Skip to main content
Version: dev

Basic Serialization

This guide covers the core serialization APIs in Apache Fory JavaScript.

Create a Fory Instance​

import Fory from "@apache-fory/core";

const fory = new Fory();

Create one instance, register your schemas, and reuse it. Fory caches the generated serializers after the first register call, so recreating it on every request wastes that work.

Define a Schema with Type.struct​

The most common path is to define a schema and register it.

import Fory, { Type } from "@apache-fory/core";

const accountType = Type.struct(
  { typeName: "example.account" },
  {
    id: Type.int64(),
    owner: Type.string(),
    active: Type.bool(),
    nickname: Type.string().setNullable(true),
  },
);

const fory = new Fory();
const { serialize, deserialize } = fory.register(accountType);

Serialize and Deserialize​

const bytes = serialize({
  id: 42n,
  owner: "Alice",
  active: true,
  nickname: null,
});

const value = deserialize(bytes);
console.log(value);
// { id: 42n, owner: 'Alice', active: true, nickname: null }

The returned bytes value is a Uint8Array/platform buffer and can be sent over the network or written to storage.

Root-Level Dynamic Serialization​

Fory can also serialize dynamic root values without first binding a schema-specific serializer.

const fory = new Fory();

const bytes = fory.serialize(
  new Map([
    ["name", "Alice"],
    ["age", 30],
  ]),
);

const value = fory.deserialize(bytes);

This is convenient for dynamic payloads, but explicit schemas are usually better for stable interfaces and cross-language contracts.

Primitive Values​

const fory = new Fory();

fory.deserialize(fory.serialize(true));
// true

fory.deserialize(fory.serialize("hello"));
// 'hello'

fory.deserialize(fory.serialize(123));
// 123

fory.deserialize(fory.serialize(123n));
// 123n

fory.deserialize(fory.serialize(new Date("2021-10-20T09:13:00Z")));
// Date

Number and bigint​

JavaScript number is a 64-bit float, which cannot exactly represent all 64-bit integers. For cross-language contracts or anywhere exact integer sizes matter, use explicit field types in your schema:

  • Type.int32() — 32-bit integer; use JavaScript number
  • Type.int64() — 64-bit integer; use JavaScript bigint
  • Type.float32() / Type.float64() — floating-point

Dynamic root serialization (calling fory.serialize(someNumber) without a schema) will infer a type, but the inferred type is not guaranteed by the API. Use a schema for any stable contract.

Arrays, Maps, and Sets​

const inventoryType = Type.struct("example.inventory", {
  tags: Type.array(Type.string()),
  counts: Type.map(Type.string(), Type.int32()),
  labels: Type.set(Type.string()),
});

const fory = new Fory({ ref: true });
const { serialize, deserialize } = fory.register(inventoryType);

const bytes = serialize({
  tags: ["hot", "new"],
  counts: new Map([
    ["apple", 3],
    ["pear", 8],
  ]),
  labels: new Set(["featured", "seasonal"]),
});

const value = deserialize(bytes);

Nested Structs​

const addressType = Type.struct("example.address", {
  city: Type.string(),
  country: Type.string(),
});

const userType = Type.struct("example.user", {
  name: Type.string(),
  address: Type.struct("example.address", {
    city: Type.string(),
    country: Type.string(),
  }),
});

const fory = new Fory();
const { serialize, deserialize } = fory.register(userType);

const bytes = serialize({
  name: "Alice",
  address: { city: "Hangzhou", country: "CN" },
});

const user = deserialize(bytes);

If a nested value can be missing, mark it nullable:

const wrapperType = Type.struct("example.wrapper", {
  child: Type.struct("example.child", {
    name: Type.string(),
  }).setNullable(true),
});

Decorator-Based Registration​

TypeScript decorators are also supported.

import Fory, { Type } from "@apache-fory/core";

@Type.struct("example.user")
class User {
  @Type.int64()
  id!: bigint;

  @Type.string()
  name!: string;
}

const fory = new Fory();
const { serialize, deserialize } = fory.register(User);

const user = new User();
user.id = 1n;
user.name = "Alice";

const copy = deserialize(serialize(user));
console.log(copy instanceof User); // true

Nullability​

Field nullability is explicit in schema-based structs.

const nullableType = Type.struct("example.optional_user", {
  name: Type.string(),
  email: Type.string().setNullable(true),
});

If a field is not marked nullable and you try to write null, serialization throws.

Debugging Generated Code​

You can inspect generated serializer code with hooks.afterCodeGenerated.

const fory = new Fory({
  hooks: {
    afterCodeGenerated(code) {
      console.log(code);
      return code;
    },
  },
});

This is useful when debugging schema behavior, field ordering, or generated fast paths.