@haskell binary0.5.0.2

binary: efficient, pure binary serialisation using lazy ByteStrings

The 'binary' package provides Data.Binary, containing the Binary class, and associated methods, for serialising values to and from lazy ByteStrings.

A key feature of 'binary' is that the interface is both pure, and efficient.

The 'binary' package is portable to GHC and Hugs.

Building:

runhaskell Setup.lhs configure
runhaskell Setup.lhs build
runhaskell Setup.lhs install

First: import Data.Binary

and then write an instance of Binary for the type you wish to serialise. More information in the haddock documentation.

Deriving:

It is possible to mechanically derive new instances of Binary for your types, if they support the Data and Typeable classes. A script is provided in tools/derive. Here's an example of its use.

$ cd binary 
$ cd tools/derive 

$ ghci -fglasgow-exts BinaryDerive.hs

*BinaryDerive> :l Example.hs 

*Main> deriveM (undefined :: Drinks)

instance Binary Main.Drinks where
  put (Beer a) = putWord8 0 >> put a
  put Coffee = putWord8 1
  put Tea = putWord8 2
  put EnergyDrink = putWord8 3
  put Water = putWord8 4
  put Wine = putWord8 5
  put Whisky = putWord8 6
  get = do
    tag_ <- getWord8
    case tag_ of
      0 -> get >>= \a -> return (Beer a)
      1 -> return Coffee
      2 -> return Tea
      3 -> return EnergyDrink
      4 -> return Water
      5 -> return Wine
      6 -> return Whisky

Contributors:

Lennart Kolmodin
Duncan Coutts
Don Stewart
Spencer Janssen
David Himmelstrup
Björn Bringert
Ross Paterson
Einar Karttunen
John Meacham
Ulf Norell
Tomasz Zielonka
Stefan Karrmann
Bryan O'Sullivan
Florian Weimer