Currently, the crypto module defaults to using 'binary' encoded strings everywhere as the default input and output encoding.
This is problematic for a few reasons: 1. It's slower than necessary. 2. It doesn't match the rest of Node. The reason for this is that crypto predates Buffers, and no one ever bothered to go through and change it. (The same reason it's got some odd hodgepodge of update/digest methods vs the Stream interface you see everywhere else in node.) The reason it persists in 0.8 (and perhaps in 0.10) is that we (perhaps overly optimistically) labelled that API "stable", and don't want to break anyone's programs. It's going to change eventually to match the rest of node. The only question is whether the change will come in 0.10 or 0.12. A stream interface to all the crypto classes is coming in 0.10; using 'binary' strings by default is thus even more obviously a departure from the rest of node. Note that, if you only use crypto for hashes, and set the 'hex' encoding, then it won't affect you. If you only ever pass the output of one crypto function to the input of another (sign/verify, for example) then it also won't affect you; you'll just pass buffers around instead of binary strings. Please select one, and reply with your choice and perhaps any other feedback you have on this issue. Thanks. a) Go for it. This won't affect me, and if by chance it does, I don't mind putting 'binary' args here and there. b) Please wait. Mark the API as unstable in 0.10, but don't change it until 0.12. c) I have no opinion, because I don't use the crypto API directly. (Disclaimer: Node is not a democracy. The "winning" vote might still be out-voted by reasonable considerations of the core dev team. This is informative only ;) -- Job Board: http://jobs.nodejs.org/ Posting guidelines: https://github.com/joyent/node/wiki/Mailing-List-Posting-Guidelines You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "nodejs" group. To post to this group, send email to nodejs@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to nodejs+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nodejs?hl=en?hl=en
