Question 1

How does Fast Binary Encoding compare to Protocol Buffers?

Accepted Answer

FBE is significantly faster in serialization benchmarks (e.g., 66 ns vs. 628 ns in C++), but Protocol Buffers has a larger ecosystem and community. FBE also offers built-in versioning and generates code for more languages from a single schema.

Question 2

How to set up FBE for a C# project on Windows?

Accepted Answer

Install required tools like Visual Studio and WinFlexBison, clone the repository, run 'gil update', and use the build script (e.g., 'vs.bat'). Generate code with 'fbec --csharp --input=proto.fbe --output=.' and add dependencies like Json.NET via NuGet.

Question 3

Is FBE suitable for real-time web applications with JavaScript?

Accepted Answer

Yes, FBE generates ES6 code for JavaScript, but JSON serialization has limitations like string-only keys for maps. Benchmarks show slower performance (10,705 ns serialization) compared to native languages, so it's best for critical binary data parts.

Question 4

What happens if I remove a field in an FBE schema?

Accepted Answer

Removing or reordering fields can break compatibility because FBE's versioning relies on adding new fields at the end. For safe evolution, only add fields or use inheritance for third-party protocols, as explained in the versioning section.

Question 5

Can FBE handle high-precision decimal types for financial data?

Accepted Answer

In C++, decimal is emulated with double, which may lack precision for financial use. Other languages like Go use external packages (shopspring/decimal), but this adds dependencies and may not be consistent across all supported languages.

Question 6

How to integrate FBE with an existing Python microservice?

Accepted Answer

Generate Python code with 'fbec --python --input=proto.fbe --output=.', ensure Python 3.7+ for time_ns() support, and import the generated modules. JSON serialization uses native Python libraries, but binary serialization requires the FBE runtime.

FastBinaryEncoding

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