My friends drew my attention to this paper which was written by computer scientists so pure, so theoretical, so far above the sins of the empirical plane, that they ran a benchmark comparing common serialization formats in their *mind palace* and came to a conclusion which is faster https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13478
An Extensive Study on Text Serialization Formats and Methods

Text serialization is a fundamental concept in modern computing, enabling the conversion of complex data structures into a format that can be easily stored, transmitted, and reconstructed. This paper provides an extensive overview of text serialization, exploring its importance, prevalent formats, underlying methods, and comparative performance characteristics. We dive into the advantages and disadvantages of various text-based serialization formats, including JSON, XML, YAML, and CSV, examining their structure, readability, verbosity, and suitability for different applications. The paper also discusses the common methods involved in the serialization and deserialization processes, such as parsing techniques and the role of schemas. To illustrate the practical implications of choosing a serialization format, we present hypothetical performance results in the form of tables, comparing formats based on metrics like serialization deserialization speed and resulting data size. The discussion analyzes these results, highlighting the trade offs involved in selecting a text serialization format for specific use cases. This work aims to provide a comprehensive resource for understanding and applying text serialization in various computational domains.

arXiv.org
@0xabad1dea “sins of the empirical plane” feels sloppily redundant.