Object Serialization provides a consistent, compact representation of the Variable Values in the SerializationScope. Objects or Variables that are the root of such a serialization are called SerializationStartNodes and have HasSerializationEntity References to one or more SerializationEntities. The SerializationEntities are of ObjectType SerializationEntityType, see 6.2. The SerializationProcess is controlled by Properties of this ObjectType.

The DataType of the SerializedData Variable is the SerializationValue DataType mapping all Values in the SerializationScope. It is the serialization DataType of the SerializationStartNode. The Values themselves each have their own SerializationFieldDataType. In the example shown in Figure 6, the SerializationFieldDataTypes of the Variables in the SerializationScope equal the DataTypes of the original Values.

Figure 6 – Example: Instance-specific serialization for the Object “MyObject”

In the example above, the “MyObjectSerialization” instance of SerializationEntityType has the IncludeReferenceTypes Property set to “HasChild”. This selects all Variables and Properties.

Because it is instance-specific, the SerializationValue DataType Node is dynamically created. Its BrowseName and NodeId are Server-specific and could be GUID-based.

In the Type-based serialization the SerializationValue DataType Node is defined in the subtype of the SerializationEntityType.