Bincode-Next

Bincode-Next is a high-performance binary encoder/decoder pair that uses a zero-fluff encoding scheme. It is a modernized fork of the original bincode library, maintained by the Apich Organization to ensure continued development and extreme performance optimizations for the Rust ecosystem.

The size of the encoded object will be the same or smaller than the size that the object takes up in memory in a running Rust program.

Key Features

• Performance: Leverages SIMD (SSE2 on x86_64, NEON on AArch64) for rapid varint scanning and bulk primitive copying for massive throughput.

• Zero-Copy: Nested zero-copy support via Relative Pointers and const alignment. (optional zero-copy feature)

• Bit-Packing: Bit-level packing for space-optimized serialization. (BitPacked derive + config.with_bit_packing())

• Schema Fingerprinting: 64-bit schema hash covering field names, types, order, and full configuration — format changes (Bincode vs CBOR), endianness, integer encoding, and CBOR options all produce distinct fingerprints. (Fingerprint derive + config.with_fingerprint())

• Compile-time Memory Bounds: StaticSize gives a worst-case byte bound at compile time; PACKED_MAX_SIZE gives the tighter bound when bit-packing is active. (static-size feature)

• CBOR Format: Full RFC 8949 CBOR encoding/decoding with deterministic modes. (config.with_cbor_format())

• Async Fiber Decoding: Zero-cost async decoding via Unified Fiber-backed Async (UFA). (async-fiber feature)

• Stream Support: Works seamlessly with std::io (Reader/Writer) and no_std environments.

Getting Started

Add bincode-next to your Cargo.toml:

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[dependencies]
bincode-next = "3.1.1"

Basic Encode / Decode

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use bincode_next::{config, Decode, Encode};

#[derive(Encode, Decode, PartialEq, Debug)]
struct Entity {
    x: f32,
    y: f32,
}

#[derive(Encode, Decode, PartialEq, Debug)]
struct World(Vec<Entity>);

fn main() {
    let config = config::standard();
    let world = World(vec![Entity { x: 0.0, y: 4.0 }, Entity { x: 10.0, y: 20.5 }]);

    let encoded: Vec<u8> = bincode_next::encode_to_vec(&world, config).unwrap();
    let (decoded, len): (World, usize) =
        bincode_next::decode_from_slice(&encoded[..], config).unwrap();

    assert_eq!(world, decoded);
    assert_eq!(len, encoded.len());
}

Serde Compatibility

Bincode-Next works with any type that already derives serde::Serialize / serde::Deserialize — no need to re-derive Encode/Decode at all. Enable the serde feature and use the bincode_next::serde::* entry points.

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[dependencies]
bincode-next = { version = "3.1.1", features = ["serde"] }
serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }

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# #[cfg(feature = "serde")] {
use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};

// Only serde derives — no Encode/Decode needed.
#[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq, Debug)]
struct Config {
    host: String,
    port: u16,
    #[serde(default)]
    retries: u8,
}

fn main() {
    let cfg = Config { host: "localhost".into(), port: 8080, retries: 3 };

    // Encode via serde — honours all #[serde(...)] attributes
    let bytes = bincode_next::serde::encode_to_vec(&cfg, bincode_next::config::standard()).unwrap();

    let (decoded, _): (Config, usize) =
        bincode_next::serde::decode_from_slice(&bytes, bincode_next::config::standard()).unwrap();
    assert_eq!(cfg, decoded);
}
# }

You can also mix: derive both Serialize and Encode on the same type, then use #[bincode(with_serde)] on individual fields to route specific fields through their serde impl (useful for types that only implement Serialize, not Encode).

Bit-Packing

Enable bit-packing in your configuration to pack fields at bit granularity. Consecutive #[bincode(bits = N)] fields share bytes — 3 bits + 5 bits = exactly 1 byte on the wire.

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use bincode_next::{config, BitPacked};

#[derive(BitPacked, PartialEq, Debug)]
struct Telemetry {
    #[bincode(bits = 1)]
    is_active: bool,
    #[bincode(bits = 1)]
    has_error: bool,
    #[bincode(bits = 3)]
    mode: u8,
    // ↑ 5 bits total → 1 byte on the wire when bit-packing is enabled
}

fn main() {
    let config = config::standard().with_bit_packing();
    let t = Telemetry { is_active: true, has_error: false, mode: 5 };

    let encoded = bincode_next::encode_to_vec(&t, config).unwrap();
    assert_eq!(encoded.len(), 1); // 5 bits packed into 1 byte

    let (decoded, _): (Telemetry, usize) =
        bincode_next::decode_from_slice(&encoded, config).unwrap();
    assert_eq!(decoded, t);
}

Zero-Copy Structures

The zero-copy feature lets you build flat byte blobs that can be accessed as typed Rust references without any deserialization step — ideal for memory-mapped files, shared memory, and IPC.

#[derive(ZeroCopy)] on a #[repr(C, u8)] enum generates a companion *Builder type that mirrors every variant. Use ZeroBuilder to accumulate bytes, reserve::<T>() to claim space, and build_to_target() to write and get back a live typed reference directly into the buffer.

