lyng/docs/serialization.md

Lyng serialization

Lyng has builting binary bit-effective serialization format, called Lynon for LYng Object Notation. It is typed, binary, implements caching, automatic compression, variable-length ints, one-bit Booleans an many nice features.

It is as simple as:

import lyng.serialization

val text = "
    We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, 
    that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, 
    that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.    
    "
val encodedBits = Lynon.encode(text)

// decode bits source:
assertEquals( text, Lynon.decode(encodedBits) )

// compression was used automatically
assert( text.length > encodedBits.toBuffer().size )
>>> void

Any class you create is serializable by default; lynon serializes first constructor fields, then any var member fields:

import lyng.serialization

class Point(x,y)

val p = Lynon.decode( Lynon.encode( Point(5,6) ) )

assertEquals( 5, p.x )
assertEquals( 6, p.y )
>>> void

just as expected.

Important is to understand that normally Lynon.decode wants [BitBuffer], as Lynon.encode produces. If you have the regular [Buffer], be sure to convert it:

buffer.toBitInput()

this possibly creates extra zero bits at the end, as bit content could be shorter than byte-grained but for the Lynon format it does not make sense. Note that when you serialize [BitBuffer], exact number of bits is written. To convert bit buffer to bytes:

Lynon.encode("hello").toBuffer()

(topic is incomplete and under construction)