docs/src/dev/io/graphbinary.asciidoc

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[[graphbinary]]
= GraphBinary

GraphBinary is a binary serialization format suitable for object trees, designed to reduce serialization
overhead on both the client and the server, as well as limiting the size of the payload that is transmitted over the
wire.

It describes arbitrary object graphs with a fully-qualified format:

[source]
----
{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}
----

Where:

* `{type_code}` is a single unsigned byte representing the type number.
* `{type_info}` is an optional sequence of bytes providing additional information of the type represented. This is
specially useful for representing complex and custom types.
* `{value_flag}` is a single byte providing information about the value. Each type may have its own specific flags so
see each type for more details. Generally, flags have the following meaning:
** `0x01` The value is `null`. When this flag is set, no bytes for `{value}` will be provided.
* `{value}` is a sequence of bytes which content is determined by the type.

All encodings are big-endian.

Quick examples, using hexadecimal notation to represent each byte:

- `01 00 00 00 00 01`: a 32-bit integer number, that represents the decimal number 1. It’s composed by the
type_code `0x01`, and empty flag value `0x00` and four bytes to describe the value.
- `01 00 00 00 00 ff`: a 32-bit integer, representing the number 256.
- `01 01`: a null value for a 32-bit integer. It’s composed by the type_code `0x01`, and a null flag value `0x01`.
- `02 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01`: a 64-bit integer number 1. It’s composed by the type_code `0x02`, empty flags and
eight bytes to describe the value.

== Version 4.0

=== Forward Compatibility

The serialization format supports new types being added without the need to introduce a new version.

Changes to existing types require new revision.

=== Data Type Codes

==== Core Data Types

- `0x01`: Int
- `0x02`: Long
- `0x03`: String
- `0x04`: DateTime
- `0x07`: Double
- `0x08`: Float
- `0x09`: List
- `0x0a`: Map
- `0x0b`: Set
- `0x0c`: UUID
- `0x0d`: Edge
- `0x0e`: Path
- `0x0f`: Property
- `0x10`: TinkerGraph
- `0x11`: Vertex
- `0x12`: VertexProperty
- `0x18`: Direction
- `0x20`: T
- `0x22`: BigDecimal
- `0x23`: BigInteger
- `0x24`: Byte
- `0x25`: Binary
- `0x26`: Short
- `0x27`: Boolean
- `0x2b`: Tree
- `0xf0`: CompositePDT
- `0xf1`: PrimitivePDT
- `0xfd`: Marker
- `0xfe`: Unspecified null object

==== Extended Types

- `0x80`: Char
- `0x81`: Duration

=== Null handling

The serialization format defines two ways to represent null values:

- Unspecified null object
- Fully-qualified null

When a parent type can contain any subtype e.g., a object collection, a `null` value must be represented using the
"Unspecified Null Object" type code and the null value flag.

In contrast, when the parent type contains a type parameter that must be specified, a `null` value is represented using
a fully-qualified object using the appropriate type code and type information.

=== Data Type Formats

==== Int

Format: 4-byte two's complement integer.

Example values:

- `00 00 00 01`: 32-bit integer number 1.
- `00 00 01 01`: 32-bit integer number 256.
- `ff ff ff ff`: 32-bit integer number -1.
- `ff ff ff fe`: 32-bit integer number -2.

==== Long

Format: 8-byte two's complement integer.

Example values

- `00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01`: 64-bit integer number 1.
- `ff ff ff ff ff ff ff fe`: 64-bit integer number -2.

==== String

Format: `{length}{text_value}`

Where:

- `{length}` is an `Int` describing the byte length of the text. Length is a positive number or zero to represent
the empty string.
- `{text_value}` is a sequence of bytes representing the string value in UTF8 encoding.

Example values

- `00 00 00 03 61 62 63`: the string 'abc'.
- `00 00 00 04 61 62 63 64`: the string 'abcd'.
- `00 00 00 00`: the empty string ''.

==== DateTime

A date-time with an offset from UTC/Greenwich in the ISO-8601 calendar system, such as 2007-12-03T10:15:30+01:00.