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#[cfg(all(feature = "zero-copy", feature = "alloc"))]
use bincode_next::{ZeroBuilder, ZeroCopyBuilder, DeepValidator};

/// Packet layout stored verbatim in the byte blob.
#[derive(bincode_derive_next::ZeroCopy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
#[repr(C, u8)]
enum Packet {
    Ping,
    Data { seq: u32, value: u64 },
    Error(u32),
}

#[cfg(all(feature = "zero-copy", feature = "alloc"))]
fn main() {
    let mut builder = ZeroBuilder::new();

    // — Ping ----------------------------------------------------------------
    let ping_offset = builder.reserve::<Packet>();
    let ping_view = PacketBuilder::Ping.build_to_target(&mut builder, ping_offset);
    assert_eq!(ping_view, Packet::Ping);

    // — Data ----------------------------------------------------------------
    let data_offset = builder.reserve::<Packet>();
    let data_view =
        PacketBuilder::Data { seq: 7, value: 0xDEAD_BEEF }
            .build_to_target(&mut builder, data_offset);

    match data_view {
        Packet::Data { seq, value } => {
            assert_eq!(seq, 7);
            assert_eq!(value, 0xDEAD_BEEF);
        }
        _ => unreachable!(),
    }

    // — Error ---------------------------------------------------------------
    let err_offset = builder.reserve::<Packet>();
    let err_view = PacketBuilder::Error(404).build_to_target(&mut builder, err_offset);

    match err_view {
        Packet::Error(code) => assert_eq!(code, 404),
        _ => unreachable!(),
    }

    // All three packets live in one contiguous allocation — no heap per variant.
    let _bytes = builder.finish();
}

For lower-level use, RelativePtr<T, OFFSET_SIZE> lets you embed self-relative pointers inside any #[repr(C)] struct:

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#[cfg(feature = "zero-copy")]
use bincode_next::{RelativePtr, DeepValidator};

#[repr(align(8))]
struct AlignedBuf<const N: usize>(pub [u8; N]);

#[cfg(feature = "zero-copy")]
fn relative_ptr_example() {
    let mut buf = AlignedBuf([0u8; 12]);
    let b = &mut buf.0;

    b[0..4].copy_from_slice(&8i32.to_ne_bytes()); // 4-byte signed offset stored at position 0
    b[8..12].copy_from_slice(&42u32.to_ne_bytes()); // target value at position 8

    let ptr = unsafe { &*(b.as_ptr() as *const RelativePtr<u32, 4>) };
    // is_valid_deep also validates any nested relative pointers recursively
    assert!(ptr.is_valid_deep(b));
    assert_eq!(*ptr.get(b).unwrap(), 42);
}

Compile-time Memory Bounds (StaticSize)

StaticSize gives a compile-time upper bound on encoded size — useful for stack allocation and no_std fixed-size buffers. Enable with the static-size feature.

MAX_SIZE assumes worst-case varint encoding; PACKED_MAX_SIZE is tighter when bit-packing is active (consecutive #[bincode(bits = N)] fields share bytes).

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#[cfg(feature = "static-size")]
use bincode_next::{StaticSize, BitPacked};

#[cfg(feature = "static-size")]
#[derive(bincode_next::Encode, bincode_next::Decode, StaticSize, PartialEq, Debug)]
struct Packet {
    seq: u32,   // varint: up to 5 bytes
    data: u64,  // varint: up to 9 bytes
}

#[cfg(feature = "static-size")]
#[derive(BitPacked, StaticSize, PartialEq, Debug)]
struct Flags {
    #[bincode(bits = 4)]
    kind: u8,
    #[bincode(bits = 4)]
    priority: u8,
}

#[cfg(feature = "static-size")]
fn main() {
    // Packet: 5 (u32) + 9 (u64) = 14 bytes worst-case
    assert_eq!(Packet::MAX_SIZE, 14);

    // Flags without packing: two full u8s = 2 bytes
    assert_eq!(Flags::MAX_SIZE, 2);
    // Flags with packing: 4+4 bits = 1 byte
    assert_eq!(Flags::PACKED_MAX_SIZE, 1);

    // Use MAX_SIZE for a guaranteed-large-enough stack buffer
    let val = Packet { seq: 1, data: 42 };
    let mut buf = [0u8; Packet::MAX_SIZE];
    let _ = bincode_next::encode_into_slice(&val, &mut buf, bincode_next::config::standard()).unwrap();

    // decode_from_slice_static takes &[u8; N] — pass the whole fixed-size array
    let decoded: Packet =
        bincode_next::decode_from_slice_static(&buf, bincode_next::config::standard()).unwrap();
    assert_eq!(val, decoded);
}

Schema Fingerprinting

Fingerprinting embeds a 64-bit schema hash into each encoded message. The hash covers field names, types, ordering, and the full configuration — including format (Bincode vs CBOR), endianness, integer encoding, and all CBOR options. Any mismatch between encoder and decoder returns a DecodeError::SchemaHashMismatch.

