BSER is a binary serialization scheme that can be used as an alternative to JSON. BSER uses a framed encoding that makes it simpler to use to stream a sequence of encoded values.

It is intended to be used for local-IPC only and strings are represented as binary with no specific encoding; this matches the convention employed by most operating system filename storage.

For more details about the serialization scheme see Watchman's docs.

var bser = require('bser');

The is the synchronous decoder; given an input string or buffer, decodes a single value and returns it. Throws an error if the input is invalid.

var obj = bser.loadFromBuffer(buf);

Synchronously encodes a value as BSER.

var encoded = bser.dumpToBuffer(['hello']);
console.log(bser.loadFromBuffer(encoded)); // ['hello']

The asynchronous decoder API is implemented in the BunserBuf object. You may incrementally append data to this object and it will emit the decoded values via its value event.

var bunser = new bser.BunserBuf();

bunser.on('value', function(obj) {
  console.log(obj);
});

Then in your socket data event:

bunser.append(buf);

Read BSER from socket:

var bunser = new bser.BunserBuf();

bunser.on('value', function(obj) {
  console.log('data from socket', obj);
});

var socket = net.connect('/socket');

socket.on('data', function(buf) {
  bunser.append(buf);
});

Write BSER to socket:

socket.write(bser.dumpToBuffer(obj));