g-icon-serialize (icon)

icon -- a g-icon object

A g-variant value, or NULL when serialization fails. The g-variant value will not be floating.

Serializes a g-icon object into a g-variant value. An equivalent g-icon object can be retrieved back by calling the g-icon-deserialize function on the returned value. As serialization will avoid using raw icon data when possible, it only makes sense to transfer the g-variant value between processes on the same machine, as opposed to over the network, and within the same file system namespace.