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use bincode_next::{config, Decode, Encode, Fingerprint};

#[derive(Encode, Decode, Fingerprint, PartialEq, Debug, Clone)]
struct PlayerV1 {
    id: u32,
    score: u64,
}

// Adding a field changes the schema hash → decode_from_slice returns an error
#[derive(Encode, Decode, Fingerprint, PartialEq, Debug, Clone)]
struct PlayerV2 {
    id: u32,
    score: u64,
    level: u32, // new field
}

fn main() {
    let config = config::standard().with_fingerprint();
    let player = PlayerV1 { id: 1, score: 9001 };

    let encoded = bincode_next::encode_to_vec(&player, config).unwrap();

    // Decoding as V1 succeeds
    let (decoded, _): (PlayerV1, usize) =
        bincode_next::decode_from_slice(&encoded, config).unwrap();
    assert_eq!(decoded, player);

    // Decoding as V2 fails — schema hashes differ
    let result = bincode_next::decode_from_slice::<PlayerV2, _>(&encoded, config);
    assert!(result.is_err());

    // Switching formats also changes the hash; cross-format decoding is caught too
    let cbor_config = config::standard().with_fingerprint().with_cbor_format();
    let result = bincode_next::decode_from_slice::<PlayerV1, _>(&encoded, cbor_config);
    assert!(result.is_err());
}

CBOR Format

Bincode-Next implements full RFC 8949 CBOR encoding. Switch formats with a single config call; all existing derives work unchanged.

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use bincode_next::{config, Decode, Encode};

#[derive(Encode, Decode, PartialEq, Debug)]
struct Event {
    timestamp: u64,
    value: f32,
}

fn main() {
    let config = config::standard().with_cbor_format();
    let event = Event { timestamp: 1_700_000_000, value: 3.14 };

    let encoded = bincode_next::encode_to_vec(&event, config).unwrap();
    let (decoded, _): (Event, usize) =
        bincode_next::decode_from_slice(&encoded, config).unwrap();
    assert_eq!(event, decoded);

    // Deterministic (canonical) CBOR for hashing or signing
    let det_config = config::standard().with_deterministic_cbor();
    let det_encoded = bincode_next::encode_to_vec(&event, det_config).unwrap();
    let (det_decoded, _): (Event, usize) =
        bincode_next::decode_from_slice(&det_encoded, det_config).unwrap();
    assert_eq!(event, det_decoded);
}

Async Fiber Decoding

Bincode-Next supports true zero-cost asynchronous decoding using Unified Fiber-backed Async (UFA). Synchronous Decode traits run on a dedicated lightweight fiber stack, avoiding state-machine code generation overhead entirely.

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use bincode_next::{config, decode_async, encode_to_vec, Decode, Encode};

#[derive(Encode, Decode, PartialEq, Debug)]
struct Entity { x: f32, y: f32 }

#[tokio::main]
#[cfg_attr(miri, ignore)]
async fn main() {
    if cfg!(miri) { return; }

    let entity = Entity { x: 1.0, y: 2.0 };
    let encoded = encode_to_vec(&entity, config::standard()).unwrap();

    // Any type implementing `futures_io::AsyncRead` works here.
    let mut reader: &[u8] = &encoded;
    let decoded: Entity = decode_async(config::standard(), &mut reader).await.unwrap();
    assert_eq!(entity, decoded);
}

Performance Optimizations

Bincode-Next includes advanced optimizations for extreme performance:

• SIMD Varint Scanning: Accelerates decoding of collections (like Vec<u64>) by scanning for small values using SSE2 or NEON instructions.

• Bulk Native Copy: Automatically detects when data can be copied directly from memory (e.g., slices of primitives with matching endianness) to avoid element-wise processing.

• Uninitialized Memory: Utilizes MaybeUninit and set_len optimizations for Vec decoding to avoid redundant zero-initialization.

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git clone https://github.com/Apich-Organization/bincode.git
cd bincode
cargo bench --bench extreme_perf
cargo bench --bench complex

TL;DR: Please visit https://bincode-next.apich.org/bench.html for more detailed information.

CBOR Encoding & Decoding

Complex World Benchmarks

Baseline: bincode-next (fixed) for encoding, bincode-next (varint) for decoding.

Postcard Comparison

About Security and Code Quality

For security issues, please visit the Security Team Homepage for more details on reporting.

All code tests passed miri and all main crate source code passed clippy without errors.

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MIRIFLAGS="-Zmiri-disable-isolation" cargo +nightly miri test --all-features --no-fail-fast
cargo clippy --all-features

We remain committed to code security and welcomed security reporting.

And please notice that contributors shall follow the community guide lines of bincode-next.

Specification

The formal wire-format specification is available in docs/spec.html.

FAQ

Why Bincode-Next?

Bincode-Next was created to continue the legacy of the original Bincode project while pushing the boundaries of what's possible with modern Rust performance techniques and AI-assisted development.

Is it compatible with Bincode 1.x / 2.x?

Yes, Bincode-Next is designed to be wire-compatible with Bincode 2.x when using the same configurations. It also supports legacy 1.x formats via configuration.

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see CONTRIBUTING.html for more details.

License

Bincode-Next is licensed under either of:

• The MIT License (MIT)

• The Apache License, Version 2.0

See LICENSE.html for details.