Format: `{year}{month}{day}{time}{offset}`

Where:

- `{year}` is an `Int` from -999,999,999 to 999,999,999.
- `{month}` is a `Byte` to represent the month, from 1 (January) to 12 (December)
- `{day}` is a `Byte` from 1 to 31.
- `{time}` is a `Long` to represent nanoseconds since midnight, from 0 to 86399999999999
- `{offset}` is an `Int` to represent total zone offset in seconds, from -64800 (-18:00) to 64800 (+18:00).

==== Double

Format: 8 bytes representing IEEE 754 double-precision binary floating-point format.

Example values

- `3f f0 00 00 00 00 00 00`: Double 1
- `3f 70 00 00 00 00 00 00`: Double 0.00390625
- `3f b9 99 99 99 99 99 9a`: Double 0.1

==== Float

Format: 4 bytes representing IEEE 754 single-precision binary floating-point format.

Example values

- `3f 80 00 00`: Float 1
- `3e c0 00 00`: Float 0.375

==== List

An ordered collection of items. The format depends on the {value_flag}.

Format (value_flag=0x00): `{length}{item_0}...{item_n}`

Where:

- `{length}` is an `Int` describing the length of the collection.
- `{item_0}...{item_n}` are the items of the list. `{item_i}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of
`{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.

Format (value_flag=0x02): `{length}{item_0}{bulk_0}...{item_n}{bulk_n}`

Where:

- `{length}` is an `Int` describing the length of the collection.
- `{item_0}...{item_n}` are the items of the list. `{item_i}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of
`{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
- `{bulk_0}...{bulk_n}` are `Int` that represent how many times that item should be repeated in the expanded list.

==== Set

A collection that contains no duplicate elements.

Format: Same as `List`.

==== Map

A dictionary of keys to values. A {value_flag} equal to 0x02 means that the map is ordered.

Format: `{length}{item_0}...{item_n}`

Where:

- `{length}` is an `Int` describing the length of the map.
- `{item_0}...{item_n}` are the items of the map. `{item_i}` is sequence of 2 fully qualified typed values one
representing the key and the following representing the value, each composed of
`{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.

==== UUID

A 128-bit universally unique identifier.

Format: 16 bytes representing the uuid.

Example

- `00 11 22 33 44 55 66 77 88 99 aa bb cc dd ee ff`: Uuid 00112233-4455-6677-8899-aabbccddeeff.

==== Edge

Format: `{id}{label}{inVId}{inVLabel}{outVId}{outVLabel}{parent}{properties}`

Where:

- `{id}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
- `{label}` is a `List` {value}.
- `{inVId}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
- `{inVLabel}` is a `List` {value}.
- `{outVId}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
- `{outVLabel}` is a `List` {value}.
- `{parent}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}` which contains
the parent `Vertex`. Note that as TinkerPop currently send "references" only, this value will always be `null`.
- `{properties}` is a `List` of `Property` objects.

Example values:

[source,text]
----
01 00  00 00 00 0d                                            id is 13
00 00 00 01  03 00  00 00 00 08  64 65 76 65 6c 6f 70 73      label is a size 1 list with string 'develops'
01 00  00 00 00 0a                                            inVId is 10
00 00 00 01  03 00  00 00 00 08  73 6f 66 74 77 61 72 65      inVLabel is a size 1 list with string 'software'
01 00  00 00 00 01                                            outVId is 1
00 00 00 01  03 00  00 00 00 06  70 65 72 73 6f 6e            outVLabel is a size 1 list with string 'person'
fe 01                                                         parent is always null
09 00  00 00 00 01                                            properties is a size 1 list
0f 00 00 00 00 05  73 69 6e 63 65  01 00  00 00 07 d9  fe 01  property with key 'since' and value 2009 and null parent
----

==== Path

Format: `{labels}{objects}`

Where:

- `{labels}` is a fully qualified `List` in which each item is a fully qualified `Set` of `String`.
- `{objects}` is a fully qualified `List` of fully qualified typed values.

==== Property

Format: `{key}{value}{parent}`

Where:

- `{key}` is a `String` value.
- `{value}`  is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
- `{parent}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}` which is either
an `Edge` or `VertexProperty`. Note that as TinkerPop currently sends "references" only this value will always be
`null`.

==== Graph

A collection of vertices and edges. Note that while similar the vertex/edge formats here hold some differences as
compared to the `Vertex` and `Edge` formats used for standard serialization/deserialiation of a single graph element.

