is why the class must be compiled with parameter names turned on.
    #.  The class is annotated with ``@CordaSerializable``.
    #.  The declared types of constructor arguments / getters must be supported, and where generics are used the
        generic parameter must be a supported type, an open wildcard (``*``), or a bounded wildcard which is currently
        widened to an open wildcard.
    #.  Any superclass must adhere to the same rules, but can be abstract.
    #.  Object graph cycles are not supported, so an object cannot refer to itself, directly or indirectly.

Enums
`````

    #.  All enums are supported, provided they are annotated with ``@CordaSerializable``.

..  warning::  Use of enums in CorDapps requires potentially deeper consideration than in other application environments
    due to the challenges of simultaneously upgrading the code on all nodes.  It is therefore important to consider the code
    evolution perspective, since an older version of the enum code cannot
    accommodate a newly added element of the enum in a new version of the enum code.  See `Type Evolution`_.  Hence, enums are
    a good fit for genuinely static data that will *never* change.  e.g. Days of the week is not going to be extended any time
    soon and is indeed an enum in the Java library.  A Buy or Sell indicator is another.  However, something like
    Trade Type or Currency Code is likely not, since who's to say a new trade type or currency will not come along soon.  For
    those it is better to choose another representation: perhaps just a string.

Exceptions
``````````

The following rules apply to supported ``Throwable`` implementations.

    #.  If you wish for your exception to be serializable and transported type safely it should inherit from either
        ``CordaException`` or ``CordaRuntimeException``.
    #.  If not, the ``Throwable`` will deserialize to a ``CordaRuntimeException`` with the details of the original
        ``Throwable`` contained within it, including the class name of the original ``Throwable``.

Kotlin Objects
``````````````

    #.  Kotlin ``object`` s are singletons and treated differently.  They are recorded into the stream with no properties
        and deserialize back to the singleton instance.

Currently, the same is not true of Java singletons, and they will deserialize to new instances of the class.

The Carpenter
`````````````

We will support a class carpenter that can dynamically manufacture classes from the supplied schema when deserializing
in the JVM without the supporting classes on the classpath.  This can be useful where other components might expect to
be able to use reflection over the deserialized data, and also for ensuring classes not on the classpath can be
deserialized without loading potentially malicious code dynamically without security review outside of a fully sandboxed
environment.  A more detailed discussion of the carpenter will be provided in a future update to the documentation.

Future Enhancements
```````````````````

    #.  Java singleton support.  We will add support for identifying classes which are singletons and identifying the
        static method responsible for returning the singleton instance.
    #.  Instance internalizing support.  We will add support for identifying classes that should be resolved against an instances map to avoid
        creating many duplicate instances that are equal.  Similar to ``String.intern()``.
    #.  Enum evolution support.  We *may* introduce an annotation that can be applied to an enum element to indicate that
        if an unrecognised enum entry is deserialized from a newer version of the code, it should be converted to that
        element in the older version of the code.  This is dependent on identifying a suitable use case, since it does
        mutate the data when transported to another node, which could be considered hazardous.

.. Type Evolution:

Type Evolution
--------------

When we move to AMQP as the serialization format, we will be adding explicit support for interoperability of different versions of the same code.
We will describe here the rules and features for evolvability as part of a future update to the documentation.