Understanding CBOR

Data serialization formats are crucial for data exchange, with JSON being a widely used text-based format due to its simplicity and readability. However, CBOR (Concise Binary Object Representation) is gaining attention as a promising alternative due to its compact binary format, which offers performance benefits in terms of size and speed, and supports a broader range of data types. In the context of Rust, CBOR's efficiency aligns well with the language's focus on performance and safety, making it a suitable choice for serialization tasks. Rust's `ciborium` crate provides a CBOR implementation for the `serde` framework, enabling seamless serialization and deserialization of data. SurrealDB utilizes CBOR to enhance communication efficiency, particularly in scenarios involving data types such as UUIDs and record IDs, without incurring overhead, thus facilitating easier client-side type inference. While JSON remains popular, CBOR's advantages make it a compelling alternative for efficient and robust software development, especially in environments that prioritize speed and safety like Rust.