refactor: change Material.metadata from string to Uint8Array#178
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refactor: change Material.metadata from string to Uint8Array#178
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OttoAllmendinger
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Feb 26, 2026
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the rust code looks much better
the serde hex utility is more general than just metadata and probably deserves a more general name
| pub fn deserialize<'de, D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Vec<u8>, D::Error> | ||
| where | ||
| D: Deserializer<'de>, | ||
| { |
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this can probably be more general "buffer from hex" or something
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Removed the hex_or_bytes deserializer realized we don't actually need it. We're not using hex strings anywhere anymore
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metadata is binary data (SCALE-encoded runtime metadata) but was stored as hex strings, requiring constant encoding/decoding. using Uint8Array eliminates this overhead and improves type safety. changes: - TypeScript: Material.metadata is now Uint8Array instead of string - Rust: Material.metadata is now Vec<u8> instead of String - MaterialJs WASM wrapper: accepts &[u8] instead of &str - removed all decode_metadata functions (no longer needed) - test fixtures: added hexToUint8Array() and getWestendMetadata() helpers - no custom serde deserializer needed - standard serde handles byte arrays and Uint8Array benefits: - eliminates hex encode/decode overhead at every use - reduces memory usage (hex strings are 2x the size of raw bytes) - improves type safety (Uint8Array clearly indicates binary data) - matches wasm-utxo conventions (Uint8Array everywhere) - simpler - clients forced to pass bytes, tests use bytes, code accepts bytes BTC-3085 Signed-off-by: Luis Covarrubias <luiscovarrubias@bitgo.com>
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davidkaplanbitgo
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Why
Metadata is binary data (SCALE-encoded runtime metadata) but was stored as hex-encoded strings, requiring constant encoding/decoding at every boundary. Using Uint8Array eliminates this overhead:
What Changed
TypeScript:
Material.metadata: changed fromstringtoUint8ArrayhexToUint8Array()andgetWestendMetadata()helpersRust:
Material.metadata: changed fromStringtoVec<u8>MaterialJs::new(): accepts&[u8]instead of&strdecode_metadata()functions (no longer needed - bytes passed directly)hex_or_bytesserde deserializer for backwards compatibility (handles hex strings from JSON tests and byte arrays from WASM)Verification
Addresses Otto's PR #145 review feedback: "seriously consider Uint8Array"
Related to: BTC-3064