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Interface: DataConverter

common.DataConverter

When your data (arguments and return values) is sent over the wire and stored by Temporal Server, it is encoded in binary in a Payload Protobuf message.

The default DataConverter supports undefined, Uint8Array, and JSON serializables (so if JSON.stringify(yourArgOrRetval) works, the default data converter will work). Protobufs are supported via this API.

Use a custom DataConverter to control the contents of your Payloads. Common reasons for using a custom DataConverter are:

  • Converting values that are not supported by the default DataConverter (for example, JSON.stringify() doesn't handle BigInts, so if you want to return { total: 1000n } from a Workflow, Signal, or Activity, you need your own DataConverter).
  • Encrypting values that may contain private information that you don't want stored in plaintext in Temporal Server's database.
  • Compressing values to reduce disk or network usage.

To use your custom DataConverter, provide it to the WorkflowClient, Worker, and bundleWorkflowCode (if you use it):

  • new WorkflowClient({ ..., dataConverter })
  • Worker.create({ ..., dataConverter })
  • bundleWorkflowCode({ ..., payloadConverterPath })

Properties​

failureConverterPath​

• Optional failureConverterPath: string

Path of a file that has a failureConverter named export. failureConverter should be an object that implements FailureConverter. If no path is provided, defaultFailureConverter is used.

payloadCodecs​

• Optional payloadCodecs: PayloadCodec[]

An array of PayloadCodec instances.

Payloads are encoded in the order of the array and decoded in the opposite order. For example, if you have a compression codec and an encryption codec, then you want data to be encoded with the compression codec first, so you'd do payloadCodecs: [compressionCodec, encryptionCodec].

payloadConverterPath​

• Optional payloadConverterPath: string

Path of a file that has a payloadConverter named export. payloadConverter should be an object that implements PayloadConverter. If no path is provided, defaultPayloadConverter is used.