# Strata

### What Strata is

Strata is a deterministic binary data format with canonical encoding.\
Every value has exactly one valid binary representation; identical logical values must produce identical bytes across all implementations.

It is a protocol and specification for representing structured data in a way that is reproducible across implementations, platforms, and time. 

***

### Why it exists

Most data formats allow multiple representations of the same logical value.

* JSON objects can order keys differently.
* Protocol Buffers permit field reordering.
* MessagePack supports multiple integer encodings.

These formats prioritize flexibility, evolution, and developer convenience over byte-level determinism.

This flexibility is a liability when correctness depends on exact bytes: content addressing, cryptographic hashing, digital signatures, and distributed consensus.

Strata eliminates representational ambiguity by design.\
If two values are logically equal, their encodings are byte-identical.

***

### Core guarantees

\
**Canonical encoding.** \
Every value has exactly one valid binary representation.\
\
**Stable hashing.** \
Hashes are computed over canonical encoded bytes. The encoding *is* the canonical form.\
\
**Cross-language determinism.** \
Independent implementations in different languages produce identical bytes for identical input.\
\
**Strict validation.** \
Non-canonical encodings are rejected during canonical encoding, not silently accepted.

***

### Explicit non-goals

Strata Core Binary (.scb) is intentionally not optimized for the following:

* Human readability.
* Compression ratio.
* Schema evolution.

It does not support optional fields, default values, backward-compatible changes, or floating-point numbers.

These constraints are deliberate. \
Flexibility in representation introduces ambiguity.  \
Strata chooses precision over convenience.

Strata Text (.st) exists as a human-readable authoring format that compiles into canonical Strata Core Binary.

***

### Value model

Strata supports a minimal, fixed set of value types, each with an unambiguous binary representation:

**null** <mark style="color:$info;">- absence of value</mark>\
**bool** <mark style="color:$info;">- true or false</mark>\
**int** <mark style="color:$info;">- signed 64-bit integers</mark>\
**bytes** <mark style="color:$info;">- arbitrary byte sequences</mark>\
**string** <mark style="color:$info;">- UTF-8 text</mark>\
**list** <mark style="color:$info;">- ordered sequences</mark>\
**map** <mark style="color:$info;">- key-value pairs with string keys, sorted by UTF-8 byte order</mark>

There are no floats, no optional types, and no undefined behavior.

***

### Stability & Versioning

Strata is versioned. \
Once a version is finalized, its encoding rules are frozen.&#x20;

There are no deprecations, no migrations, and no silent changes within a version line.

Code written against a finalized Strata version will produce identical bytes and hashes for the lifetime of that version line.\
This is a requirement, not a goal.


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