Bytes

The Bytes type represents a raw sequence of bytes (u8). It is essential for handling binary data such as images, files, or network protocols where text encoding (UTF-8) is not appropriate.

Unlike Strings, Bytes are mutable buffers.

Creating Bytes

You can create a Bytes object in several ways:

From a String: Using the .to_bytes() method.
From a File: Using File.read_bytes(path).
From a Socket: Using sock_read_bytes(id, size).

// From String
var data = "Hello".to_bytes()

// From File (Binary mode)
var image = File.read_bytes("logo.png")

Methods

Method	Description	Example
`.len()`	Returns the number of bytes in the buffer.	`data.len()` (5)
`.is_empty()`	Returns `true` if the buffer size is 0.	`data.is_empty()`
`.at(index)`	Returns the byte value (0-255) at the specified index.	`data.at(0)` (72 for 'H')
`.slice(start, end)`	Returns a new Bytes object from start to end (exclusive).	`data.slice(0, 2)`
`.to_string()`	Tries to convert the bytes back to a UTF-8 String.	`data.to_string()` ("Hello")
`.to_hex()`	Returns a hexadecimal string representation.	`data.to_hex()` ("48656C6C6F")

Example Usage

Inspecting Binary Data

var b = "Aegis".to_bytes()

print b.len()      // 5
print b.to_hex()   // "4165676973"
print b.at(0)      // 65 (ASCII for 'A')

Reading an Image

When reading non-text files, always use read_bytes to avoid data corruption.

try {
    var img = File.read_bytes("assets/icon.png")
    print "Image size: " + img.len() + " bytes"
    
    // You can then send this 'img' object directly via Socket.write()
} catch (e) {
    print "Error reading image: " + e
}