cbor/README.md

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# Zig CBOR
A fast & flexible [CBOR (RFC 8949)](https://cbor.io/) encoding, decoding, and
pattern-matching library for Zig 0.15+.
[![Ask DeepWiki](https://deepwiki.com/badge.svg)](https://deepwiki.com/neurocyte/cbor)
---
## Features
- **Zero-allocation encoding** - write directly into a caller-supplied buffer or
use the streaming writer API
- **Expressive pattern matching** - match CBOR values against rich patterns
including type sentinels, wildcards, and nested structures
- **Typed extraction** - pull values out of a CBOR stream directly into Zig
variables, structs, unions, enums, and optionals
- **JSON interop** - convert CBOR <-> JSON with both allocating and
non-allocating variants
- **Custom encode/decode hooks** - any type can implement `cborEncode` /
`cborExtract` to control its own serialisation
- **Full type coverage** - integers (all widths + signs), floats (f16/f32/f64),
booleans, null, strings, byte strings, arrays, maps, tagged unions, structs,
enums, optionals, slices, vectors, error sets
---
## Installation
Add to your `build.zig.zon`:
```zig
.dependencies = .{
.cbor = .{
.url = "git+https://github.com/neurocyte/cbor?ref=master#<commit>",
.hash = "...",
},
},
```
Then in `build.zig`:
```zig
const cbor = b.dependency("cbor", .{});
my_module.addImport("cbor", cbor.module("cbor"));
```
---
## Encoding
### `fmt` - encode to a stack buffer
The simplest API. Encodes any value into a caller-supplied buffer and returns
the written slice. Panics if the buffer is too small.
```zig
const cbor = @import("cbor");
var buf: [64]u8 = undefined;
// Tuple -> CBOR array
const msg = cbor.fmt(&buf, .{ "exit", "normal" });
// Struct -> CBOR map
const point = cbor.fmt(&buf, .{ .x = 10, .y = 20 });
// Nested
const nested = cbor.fmt(&buf, .{ "pos", .{ .x = 1, .y = 2 }, "score", 42 });
```
Use `fmtBuf` when you need to handle overflow gracefully:
```zig
const msg = try cbor.fmtBuf(&buf, .{ "event", "click", "button", 3 });
// returns error.NoSpaceLeft if buf is too small
```
### Streaming writer
Build CBOR incrementally when the structure isn't known at compile time:
```zig
var buf: [256]u8 = undefined;
var writer: std.Io.Writer = .fixed(&buf);
try cbor.writeArrayHeader(&writer, 3);
try cbor.writeValue(&writer, "hello");
try cbor.writeValue(&writer, @as(i64, 42));
try cbor.writeValue(&writer, true);
const result = writer.buffered(); // ["hello", 42, true]
```
Maps work the same way - write key/value pairs after `writeMapHeader`:
```zig
try cbor.writeMapHeader(&writer, 2);
try cbor.writeValue(&writer, "name");
try cbor.writeValue(&writer, "Alice");
try cbor.writeValue(&writer, "age");
try cbor.writeValue(&writer, @as(i64, 30));
```
---
## Pattern matching
`match` tests whether a CBOR buffer conforms to a pattern. Patterns can be
exact values, type sentinels, wildcards, or nested structures.
### Type sentinels
```zig
const cbor = @import("cbor");
// Test the type of a value without caring about its content
try cbor.match(buf, cbor.string); // any string
try cbor.match(buf, cbor.number); // any integer
try cbor.match(buf, cbor.array); // any array
try cbor.match(buf, cbor.map); // any map
try cbor.match(buf, cbor.boolean); // any boolean
try cbor.match(buf, cbor.any); // anything at all
```
### Exact values and mixed patterns
```zig
var buf: [64]u8 = undefined;
const msg = cbor.fmt(&buf, .{ "click", 3, true });
// Match exact values
_ = try cbor.match(msg, .{ "click", 3, true }); // true
_ = try cbor.match(msg, .{ "click", 4, true }); // false
// Mix exact values with type sentinels
_ = try cbor.match(msg, .{ cbor.string, cbor.number, cbor.any }); // true
_ = try cbor.match(msg, .{ "click", cbor.number, cbor.any }); // true
```
### `more` - match a prefix
`more` at the end of a pattern matches any remaining elements:
```zig
const msg = cbor.fmt(&buf, .{ "event", "click", "x", 10, "y", 20 });
_ = try cbor.match(msg, .{ "event", "click", cbor.more }); // true - ignores trailing fields
```
### Nested patterns
```zig
const msg = cbor.fmt(&buf, .{ "move", .{ 10, 20 } });
_ = try cbor.match(msg, .{ "move", .{ cbor.number, cbor.number } }); // true
_ = try cbor.match(msg, .{ "move", .{ 10, 20 } }); // true
```
---
## Extraction
Extract values from a CBOR stream directly into Zig variables using
`extract` inside a pattern.
