const packet_base test1; packet_base test2; std::stringstream ss; { portable_binary_oarchive pboa(ss); pboa << test1; std::cout << "str: " << ss.str() << " size: " << ss.str().size() << std::endl; } { portable_binary_iarchive pbia(ss); pbia >> test2; std::cout << "str: " << ss.str() << " size: " << ss.str().size() << std::endl; } std::stringstream ss_out; // These are either 2 x 8 byte integers or 1 x 16 byte integer, prob the later. Are they signed or unsigned, etc??? ss_out << ss.str()[0]; ss_out << ss.str()[1]; std::cout << "str: " << ss_out.str() << " size: " << ss_out.str().size() << std::endl; assert(test1 == test2);