README.md

Bencode Codec

Implements Bencode encoder and decoder.

Features

• High-performance Bencode encoding and decoding
• Support for all standard Bencode types
• Extensions for additional JavaScript types
• BitTorrent-compatible implementation

Usage

Note: BencodeEncoder requires a Writer instance from the @jsonjoy.com/util package. Make sure to install it as a peer dependency:

npm install @jsonjoy.com/util

Basic Usage

import {BencodeEncoder, BencodeDecoder} from '@jsonjoy.com/json-pack/lib/bencode';
import {Writer} from '@jsonjoy.com/buffers/lib/Writer';

const writer = new Writer();
const encoder = new BencodeEncoder(writer);
const decoder = new BencodeDecoder();

const data = {
  name: 'example.torrent',
  length: 1024,
  files: ['file1.txt', 'file2.txt']
};

const encoded = encoder.encode(data);
const decoded = decoder.decode(encoded);

console.log(decoded); // Original data structure

Alternative: Use simpler codecs

For easier usage without external dependencies, consider using MessagePack or CBOR codecs instead:

import {MessagePackEncoder, MessagePackDecoder} from '@jsonjoy.com/json-pack/lib/msgpack';
// ... simpler usage

Type Coercion

• Strings and Uint8Array are encoded as Bencode byte strings, decoded as Uint8Array.
• Object and Map are encoded as Bencode dictionaries, decoded as Object.
• Array and Set are encoded as Bencode lists, decoded as Array.
• number and bigint are encoded as Bencode integers, decoded as number.
• Float number are rounded and encoded as Bencode integers, decoded as number.

Extensions

This codec extends the Bencode specification to support the following types:

• null (encoded as n)
• undefined (encoded as u)
• boolean (encoded as t for true and f for false)