Format: `{vlength}{vertex_0}...{vertex_n}{elength}{edge_0}...{edge_n}`

Where:

- `{vlength}` is an `Int` describing the number of vertices.
- `{vertex_0}...{vertex_n}` are vertices as described below.
- `{elength}` is an `Int` describing the number of edges.
- `{edge_0}...{edge_n}` are edges as described below.

Vertex Format: `{id}{label}{plength}{property_0}...{property_n}`

- `{id}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
- `{label}` is a `String` value.
- `{plength}` is an `Int` describing the number of properties on the vertex.
- `{property_0}...{property_n}` are the vertex properties consisting of `{id}{label}{value}{parent}{properties}` as
defined in `VertexProperty` where the `{parent}` is always `null` and `{properties}` is a `List` of `Property` objects.

Edge Format: `{id}{label}{inVId}{inVLabel}{outVId}{outVLabel}{parent}{properties}`

Where:

- `{id}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
- `{label}` is a `String` value.
- `{inVId}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
- `{inVLabel}` is always `null`.
- `{outVId}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
- `{outVLabel}` is always `null`.
- `{parent}` is always `null`.
- `{properties}` is a `List` of `Property` objects.

==== Vertex

Format: `{id}{label}{properties}`

Where:

- `{id}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
- `{label}` is a `List` {value}.
- `{properties}` is a `List` of `VertexProperty` values.

Example values:

[source,text]
----
01 00  00 00 00 01                                        id is int 1
00 00 00 01  03 00  00 00 00 06  70 65 72 73 6f 6e        label is size 1 list with string 'person'
09 00  00 00 00 01  12 00  02 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 09 properties is a size 1 list with VertexProperty id 9
00 00 00 01  03 00  00 00 00 08  6c 6f 63 61 74 69 6f 6e  VertexProperty label is string 'location'
03 00  00 00 00 08  73 61 6e 74 61 20 66 65               VertexProperty value is string 'santa fe'
fe 01                                                     VertexProperty parent is always null
09 00  00 00 00 01                                        VertexProperty has a size 1 list
0f 00  00 00 00 09 73 74 61 72 74 54 69 6d 65             metaproperty with string key 'startTime'
01 00  00 00 07 d5  fe 01                                 VertexProperty metaproperty value is 2005 with null parent
----

==== VertexProperty

Format: `{id}{label}{value}{parent}{properties}`

Where:

- `{id}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
- `{label}` is a `List` {value}.
- `{value}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
- `{parent}` is a fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}` which contains
the parent `Vertex`. Note that as TinkerPop currently send "references" only, this value will always be `null`.
- `{properties}` is a `List` of `Property` objects.

Example values:

[source,text]
----
02 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00                id is Long 0
00 00 00 01  03 00  00 00 00 04  6e 61 6d 65  label is size 1 list with string 'name'
03 00  00 00 00 05  6d 61 72 6b 6f            value is string 'marko'
fe 01                                         parent is always null
09 00  00 00 00 00                            metaproperties is empty list
----

==== Direction

Format: a fully qualified single `String` representing the enum value.

Example values:

- `00 00 00 03 4F 55 54`: OUT
- `00 00 00 02 49 4E`: IN

==== T

Format: a fully qualified single `String` representing the enum value.

Example values:

- `00 00 00 05 6C 61 62 65 6C`: label
- `00 00 00 02 69 64`: id

==== BigDecimal

Represents an arbitrary-precision signed decimal number, consisting of an arbitrary precision integer unscaled value
and a 32-bit integer scale.

Format: `{scale}{unscaled_value}`

Where:

- `{scale}` is an `Int`.
- `{unscaled_value}` is a `BigInteger`.

==== BigInteger

A variable-length two's complement encoding of a signed integer.

Format: `{length}{value}`

Where:

- `{length}` is an `Int` describing the size of `{value}` in bytes.
- `{value}` is the two's complement of the `BigInteger`.

Example values of the two's complement `{value}`:

- `00`: Integer 0.
- `01`: Integer 1.
- `127`: Integer 7f.
- `00 80`: Integer 128.
- `ff`: Integer -1.
- `80`: Integer -128.
- `ff 7f`: Integer -129.

==== Byte

Format: 1-byte two's complement integer.

Example values:

- `01`: 8-bit integer number 1.
- `ff`: 8-bit integer number -1.

==== Binary

Format: `{length}{value}`

Where:

- `{length}` is an `Int` representing the amount of bytes contained in the value.
- `{value}` sequence of bytes.

