b36

library1.0.0jsnpmunverified

The `b36` package provides a minimalist utility for converting between Node.js `Buffer` objects and Base36 encoded strings. Currently at version 1.0.0, this library offers a slightly more compact encoding scheme compared to hexadecimal, making it suitable for contexts where shorter, alphanumeric identifiers are beneficial, such as unique IDs in URLs or hostnames. Its release cadence is likely stable and infrequent, as it addresses a specific, well-defined encoding problem with a mature solution. Key differentiators include its simplicity, small footprint, and direct focus on Base36, providing a straightforward alternative to more complex encoding libraries when only Base36 is required, especially beneficial in Node.js environments.

serialization

npm install b36

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · B36

b36

serializationjavascriptv1.0.0

Install

—

Import

—

Disk

—

Pass rate

0/ 6

Env Coverage0 / 6

glibc

18–22

musl

18–22

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · npm install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

node 18–226 runs

build_error

glibc

node 18–226 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

encode

✓ import { encode } from 'b36';

✗ const encode = require('b36').encode;

For CommonJS, use named destructuring: `const { encode } = require('b36');`

decode

✓ import { decode } from 'b36';

✗ const decode = require('b36');

For CommonJS, use named destructuring: `const { decode } = require('b36');`

All exports

✓ import * as b36 from 'b36';

✗ const b36 = require('b36');

CommonJS typically requires destructuring for named exports. `require('b36')` alone would return an object with `encode` and `decode` properties, not a module namespace object.

This example demonstrates how to encode a random Node.js `Buffer` into a Base36 string and then decode it back, verifying the integrity of the transformation.

const { encode, decode } = require('b36'); const crypto = require('crypto'); // Node.js built-in async function runBase36Example() { console.log("--- b36 Encoding and Decoding Example ---"); // 1. Generate a random 32-byte buffer for encoding const originalBuffer = crypto.randomBytes(32); console.log('Original Buffer (hex):', originalBuffer.toString('hex')); // 2. Encode the buffer to a Base36 string const base36String = encode(originalBuffer); console.log('Encoded Base36 string:', base36String); // 3. Decode the Base36 string back to a buffer const decodedBuffer = decode(base36String); console.log('Decoded Buffer (hex):', decodedBuffer.toString('hex')); // 4. Verify that the decoded buffer precisely matches the original const areEqual = originalBuffer.equals(decodedBuffer); console.log('Original and Decoded buffers are equal:', areEqual); if (!areEqual) { console.error("Verification failed: Buffers do not match after encode/decode cycle!"); } } runBase36Example();

Debug

Known issues

gotchaThe `b36` library is designed for Node.js `Buffer` inputs for encoding. Passing non-Buffer types (e.g., strings, numbers) to `encode` might lead to unexpected behavior or errors, as it likely expects `Buffer.byteLength` and related Buffer methods.

fix

Ensure that all inputs to the `encode` function are Node.js `Buffer` instances. Convert other data types to a Buffer first (e.g., `Buffer.from('my string')`).

affects: >=1.0.0

gotchaWhen decoding, the `decode` function expects a valid Base36 encoded string. Passing malformed or non-Base36 strings could result in incorrect output buffers or throw runtime errors due to parsing failures.

fix

Validate input strings before passing them to `decode`. If the application requires robustness against malformed inputs, consider wrapping `decode` in a `try-catch` block.

affects: >=1.0.0

gotchaThe package currently uses CommonJS (`require`) in its README examples. While it might have an `exports` map for ESM, developers should verify if direct ESM `import` statements work as expected in their target environment without build tooling, especially in older Node.js versions.

fix

For projects requiring ESM, try `import { encode, decode } from 'b36';`. If issues arise, consider configuring a build tool like Webpack or Rollup to handle CommonJS modules, or stick to `require()` in a CJS context.

affects: >=1.0.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

TypeError: encode is not a function

Attempting to call `require('b36').encode()` directly or incorrectly destructuring named exports in CommonJS.

fix

Use correct named destructuring for CommonJS: `const { encode } = require('b36');`

TypeError: Invalid argument type: string. Expected Buffer.

Passing a non-Buffer type (e.g., a JavaScript string) directly to the `encode` function.

fix

Convert the input to a Node.js Buffer before encoding, e.g., `encode(Buffer.from('my data'))`.

Error: Illegal base36 character

The string passed to the `decode` function contains characters that are not valid in Base36 (i.e., not alphanumeric [0-9a-z]).

fix

Ensure the input string for `decode` is a valid Base36 string. Only characters '0'-'9' and 'a'-'z' (case-insensitive depending on implementation, but typically lowercase) are allowed.

Upgrade

Version history

1.0.0latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

9 hits · last 30 days

node

OpenAI (training)

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/creationix/b36 ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/b36 ↗