### Basic extraction
```zig
var buf: [64]u8 = undefined;
const msg = cbor.fmt(&buf, .{ "resize", 800, 600 });
var width: i64 = undefined;
var height: i64 = undefined;
if (try cbor.match(msg, .{ "resize", cbor.extract(&width), cbor.extract(&height) })) {
// width == 800, height == 600
}
```
### Extracting strings
```zig
var name: []const u8 = undefined;
_ = try cbor.match(msg, .{ cbor.extract(&name), cbor.any });
// name is a slice into the original CBOR buffer - zero copy
```
### Extracting structs, unions, and enums
`extract` handles arbitrary Zig types automatically:
```zig
const Point = struct { x: f32, y: f32 };
var pos: Point = undefined;
_ = try cbor.match(msg, .{ "pos", cbor.extract(&pos) });
// pos.x and pos.y are populated from the CBOR map {"x":...,"y":...}
const Color = enum { red, green, blue };
var color: Color = undefined;
_ = try cbor.match(msg, cbor.extract(&color));
const Shape = union(enum) { circle: f32, rect: struct { w: f32, h: f32 } };
var shape: Shape = undefined;
_ = try cbor.match(msg, cbor.extract(&shape));
```
### `extractAlloc` - for heap-allocated types
Use `extractAlloc` when the extracted value contains slices or other types
that require allocation (nested unions with slice payloads, `[]T` fields, etc.):
```zig
var arena = std.heap.ArenaAllocator.init(allocator);
defer arena.deinit();
var tags: []const []const u8 = undefined;
_ = try cbor.match(msg, .{ "tags", cbor.extractAlloc(&tags, arena.allocator()) });
```
### `extract_cbor` - extract a raw sub-value
Capture a nested CBOR value as a raw byte slice for deferred decoding:
```zig
var payload: []const u8 = undefined;
if (try cbor.match(msg, .{ "type", cbor.extract_cbor(&payload) })) {
// payload contains the raw CBOR bytes of the second element
_ = try cbor.match(payload, ...);
}
```
---
## JSON interop
### CBOR -> JSON
```zig
var json_buf: [256]u8 = undefined;
const cbor_data = cbor.fmt(&buf, .{ .name = "Alice", .age = @as(i64, 30) });
const json = try cbor.toJson(cbor_data, &json_buf);
// json == ~{"name":"Alice","age":30}~
// Pretty-printed
const pretty = try cbor.toJsonPretty(cbor_data, &json_buf);
// Allocating variants
const json_owned = try cbor.toJsonAlloc(allocator, cbor_data);
defer allocator.free(json_owned);
```
### JSON -> CBOR
```zig
var cbor_buf: [256]u8 = undefined;
const json =
\\{"items":[1,2,3],"meta":{"count":3}}
;
const cbor_data = try cbor.fromJson(json, &cbor_buf);
// Allocating variant
const cbor_owned = try cbor.fromJsonAlloc(allocator, json);
defer allocator.free(cbor_owned);
```
---
## Custom encode/decode
Implement `cborEncode` and/or `cborExtract` on any type to control its
serialisation:
```zig
const Timestamp = struct {
seconds: i64,
pub fn cborEncode(self: Timestamp, writer: *std.Io.Writer) !void {
// encode as a single integer
try cbor.writeValue(writer, self.seconds);
}
pub fn cborExtract(self: *Timestamp, iter: *[]const u8) cbor.Error!bool {
return cbor.matchInt(i64, iter, &self.seconds);
}
};
```
---
## API reference
| Function | Description |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| `fmt(buf, value)` | Encode to buffer, panic on overflow |
| `fmtBuf(buf, value)` | Encode to buffer, return error on overflow |
| `writeValue(writer, value)` | Stream-encode a single value |
| `writeArrayHeader(writer, n)` | Write an array header for `n` elements |
| `writeMapHeader(writer, n)` | Write a map header for `n` key-value pairs |
| `match(buf, pattern)` | Test a CBOR buffer against a pattern |
| `matchValue(iter, pattern)` | Match and advance an iterator |
| `extract(ptr)` | Extractor for use inside match patterns |
| `extractAlloc(ptr, allocator)` | Allocating extractor for heap types |
| `extract_cbor(ptr)` | Capture raw CBOR bytes of a value |
| `toJson(cbor, buf)` | Convert CBOR to JSON (non-allocating) |
| `toJsonAlloc(allocator, cbor)` | Convert CBOR to JSON (allocating) |
| `toJsonPretty(cbor, buf)` | Convert CBOR to indented JSON |
| `fromJson(json, buf)` | Convert JSON to CBOR (non-allocating) |
| `fromJsonAlloc(allocator, json)` | Convert JSON to CBOR (allocating) |
| `decodeType(iter)` | Decode the type header of the next value |
| `skipValue(iter)` | Advance iterator past the next value |
| `isNull(buf)` | Test whether a buffer contains a CBOR null |
---
[![Ask DeepWiki](https://deepwiki.com/badge.svg)](https://deepwiki.com/neurocyte/cbor)