@@ -12,21 +12,61 @@
  * Public License, either version 2 or 3, which can be found in the file
  * LICENSE.GPLv2 or LICENSE.GPLv3 respectively included in the packaging of this
  * file.
  */
 
+#import "OFObject.h"
+
 @class OFString;
 @class OFXMLElement;
 
 #define OF_SERIALIZATION_NS @"https://webkeks.org/objfw/serialization"
 
 /**
  * \brief A protocol for serializing objects.
  */
 @protocol OFSerialization <OFObject>
+/**
+ * \brief Initializes the object with the specified XML element serialization.
+ *
+ * \param element An OFXMLElement with the serialized object
+ * \return An initialized object
+ */
+- initWithSerialization: (OFXMLElement*)element;
+
 /**
  * \brief Serializes the object into an XML element.
  *
  * \return The object serialized into an XML element
  */
 - (OFXMLElement*)XMLElementBySerializing;
 @end
+
+/**
+ * \brief A class that provides class methods for serializing and deserializing
+ *	  objects.
+ */
+@interface OFSerialization: OFObject
+/**
+ * \brief Creates a string by serializing the specified object.
+ *
+ * \param object The object to serialize
+ * \return The object serialized as a string
+ */
++ (OFString*)stringBySerializingObject: (id <OFSerialization>)object;
+
+/**
+ * \brief Deserializes the specified string into an object.
+ *
+ * \param string The string describing the serialized object
+ * \return The deserialized object
+ */
++ (id)objectByDeserializingString: (OFString*)string;
+
+/**
+ * \brief Deserializes the specified XML element into an object.
+ *
+ * \param string The XML element describing the serialized object
+ * \return The deserialized object
+ */
++ (id)objectByDeserializingXMLElement: (OFXMLElement*)element;
+@end