Version 1.1.0

eslint.config.js

@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-import js from '@eslint/js'
-import globals from 'globals'
-import tseslint from 'typescript-eslint'
-import { defineConfig, globalIgnores } from 'eslint/config'
-
-export default defineConfig([
-  globalIgnores(['dist']),
-  {
-    files: ['**/*.{ts,tsx}'],
-    extends: [
-      js.configs.recommended,
-      tseslint.configs.recommended,
-    ],
-    languageOptions: {
-      ecmaVersion: 2020,
-      globals: globals.browser,
-    },
-    rules: {
-      "@typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment": [
-        "error", {
-          "ts-ignore": "allow-with-description"
-        }
-      ],
-    }
-  },
-])

eslint.config.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import js from "@eslint/js";
+import globals from "globals";
+import tseslint from "typescript-eslint";
+import { defineConfig, globalIgnores } from "eslint/config";
+
+export default defineConfig([
+  globalIgnores(["dist"]),
+  {
+    files: ["**/*.{ts,tsx}"],
+    extends: [js.configs.recommended, tseslint.configs.recommended],
+    languageOptions: {
+      ecmaVersion: 2020,
+      globals: globals.browser
+    },
+    rules: {
+      "@typescript-eslint/ban-ts-comment": [
+        "error",
+        {
+          "ts-ignore": "allow-with-description"
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  }
+]);

package.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "@hamradio/packet",
   "type": "module",
-  "version": "1.0.5",
+  "version": "1.1.0",
   "description": "Low level packet parsing library (for radio protocols)",
   "keywords": [
     "HAM radio",
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
     "@vitest/coverage-v8": "^4.0.18",
     "eslint": "^10.0.3",
     "globals": "^17.4.0",
+    "jiti": "^2.6.1",
     "prettier": "3.8.1",
     "tsup": "^8.5.1",
     "typescript": "^5.9.3",

src/index.test.ts

@@ -1,28 +1,30 @@
-import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
-import { Reader, Writer } from '.';
+import { Reader, Writer } from ".";
 
-describe('Reader/Writer round-trip', () => {
+describe("Reader/Writer round-trip", () => {
-  it('writes then reads a variety of types correctly', () => {
+  it("writes then reads a variety of types correctly", () => {
     const writer = new Writer(1024);
 
     // values to write
     const bBool = true;
+    const bChar = "A";
     const bInt8 = -42;
     const bUint8 = 200;
-    const bUint16 = 0xBEEF;
+    const bUint16 = 0xbeef;
-    const bUint32 = 0xDEADBEEF >>> 0;
+    const bUint32 = 0xdeadbeef >>> 0;
     const bUint64 = 0x1122334455667788n;
     const bFloat32 = 3.1415927;
     const bFloat64 = 1.23456789e5;
-    const bCString = 'hello';
+    const bCString = "hello";
-    const bUtf8 = 'π≈3.14';
+    const bUtf8 = "π≈3.14";
-    const words = [0x1234, 0x5678, 0x9ABC];
+    const words = [0x1234, 0x5678, 0x9abc];
     const dwords = [0x11223344 >>> 0, 0x55667788 >>> 0];
-    const qwords = [0x8000000000000000n, 0xAABBCCDDEEFF0011n];
+    const qwords = [0x8000000000000000n, 0xaabbccddeeff0011n];
     const rawBytes = new Uint8Array([1, 2, 3, 4]);
 
     // write sequence
     writer.bool(bBool);
+    writer.char(bChar);
     writer.int8(bInt8);
     writer.uint8(bUint8);
     writer.uint16(bUint16);
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@ describe('Reader/Writer round-trip', () => {
 
