adds support for datetime serialization

src/pydase/utils/serialization/deserializer.py

@@ -1,16 +1,22 @@
 import enum
 import logging
+from datetime import datetime
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, NoReturn, cast
 
 import pydase
 import pydase.components
 import pydase.units as u
 from pydase.utils.helpers import get_component_classes
-from pydase.utils.serialization.types import SerializedObject
+from pydase.utils.serialization.types import (
+    SerializedDatetime,
+    SerializedException,
+    SerializedObject,
+)
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from collections.abc import Callable
 
+
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
@@ -33,6 +39,7 @@ class Deserializer:
             "dict": cls.deserialize_dict,
             "method": cls.deserialize_method,
             "Exception": cls.deserialize_exception,
+            "datetime": cls.deserialize_datetime,
         }
 
         # First go through handled types (as ColouredEnum is also within the components)
@@ -57,6 +64,10 @@ class Deserializer:
     def deserialize_quantity(cls, serialized_object: SerializedObject) -> Any:
         return u.convert_to_quantity(serialized_object["value"])  # type: ignore
 
+    @classmethod
+    def deserialize_datetime(cls, serialized_object: SerializedDatetime) -> datetime:
+        return datetime.fromisoformat(serialized_object["value"])
+
     @classmethod
     def deserialize_enum(
         cls,
@@ -88,11 +99,11 @@ class Deserializer:
         return
 
     @classmethod
-    def deserialize_exception(cls, serialized_object: SerializedObject) -> NoReturn:
+    def deserialize_exception(cls, serialized_object: SerializedException) -> NoReturn:
         import builtins
 
         try:
-            exception = getattr(builtins, serialized_object["name"])  # type: ignore
+            exception = getattr(builtins, serialized_object["name"])
         except AttributeError:
             exception = type(serialized_object["name"], (Exception,), {})  # type: ignore
         raise exception(serialized_object["value"])

src/pydase/utils/serialization/serializer.py

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import inspect
 import logging
 import sys
+from datetime import datetime
 from enum import Enum
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Literal, cast
 
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ from pydase.utils.serialization.types import (
     DataServiceTypes,
     SerializedBool,
     SerializedDataService,
+    SerializedDatetime,
     SerializedDict,
     SerializedEnum,
     SerializedException,
@@ -61,6 +63,9 @@ class Serializer:
         if isinstance(obj, Exception):
             result = cls._serialize_exception(obj)
 
+        elif isinstance(obj, datetime):
+            result = cls._serialize_datetime(obj, access_path=access_path)
+
         elif isinstance(obj, AbstractDataService):
             result = cls._serialize_data_service(obj, access_path=access_path)
 
@@ -113,6 +118,16 @@ class Serializer:
             "value": obj,
         }
 
+    @classmethod
+    def _serialize_datetime(cls, obj: datetime, access_path: str) -> SerializedDatetime:
+        return {
+            "type": "datetime",
+            "value": str(obj),
+            "doc": None,
+            "full_access_path": access_path,
+            "readonly": True,
+        }
+
     @classmethod
     def _serialize_exception(cls, obj: Exception) -> SerializedException:
         return {

src/pydase/utils/serialization/types.py

@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ class SerializedString(SerializedObjectBase):
     type: Literal["str"]
 
 
+class SerializedDatetime(SerializedObjectBase):
+    type: Literal["datetime"]
+    value: str
+
+
 class SerializedEnum(SerializedObjectBase):
     name: str
     value: str
@@ -107,6 +112,7 @@ SerializedObject = (
     | SerializedFloat
     | SerializedInteger
     | SerializedString
+    | SerializedDatetime
     | SerializedList
     | SerializedDict
     | SerializedNoneType