CborEncode()

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Encodes a CFML value into CBOR (Concise Binary Object Representation) binary format. CBOR is like JSON but binary — smaller, faster to parse, and supports types JSON can't (like raw binary data).

Accepts structs, arrays, strings, numbers, binary data, and booleans.

Requires Extension: Crypto Extension

CborEncode( data=any );

Returns: binary

Argument Description
data
any, required 		edit

CFML value to encode (struct, array, string, number, binary, boolean)

Usage Notes

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Struct key handling: CFML struct keys are always strings, but CBOR distinguishes between string keys and integer keys. CborEncode automatically converts numeric-looking string keys (like "1", "-7") to CBOR integer keys. This means COSE key structs roundtrip correctly without any extra work.

The tradeoff: if you genuinely need a CBOR text key "1" (the string, not the integer), it will be encoded as integer 1 instead. This is fine for COSE/WebAuthn use cases but worth knowing if you're working with general-purpose CBOR maps that mix text and integer keys.

Binary data: CFML binary values are encoded as CBOR byte strings. This is more efficient than JSON's approach of base64-encoding binary data inside a string.

Examples

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// Encode a struct
cbor = CborEncode( { name: "Zac", age: 42 } );
// cbor is binary data

// Encode nested data
cbor = CborEncode( {
	users: [
		{ name: "Alice", scores: [ 10, 20, 30 ] },
		{ name: "Bob", scores: [ 40, 50 ] }
	],
	count: 2
} );

// Encode raw binary data (JSON can't do this — it would need base64)
payload = charsetDecode( "binary payload", "UTF-8" );
cbor = CborEncode( payload );

// Roundtrip: encode then decode gets you back the original data
original = { key: "value", numbers: [ 1, 2, 3 ] };
decoded = CborDecode( CborEncode( original ) );
// decoded.key == "value"

// Structs with numeric-looking keys are encoded as CBOR integer keys
// This makes COSE key roundtrips work automatically
coseKey = {};
coseKey[ "1" ] = 2;    // kty = EC
coseKey[ "-1" ] = 1;   // crv = P-256
cbor = CborEncode( coseKey );
// CBOR map has integer keys 1 and -1 (not string keys)

See also