std.serialization: pre-voting review / discussion

[mrd]

On Thursday, 15 August 2013 at 07:07:13 UTC, Jacob Carlborg wrote:
> On 2013-08-14 21:55, ilya-stromberg wrote:
>
>> Can you use another serialization format and supports file 
>> output for
>> it? For example, can you use JSON, BSON or binary format?
>
> The idea of the library is that it can support multiple archive 
> types. Currently only XML is implemented. I have been working 
> on a binary archive for a while but I haven't finished it yet.

I am also working on my own binary archive implementation (I just 
want to quickly get a serialization of integral types, arrays and 
structs into binary) and I have a question:

What is the purpose of the "keys"?
If they really needed, can it be realised as option and disable 
them?
(I see also that they are forces to add a lot of duplicate 
functions.)

I guess if it succeeded binary format can be made very compact 
(and possibly faster) as Protocol Buffers.