Hello, For my application I need to serialize my data distributed into muliple archives and I need a persistent references on objects inside a different archiv. There is one main archiv which has references on other archives. I was thinking on the following solution (Perhaps there is an easier way). I think I have to store and load my objects into several steps. Save: 1. Assign each archiv a unique id. (Build up a archiv map) 2. Assign each object which needs to be referenced a unique id inside the archiv and build up a object map. 3. Serialize the archiv map (e.g. Archiv ID <-> Archiv Filename). 4. Serialize the content of all objects to the archives. If a reference on a objects needs to be stored the id of this object is serialized to the archiv. The 32bit object ID consists of a archiv ID as high word and the ID of the object within the archiv as low word. Load: 1. Load and create all the objects from the archives. 2. Assign again the object IDs to each object which can be referenced and build up a map (object <-> ID). 3. Resolve the references by looking up the the object address for the stored object id. I think step 2 could be skipped if the object IDs are stored also. Whats your opinion on this? Could this work? Any suggestion for implementation? To assign the object ID's I have to traverse the complete object structure in similar manner than during the serialize process. Is there a way to use the same mechanism but don't write any data to the archives. Regards, Stefan -- "Feel free" - 10 GB Mailbox, 100 FreeSMS/Monat ... Jetzt GMX TopMail testen: www.gmx.net/de/go/mailfooter/topmail-out