     // read back in same order
     expect(reader.bool()).toBe(bBool);
+    expect(reader.char()).toBe(bChar);
     expect(reader.int8()).toBe(bInt8);
     expect(reader.uint8()).toBe(bUint8);
     expect(reader.uint16()).toBe(bUint16);

src/index.ts

@@ -35,6 +35,17 @@ export class Reader {
     return value !== 0;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Read an 8-bit character from the buffer at the current offset, and advance the offset by 1 byte.
+   * @returns A string containing the character read from the buffer.
+   */
+  public char(): string {
+    this.checkBounds(1);
+    const value = this.view.getUint8(this.offset);
+    this.offset += 1;
+    return String.fromCharCode(value);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Read an 8-bit signed integer from the buffer at the current offset, and advance the offset by 1 byte.
    *
@@ -434,6 +445,27 @@ export class Writer {
     this.offset += 1;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Write an 8-bit character to the buffer at the current offset, and advance the offset by 1 byte.
+   *
+   * @param value The character or its ASCII code to write.
+   */
+  public char(value: string | number): void {
+    if (typeof value === "string") {
+      if (value.length !== 1) {
+        throw new Error("Input must be a single character");
+      }
+      this.checkBounds(1);
+      this.view.setUint8(this.offset, value.charCodeAt(0));
+    } else if (typeof value === "number") {
+      this.checkBounds(1);
+      this.view.setUint8(this.offset, value);
+    } else {
+      throw new Error("Input must be a string or number");
+    }
+    this.offset += 1;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Write an 8-bit signed integer to the buffer at the current offset, and advance the offset by
    * 1 byte.

src/types.ts

@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
-
 /**
  * Type definitions for the packet parsing library.
  */
 
-
 /**
  * Enumeration of supported field types for dissecting packets.
  *
@@ -13,51 +11,52 @@
  */
 export const FieldType = {
   // Boolean types
-  BOOL:       'BOOL',         // Boolean value (stored as a byte, 0 for false, non-zero for true)
+  BOOL: "BOOL", // Boolean value (stored as a byte, 0 for false, non-zero for true)
 
   // Number types
-  BITS:       'BITS',         // 1-bit values stored in a number (1 bit per value, packed into bytes)
+  BITS: "BITS", // 1-bit values stored in a number (1 bit per value, packed into bytes)
-  INT8:       'INT8',         // 8-bit signed integer (1 byte)
+  CHAR: "CHAR", // 8-bit character (1 byte)
-  INT16_LE:   'INT16_LE',     // 16-bit signed integer (little-endian)
+  INT8: "INT8", // 8-bit signed integer (1 byte)
-  INT16_BE:   'INT16_BE',     // 16-bit signed integer (big-endian)
+  INT16_LE: "INT16_LE", // 16-bit signed integer (little-endian)
-  INT32_LE:   'INT32_LE',     // 32-bit signed integer (little-endian)
+  INT16_BE: "INT16_BE", // 16-bit signed integer (big-endian)
-  INT32_BE:   'INT32_BE',     // 32-bit signed integer (big-endian)
+  INT32_LE: "INT32_LE", // 32-bit signed integer (little-endian)
-  INT64_LE:   'INT64_LE',     // 64-bit signed integer (little-endian)
+  INT32_BE: "INT32_BE", // 32-bit signed integer (big-endian)
-  INT64_BE:   'INT64_BE',     // 64-bit signed integer (big-endian)
+  INT64_LE: "INT64_LE", // 64-bit signed integer (little-endian)
-  UINT8:      'UINT8',        // 8-bit unsigned integer
+  INT64_BE: "INT64_BE", // 64-bit signed integer (big-endian)
-  UINT16_LE:  'UINT16_LE',    // 16-bit unsigned integer (little-endian)
+  UINT8: "UINT8", // 8-bit unsigned integer
-  UINT16_BE:  'UINT16_BE',    // 16-bit unsigned integer (big-endian)
+  UINT16_LE: "UINT16_LE", // 16-bit unsigned integer (little-endian)
-  UINT32_LE:  'UINT32_LE',    // 32-bit unsigned integer (little-endian)
+  UINT16_BE: "UINT16_BE", // 16-bit unsigned integer (big-endian)
-  UINT32_BE:  'UINT32_BE',    // 32-bit unsigned integer (big-endian)
+  UINT32_LE: "UINT32_LE", // 32-bit unsigned integer (little-endian)
-  UINT64_LE:  'UINT64_LE',    // 64-bit unsigned integer (little-endian)
+  UINT32_BE: "UINT32_BE", // 32-bit unsigned integer (big-endian)
-  UINT64_BE:  'UINT64_BE',    // 64-bit unsigned integer (big-endian)
+  UINT64_LE: "UINT64_LE", // 64-bit unsigned integer (little-endian)
-  FLOAT32_LE: 'FLOAT32_LE',   // 32-bit IEEE floating point (little-endian)
+  UINT64_BE: "UINT64_BE", // 64-bit unsigned integer (big-endian)
-  FLOAT32_BE: 'FLOAT32_BE',   // 32-bit IEEE floating point (big-endian)
+  FLOAT32_LE: "FLOAT32_LE", // 32-bit IEEE floating point (little-endian)
-  FLOAT64_LE: 'FLOAT64_LE',   // 64-bit IEEE floating point (little-endian)
+  FLOAT32_BE: "FLOAT32_BE", // 32-bit IEEE floating point (big-endian)
-  FLOAT64_BE: 'FLOAT64_BE',   // 64-bit IEEE floating point (big-endian)
+  FLOAT64_LE: "FLOAT64_LE", // 64-bit IEEE floating point (little-endian)
-  VARINT:     'VARINT',       // Variable-length integer (unsigned, LEB128 encoding)
+  FLOAT64_BE: "FLOAT64_BE", // 64-bit IEEE floating point (big-endian)
-  VARSINT:    'VARSINT',      // Variable-length integer (signed, LEB128 encoding)
+  VARINT: "VARINT", // Variable-length integer (unsigned, LEB128 encoding)
+  VARSINT: "VARSINT", // Variable-length integer (signed, LEB128 encoding)
 
