java - Serializing over HTTP correct way to convert object

Question

I'm trying to serialize an object and send it over HTTP. I'm using a few tutorials as most deal with sockets but I can't use sockets for this, or with a file been stored locally.

Here is the test class Employee:

public class Employee implements java.io.Serializable {
        public String name;
        public String address;
        public transient int SSN;
        public int number;

        public void mailCheck() {
            System.out.println("Mailing a check to " + name + " " + address);
        }

} 

Client Side:

public class SerializeAndSend {

    public static void main(String args[]){

          one.Employee e = new one.Employee();
          e.name = "Reyan Ali";
          e.address = "Phokka Kuan, Ambehta Peer";
          e.SSN = 11122333;
          e.number = 101;

          sendObject(e);

    }

    public static Object sendObject(Object obj) {
        URLConnection conn = null;
        Object reply = null;
        try {

            // open URL connection
            URL url = new URL("///myURL///");
            conn = url.openConnection();
            conn.setDoInput(true);
            conn.setDoOutput(true);
            conn.setUseCaches(false);
            // send object
            ObjectOutputStream objOut = new ObjectOutputStream(conn.getOutputStream());
            objOut.writeObject(obj);
            objOut.flush();
            objOut.close();
        } catch (IOException ex) {
            ex.printStackTrace();
            return null;
        }
        // recieve reply
        try {
            ObjectInputStream objIn = new ObjectInputStream(conn.getInputStream());
            reply = objIn.readObject();
            objIn.close();
        } catch (Exception ex) {
            // it is ok if we get an exception here
            // that means that there is no object being returned
            System.out.println("No Object Returned");
            if (!(ex instanceof EOFException))
                ex.printStackTrace();
                System.err.println("*");
        }
        return reply;
    }

}

I think thats correct. But I'm stuck on the server end, I have the employee class on the server side too:

public void doPost(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse resp) throws IOException {

    Object obj;
    ObjectInputStream objIn = new ObjectInputStream(req.getInputStream()); 

    try {
        obj = objIn.readObject();
    } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }

    Employee e = obj;

}

How do I turn this object back into an employee class object?

Any help appreciated!

Answer 1

Just typecast it.

Employee emp = (Employee)objIn.readObject();