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hello, Is there a way to convert object to bytearray using kotlinx.serialization? I am only able to find encodeToString and decodeToString functions.

You can transform the string into a bytearray

Iirc protobuf directly has a bytearray output

some formats are <https://kotlin.github.io/kotlinx.serialization/kotlinx-serialization-core/kotlinx.serialization/-string-format/index.html|StringFormat> (JSON, Properties), some formats are <https://kotlin.github.io/kotlinx.serialization/kotlinx-serialization-core/kotlinx.serialization/-binary-format/index.html|BinaryFormat> (CBOR, Protobuf), and some are <https://kotlin.github.io/kotlinx.serialization/kotlinx-serialization-core/kotlinx.serialization/-serial-format/index.html|neither> (HOCON)

It’s explained in the docs, ephemient linked

&gt; It does not impose any restrictions on a serialized form or underlying storage, neither it exposes them.
&gt; Concrete data types and API for user-interaction are responsibility of a concrete subclass or subinterface

<https://kotlin.github.io/kotlinx.serialization/kotlinx-serialization-hocon/kotlinx.serialization.hocon/-hocon/index.html|Hocon> serializes to/deserializes from <https://lightbend.github.io/config/latest/api/com/typesafe/config/Config.html|Config>, not String or ByteArray, so it is not StringFormat or BinaryFormat

is that just an example of whats theoretically possible? i mean a config class is not really a serialization format imo.

is mapping from one class to another or mapping from a sql result also a usecase for kotlinx-serialization?

I did write a non-String non-Binary SerialFormat recently, <https://gist.github.com/ephemient/65a3ee700f020661858c89b5648a2772/209384b9d9168828cbf326b358dfd95c1f29af91|https://gist.github.com/ephemient/65a3ee700f020661858c89b5648a2772/209384b9d9168828cbf326b358dfd95c1f29af91>, as Parcel is a core part of serialization on Android. but for sql result I think it's more questionable… is that really a read-write format?

a sql result is not a read write format, but is a hocon config a read write format?

yes, it's effectively equivalent to JSON with some syntax alternatives - which I think kotlinx.serialization is understandably staying out of by just saying "go use the hocon library for the rest"

ah makes sense. i thought its just for type safe mapping of hocon config files.