An instance of a class with its state stored as a serialized data stream.
JavaBeans use Java Object Serialization to enable beans to save their state
and restore that state later. (That is, to enable persistence.) You can find
more information about Java Object Serialization at
http://java.sun.com/products/javabeans/related.html
.
You can learn more about bean persistence in the JavaBeans specification
found at http://java.sun.com/products/javabeans/docs
.