   // Date/time types (stored as integer timestamps)
-  DATE32_LE:  'DATE32_LE',    // 32-bit integer date (e.g., seconds since epoch) little-endian
+  DATE32_LE: "DATE32_LE", // 32-bit integer date (e.g., seconds since epoch) little-endian
-  DATE32_BE:  'DATE32_BE',    // 32-bit integer date big-endian
+  DATE32_BE: "DATE32_BE", // 32-bit integer date big-endian
-  DATE64_LE:  'DATE64_LE',    // 64-bit integer date (e.g., ms since epoch) little-endian
+  DATE64_LE: "DATE64_LE", // 64-bit integer date (e.g., ms since epoch) little-endian
-  DATE64_BE:  'DATE64_BE',    // 64-bit integer date big-endian
+  DATE64_BE: "DATE64_BE", // 64-bit integer date big-endian
 
   // Array buffer types
-  BYTES:       'BYTES',       // 8-bits per value array (Uint8Array)
+  BYTES: "BYTES", // 8-bits per value array (Uint8Array)
-  C_STRING:    'C_STRING',    // Null-terminated string (C-style) (Uint8Array)
+  C_STRING: "C_STRING", // Null-terminated string (C-style) (Uint8Array)
-  UTF8_STRING: 'UTF8_STRING', // UTF-8 encoded string (Uint8Array)
+  UTF8_STRING: "UTF8_STRING", // UTF-8 encoded string (Uint8Array)
-  WORDS:       'WORDS',       // 16-bits per value array (Uint16Array)
+  WORDS: "WORDS", // 16-bits per value array (Uint16Array)
-  DWORDS:      'DWORDS',      // 32-bits per value array (Uint32Array)
+  DWORDS: "DWORDS", // 32-bits per value array (Uint32Array)
-  QWORDS:      'QWORDS',      // 64-bits per value array (BigUint64Array)
+  QWORDS: "QWORDS", // 64-bits per value array (BigUint64Array)
 
   // Aliases
-  FLAG:        'BOOL',        // alternate name for boolean/flag fields
+  FLAG: "BOOL", // alternate name for boolean/flag fields
-  STRING:      'UTF8_STRING', // alias for UTF8 encoded strings
+  STRING: "UTF8_STRING" // alias for UTF8 encoded strings
 } as const;
 
-export type FieldType = typeof FieldType[keyof typeof FieldType];
+export type FieldType = (typeof FieldType)[keyof typeof FieldType];
 
 /**
  * Interface for a packet, which can be dissected into segments and fields. This is a placeholder
@@ -110,6 +109,7 @@ export type Dissected = Segment[];
 export interface Segment {
   name: string;
   data?: ArrayBuffer; // Optional raw data for the segment (if needed for parsing / serialization)
+  isString?: boolean; // Optional flag indicating if the segment represents a string (for special handling)
   fields: Field[];
 }