==== Short

Format: 2-byte two's complement integer.

Example values:

- `00 01`: 16-bit integer number 1.
- `01 02`: 16-bit integer number 258.

==== Boolean

Format: A single byte containing the value `0x01` when it's `true` and `0` otherwise.

==== Tree

Format: `{length}{item_0}...{item_n}`

Where:

- `{length}` is an `Int` describing the amount of items.
- `{item_0}...{item_n}` are the items of the `Tree`. `{item_i}` is composed of a `{key}` which is a fully-qualified typed value
followed by a `{Tree}`.

==== Marker

A 1-byte marker used to separate the end of the data and the beginning of the status of a `ResponseMessage`. This is
mainly used by language variants during deserialization.

Format: 1-byte integer with a value of `00`.

==== CompositePDT

A composite custom type, represented as a type and a map of values.

Format: `{type}{fields}`

Where:

- `{type}` is a `String` containing the implementation specific text identifier of the custom type.
- `{fields}` is a `Map` representing the fields of the composite type.

Example values:

[source,text]
----
03 00 00 00 00 05 50 6F 69 6E 74: the string "Point"
0A 00 00 00 00 02 31 30: length 2 map header
03 00 00 00 00 01 78 01 00 00 00 00 01: {x:1}
03 00 00 00 00 01 79 01 00 00 00 00 02: {y:2}
----

==== PrimitivePDT

A primitive custom type, represented as a type and the stringified value.

Format: `{type}{value}`

Where:

- `{type}` is a `String` containing the implementation specific text identifier of the custom type.
- `{value}` is a `String` representing the string version of the value.

Example values:

[source,text]
----
03 00 00 00 00 05 55 69 6E 74 38: the string "Uint8"
03 00 00 00 00 02 31 30: the string "10"
----

==== Unspecified Null Object

A `null` value for an unspecified Object value.

It's represented using the null `{value_flag}` set and no sequence of bytes (which is `FE 01`).

==== Char

Format: one to four bytes representing a single UTF8 char, according to the Unicode standard.

For characters `0x00`-`0x7F`, UTF-8 encodes the character as a single byte.

For characters `0x80`-`0x07FF`, UTF-8 uses 2 bytes: the first byte is binary `110` followed by the 5 high bits of the
character, while the second byte is binary 10 followed by the 6 low bits of the character.

The 3 and 4-byte encodings are similar to the 2-byte encoding, except that the first byte of the 3-byte encoding starts
with `1110` and the first byte of the 4-byte encoding starts with `11110`.

Example values (hex bytes)

- `97`: Character 'a'.
- `c2 a2`: Character '¢'.
- `e2 82 ac`: Character '€'

==== Duration

A time-based amount of time.

Format: `{seconds}{nanos}`

Where:

- `{seconds}` is a `Long`.
- `{nanos}` is an `Int`.

=== Request and Response Messages

Request and response messages are special container types used to represent messages from client to the server and the
other way around. These messages are independent from the transport layer.

==== Request Message

Represents a message from the client to the server.

Format: `{version}{fields}{gremlin}`

Where:

- `{version}` is a `Byte` representing the specification version, with the most significant bit set to one. For this
version of the format, the value expected is `0x84` (`10000004`).
- `{fields}` is a `Map`.
- `{gremlin}` is a `String`.

The total length is not part of the message as the transport layer will provide it. For example: in HTTP, there is the
`Content-Length` header which defines the payload size.

==== Response Message

Format: `{version}{bulked}{result_data}{marker}{status_code}{status_message}{exception}`

Where:

- `{version}` is a `Byte` representing the protocol version, with the most significant bit set to one. For this version
of the protocol, the value expected is `0x84` (`10000004`).
- `{bulked}` is a `Byte` representing whether `{result_data}` is bulked. `00` is false and `01` is true.
- `{result_data}` is a sequence of fully qualified typed value composed of `{type_code}{type_info}{value_flag}{value}`.
If `{bulked}` is `01` then each value is followed by an 8-byte integer denoting the bulk of the preceding value.
- `{marker}` is a `Marker`.
- `{status_code}` is an `Int`.
- `{status_message}` is a nullable `String`.
- `{exception}` is a nullable `String`.

The total length is not part of the message as the transport layer will provide it.