bison-js

BISON provides a binary JSON implementation with some extentions that JSON doesn't support, e.g. binary buffers, single-precision Floats (aka float32) and BigInt.

Size and speed

BISON output is 30%...40% smaller than JSON output (buffers encoded as base64, BigInts encoded as String).

But BISON takes 30% more time to encode and 20% more time to decode if there is no Numbers or BigInts larger than 32 bits. If so, BISON is much slower, down to 60%. Sad but true.

If you can help me to optimise encoding and decoding, feel free to create an issue.

Special thanks

Thanks to @BonsaiDen and his BiSON.js package (that seems abandoned for years). I have got some ideas and inspiration from his docs and code. I wrote my package by myself from ground up, so it is not a fork, it's totally new and incompatible implementation.

How to use

First, install the package with npm install @kirick/bison.

Then

const BISON = require('@kirick/bison');

const data = {
  hello: 'world',
  foo: 123456,
  bar: 2856.004382,
  baz: Buffer.from([ 0xDE, 0xAD, 0xBE, 0xEF ]),
};

const payload = BISON.encode(data);

/*
payload now is
ArrayBuffer {
  [Uint8Contents]: <0d 01 5d db dc 9b 19 00 56 86 56 c6 c6 f5 80 00 78 90 00 36 66 f6 f7 40 a6 50 02 3e 5b 85 62 00 d8 98 5c a0 09 bd 5b 7d de 01 b1 30 bd 70>,
  byteLength: 46
}
*/

How it works?

BISON supports many types of data:

• null;
• boolean;
• int and uint up to 2048 bits;
• float and double,
• buffers like ArrayBuffer, TypedArray and NodeJS' Buffer;
• string;
• array;
• hash.

Each type has its specific encoding started with 3- or 4-bits of TypeID followed (or not) by some data bits.

Please note that every BISON payload starts with bit 0 indicates that it's a JSON-like payload contains all necessary data to decode it (like TypeIDs and other data headers). In future, BISON will support schemas (payload's first bit is 1) that will allow you to cut out TypeID bits, int and uint subtypes, buffer/string lengths and much more to save even more data.

Type null

Type hash

Hash's body has it's own format:

1. value of any type (excl. terminator)
2. key: it's a string with no TypeID bits.

If the value you've read is terminator, you don't need to read the key.

Type array

Type typed array

⚠️ WARNING: this type isn't implemented. That type has no sense in case of JSON-like encoding due to type checks, but it can help to encode schemas.

Type int8

Type int16

Type int32

Type int2048

Type uint8

Type uint16

Type uint32

Type uint2048

Type float

Single-precision float, aka float32.

Type double

Double-precision float, aka float64.

Type buffer

Type string

Type boolean

Type terminator

Terminator indicates the end of array or hash. It's acting like an element of collection, but it's of course virtual.