The binary package

  binary: efficient, pure binary serialisation using lazy ByteStrings
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 'binary' package provides Data.Binary, containing the Binary class,
and associated methods, for serialising values to and from lazy
ByteStrings. 

A key feature of 'binary' is that the interface is both pure, and efficient.

The 'binary' package is portable to GHC and Hugs.

Building:

    runhaskell Setup.lhs configure
    runhaskell Setup.lhs build
    runhaskell Setup.lhs install

First:
    import Data.Binary

and then write an instance of Binary for the type you wish to serialise.
More information in the haddock documentation.

Deriving:

It is possible to mechanically derive new instances of Binary for your
types, if they support the Data and Typeable classes. A script is
provided in tools/derive. Here's an example of its use.

    $ cd binary 
    $ cd tools/derive 

    $ ghci -fglasgow-exts BinaryDerive.hs

    *BinaryDerive> :l Example.hs 

    *Main> deriveM (undefined :: Drinks)

    instance Binary Main.Drinks where
      put (Beer a) = putWord8 0 >> put a
      put Coffee = putWord8 1
      put Tea = putWord8 2
      put EnergyDrink = putWord8 3
      put Water = putWord8 4
      put Wine = putWord8 5
      put Whisky = putWord8 6
      get = do
        tag_ <- getWord8
        case tag_ of
          0 -> get >>= \a -> return (Beer a)
          1 -> return Coffee
          2 -> return Tea
          3 -> return EnergyDrink
          4 -> return Water
          5 -> return Wine
          6 -> return Whisky

Contributors:

    Lennart Kolmodin
    Duncan Coutts
    Don Stewart
    Spencer Janssen
    David Himmelstrup
    Björn Bringert
    Ross Paterson
    Einar Karttunen
    John Meacham
    Ulf Norell
    Tomasz Zielonka
    Stefan Karrmann
    Bryan O'Sullivan
    Florian Weimer