I've got an API that lets me send objects across a...

# javascript

[Bernhard]

I've got an API that lets me send objects across a channel (websocket wrapper Socket.io) and these objects can often get quite complex; just force cast them to external interfaces or is there a benefit to JSON.stringify() them and parse them onto a data class using serialization? (mainly concerned about the performance and bundle size impact)

[turansky]

@JsPlainObject
?

[Bernhard]

yes, simply casting to an external interface (good enough (tm))?

[Bernhard]

there's a certain benefit of going with serialization

[Edoardo Luppi]

I'd go with kotlinx-serialization first, just because it provides validation of the data you're de-serializing.
If you see performance is subpar, switch to unsafe casting.

[Bernhard]

the main benefit for me would be polymorphic deserialization

[Bernhard]

there's nothing like
interface Action {
type: "doSomething"
}
in kotlin

[Bernhard]

where matching on a property would cast to the correct interface iirc

[Bernhard]

I could deserialize and simply instance of it

[Bernhard]

compared to ifs with multiple casts

[Edoardo Luppi]

where matching on a property would cast to the correct interface iirc

You mean discriminated unions? If you want the same kind of behavior I guess kotlinx-serialization should allow you to do that, that is, check a property and de-serialize accordingly.

[Bernhard]

yes, exactly

[Bernhard]

built into serialization but not the type system

[Edoardo Luppi]

Discriminated unions in Kotlin are sealed classes pretty much.