make JSON.stringify(buffer) not effectively blow up

[trentm]

Currently JSON.stringify on a Buffer will emit the parent "SlowBuffer", which is big. That's a pain.

> var b = new Buffer('foo');
> JSON.stringify(b)
'{"0":102,"1":111,"2":111,"length":3,"parent":{ ... lots of data

On potential solution would be to make the parent (and offset) fields of a buffer non-enumerable, then JSON.stringify (I think) wouldn't include them.

Another solution would be add a Buffer.toJSON.

In discussion with @isaacs:

isaacs: non-enumerable-ing the parent might have perf impacts, but then again, might not
that's probably ideal.
(if it's not slow)
but a toJSON would be fine, too.  maybe it could JSON like an array of ints or something?

...

Buffer.prototype.toJSON = function () { return Array.prototype.slice.call(this, 0) }
or maybe even something we could revive later:
Buffer.prototype.toJSON = function () { return {type: "buffer", data: Array.prototype.slice.call(this, 0)} }
then in your reviver, you can check if it's a {type:"buffer",data:[array]} obj, and turn those into buffers

I'd appreciate pointers on how I could try out making Buffer.{parent,offset} non-enumerable. Also, thoughts would be welcome.

[trentm]

FWIW, this came up in trentm/node-bunyan#35

[TooTallNate]

Buffer.prototype.toJSON = function () { return Array.prototype.slice.call(this); };

^ makes the most sense to me

[TooTallNate]

Can someone review 7cfd3951906cc6c63377c15d7a0092b57a11c180?

[TooTallNate]

@trentm Thanks, Buffer#toJSON() function added in a4ef01d.

[trentm]

Thanks for driving this, Nate!