Struct should not rely on object key order

[kmsquire]

As noted here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9179680/is-it-acceptable-style-for-node-js-libraries-to-rely-on-object-key-order

This is somewhat pedantic, but the code will break if it's ever run on a javascript engine that does not keep track of key order.

[kmsquire]

Of course, after writing this, I'm not sure how the following would work:

var PasswordEntry = Struct({
    'username': 'string'
  , 'password': 'string'
  , 'salt':     int
})

[TooTallNate]

I'd be open to an alternative syntax that's more future-proof, but I'm not overly worried about it since, as you've already pointed out, ref-struct only runs on node (though I could see that changing some day in the future).

[parasyte]

Following in the footsteps of Python's OrderedDict, the keys would be specified as an array of arrays:

var PasswordEntry = Struct([
    [ "username", "string" ],
    [ "password", "string" ],
    [ "salt", "int" ]
]);

[TooTallNate]

@parasyte +1, I love it :)

[TooTallNate]

@parasyte @kmsquire So I actually forgot about it since there's no tests or examples, but there's actually a "legacy API" implemented in ref-struct. It's identical to @parasyte's proposed syntax, however, the type and name values are inverted. That is, you put the type first and the name second, kinda resembling actual C syntax.

I believe that this covers the needs of this issue enough that we can close. Cheers!

[parasyte]

:+1: Got it.

For anyone else who stumbles upon this ticket in the future: https://github.com/TooTallNate/ref-struct/blob/19af92d25c40bcfdb36c060f71833d363ccac790/lib/struct.js#L131-L136

[socketpair]

Why not to remove legacy API ? At least write to console deprecation warning for some time.

[socketpair]

So, Please change example in README.md that will show NEW API (use Array instaed of Object), and, if you want, legacy API. I think legacy API should not be show in examples since it become legacy.

[socketpair]

ARGHHH. you think that Array-API is alternative, not Main API. :( well, no changes is required so.

[TooTallNate]

I don't think either one is legacy. I shouldn't have used that word before. They're just alternative syntaxes.

I'll take a pull request showing both styles in the README :wink: