What Is Transient?

When you construct an object in Java programming, you have the option of storing the values of that object in variables. These variables can be serialized, which translates to the fact that they can be transformed into a string of characters, which can then be saved in a file or transmitted over a network. It is handy when transferring objects between different computer systems or persistently keeping them. There are circumstances in which you have a variable you do not want to be serialized. It could be for various reasons, including safety concerns or the fact that the value does not need to be preserved in the first place. In such circumstances, you can designate that a variable should not be serialized using the keyword "transient." So, what precisely does it mean to say that something is "transient"? In plainer language, it can be translated as "temporary" or "not enduring." When you inform Java that a variable is transient, you indicate that it should not be considered part of the object's long-term state. It is because transient variables are only used temporarily. Instead, it is a temporary value that does not require storage or transmission to any other location. For illustration's sake, let's assume you have a "User" object that stores various information about a user, like their name, email address, and password. Because doing so would present a potential security danger, serializing the password and transmitting it over the network is something you should avoid doing. Therefore, to prohibit the password variable from being serialized, you can declare it transient. When you serialize the "User" object from this point forward, the "password" variable will be disregarded and will not be included in the output of the serialization process. It is because Java is aware that it has been flagged as transient and does not require storage. In a nutshell, when talking about variables in Java, the "transient" keyword is what's used to indicate that they shouldn't be serialized. It is helpful for variables that don't need to be saved or sent anywhere and contain sensitive information that shouldn't be revealed to the outside world.