JSONObject Not Serializable?

Question

I am trying to serialize an ArrayList of JSONObjects. But I get the error:

05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913): java.io.NotSerializableException: org.json.JSONObject
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeNewObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1535)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObjectInternal(ObjectOutputStream.java:1847)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1689)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1653)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.util.ArrayList.writeObject(ArrayList.java:651)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:507)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeHierarchy(ObjectOutputStream.java:1219)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeNewObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1575)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObjectInternal(ObjectOutputStream.java:1847)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1689)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:1653)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at org.stocktwits.activity.AddStocksActivity.serializeQuotes(AddStocksActivity.java:183)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at org.stocktwits.activity.AddStocksActivity.access$9(AddStocksActivity.java:178)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at org.stocktwits.activity.AddStocksActivity$2.onItemClick(AddStocksActivity.java:146)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at android.widget.AdapterView.performItemClick(AdapterView.java:284)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at android.widget.ListView.performItemClick(ListView.java:3513)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at android.widget.AbsListView$PerformClick.run(AbsListView.java:1812)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:587)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:92)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:130)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:3683)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:507)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:839)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:597)
05-07 01:04:24.130: WARN/System.err(913):     at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

Here is my serialize & deserialize code:

private void serializeQuotes() {
        FileOutputStream fos;
        try {
            fos = openFileOutput(Constants.FILENAME, Context.MODE_PRIVATE);
            ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream(fos);
            oos.writeObject(quotes);
            oos.close();
        } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    private void deserializeQuotes() {
        try {
            FileInputStream fis = openFileInput(Constants.FILENAME);
            ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream(fis);
            quotes = (ArrayList<JSONObject>) ois.readObject();
        } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

Answer 1

In the case you'd still want Java built-in serialization without having to resort to marshal your JSON object into string notation, one thing you could do is extend JSONObject and JSONArray from org.json and just implement Serializable.

Then you can use your own versions of JSONObject and JSONArray across the board instead of the originals.

Make sure you define all constructors on your subclasses and call their super() counterparts as well as implement specific methods that return the parent types such as getJSONObject() and getJSONArray() from properties.