# EnvelopeSchema
A typed, version-aware envelope schema for bit-packed payloads. Wraps a
caller-supplied `BodyCodec` with a `[magic][formatVersion][body]` frame so the
wire format is self-describing on the magic + version dimensions, while the
body remains pluggable. Replaces the manual
`defineBitSchema([{magic}, {formatVersion}, ...])` pattern that suaveplan
crypto, packer, and other consumers had been re-authoring.
_(no submodules)_
## Purpose
Many suaveplan wire formats begin with a magic number + format version: chain
bundles (`SVCB`), public bundles, the chunked packer, and several network
encoders all do the same thing manually. The duplication isn't just code
churn — every callsite is a place where the magic/version contract can drift
out of sync with its parser. `EnvelopeSchema` consolidates the pattern and
makes "this byte string belongs to schema X version Y" a first-class
runtime check.
The body region is opaque to the envelope itself; encoding is delegated to a
`BodyCodec
` (`pack` + `unpack`). The bundled `rawBytesCodec()` is
provided for callers whose bodies are already-encoded bytes (typical when
composing with `SignedBitSchema` or `EncryptedBitSchema`); for structured
bodies, callers pass a codec built from the legacy `defineBitSchema(...)`
or from any encoder satisfying the two-method contract.
## Features
- `pack(body)` produces `[magic][formatVersion][bodyCodec.pack(body)]`
- `parse(bytes)` extracts magic + version + raw body bytes WITHOUT decoding
the body — enabling forward-compat dispatch when a future version arrives
- `parseStrict(bytes)` validates magic + version, then decodes the body to
`TBody` via `bodyCodec.unpack`
- Mismatched magic throws `BitpackerError` with code
`CRYPTO_ENVELOPE_MAGIC_MISMATCH` and `context.{expected,actual}`
- Mismatched version throws `BitpackerError` with code
`CRYPTO_ENVELOPE_VERSION_MISMATCH` and `context.{expected,actual}`
- Zod-validated options at construction; unknown keys rejected
- OTel spans `bitpacker-crypto.envelope-pack` and
`bitpacker-crypto.envelope-parse` carry `bitpacker.crypto.payload_bytes`
- Stays codec-agnostic so a future Protobuf-bodied envelope or a
schema-fingerprinted variant requires zero changes to envelope itself
## Usage: Basic Example
```ts
import {
type BodyCodec,
defineEnvelopeSchema,
} from "@suaveplan/bitpacker-crypto";
import { defineBitSchema } from "@suaveplan/bitpacker";
interface Header {
foo: number;
bar: number;
}
const headerSchema = defineBitSchema([
{ name: "foo", type: "uint", bits: 8 },
{ name: "bar", type: "uint", bits: 16 },
]);
const codec: BodyCodec = {
pack: (body) => headerSchema.pack(body),
unpack: (bytes) => headerSchema.unpack(bytes),
};
const envelope = defineEnvelopeSchema({
magic: new Uint8Array([0x53, 0x56, 0x43, 0x42]), // "SVCB"
formatVersion: 1,
bodyCodec: codec,
});
const bytes = envelope.pack({ foo: 7, bar: 1234 });
const { foo, bar } = envelope.parseStrict(bytes); // typed: Header
```
## Usage: Advanced Example — forward-compat dispatch
Use `parse` to peek at magic + version before deciding which decoder to run,
so a v1 reader can detect v2 envelopes and route accordingly:
```ts
import { defineEnvelopeSchema } from "@suaveplan/bitpacker-crypto";
const envV1 = defineEnvelopeSchema({ magic, formatVersion: 1, bodyCodec: codecV1 });
const envV2 = defineEnvelopeSchema({ magic, formatVersion: 2, bodyCodec: codecV2 });
function decode(bytes: Uint8Array) {
const partial = envV1.parse(bytes);
if (partial.formatVersion === 1) return envV1.parseStrict(bytes);
if (partial.formatVersion === 2) return envV2.parseStrict(bytes);
throw new Error(`Unsupported envelope version: ${partial.formatVersion}`);
}
```
The body bytes are not consumed by `parse`, so the same input can be passed
back to `parseStrict` of the matching version without re-allocation cost on
the magic+version prefix.
## API Reference
### `interface BodyCodec`
- `pack(body: TBody): Uint8Array` — encode the body
- `unpack(bytes: Uint8Array): TBody` — decode the body
### `interface EnvelopeSchemaOptions`
- `magic: Uint8Array` — non-empty
- `formatVersion: number` — integer 0..255
- `bodyCodec: BodyCodec` — body encoding hook
### `defineEnvelopeSchema(options): EnvelopeSchema`
Returns:
- `magic: Uint8Array`
- `formatVersion: number`
- `pack(body: TBody): Uint8Array`
- `parse(bytes: Uint8Array): { magic, formatVersion, bodyBytes }`
- `parseStrict(bytes: Uint8Array): TBody`
- throws `CRYPTO_ENVELOPE_MAGIC_MISMATCH` on magic mismatch
- throws `CRYPTO_ENVELOPE_VERSION_MISMATCH` on version mismatch
### `rawBytesCodec(): BodyCodec`
Pass-through codec for bodies that are already-encoded raw bytes — useful
when composing with `SignedBitSchema` or `EncryptedBitSchema` whose `pack`
output goes inside an envelope.
## Implementation Notes
- The envelope wire format is `[magic_bytes][1-byte u8 formatVersion][body_bytes]`. The body is NOT framed with a length prefix — the codec is expected to either be fixed-size or to consume the entire trailing buffer.
- `parse` throws `CRYPTO_ENVELOPE_MAGIC_MISMATCH` when input is shorter than `magic.length + 1` (the minimum header size). Magic and version validation in `parseStrict` happens against the parsed values, so a too-short input is caught at the parse stage.
- Magic comparison is constant-time-irrelevant — magic bytes are not secret. Equality is byte-wise. The error context includes hex-encoded `expected` and `actual` for diagnosability.
- The codec is held by reference; mutating the codec after `defineEnvelopeSchema(...)` returns will affect future `pack`/`parseStrict` calls. Callers should treat the codec as immutable in practice.
- OTel spans are emitted unconditionally (even when no SDK is wired) because they cost essentially nothing under the no-op tracer; production traces materialise once a tracer provider is installed.