OKV

Okv is a cross-platform key-value data format and protocol designed for efficient storage, transmission, and manipulation of structured data. It emphasizes a compact binary encoding, fast parsing, and straightforward APIs across programming languages, making it suitable for embedded systems, mobile apps, and cloud services. Okv aims to balance human readability with machine efficiency by providing an optional text representation alongside a compact binary form.

Data model and encoding: An Okv document is a collection of key-value pairs where keys are strings and values may be null, boolean, numbers, strings, binary blobs, lists, or maps. Maps preserve insertion order, and values can be nested to form hierarchical structures. The binary encoding is designed for space efficiency and fast streaming, while a text-based representation offers human readability. Optional schemas enable validation and stronger typing when needed.

API and tooling: Implementations exist in multiple languages, including C, C++, JavaScript, Python, and Rust. Typical operations include put, get, delete, and iteration over entries; supports streaming for large datasets and partial decoding to access values without loading whole documents. Security features include optional at-rest and in-transit encryption and digital signatures for data integrity.

History and status: Okv originated as an open specification developed by a participatory community in the mid-2010s. It has since seen published revisions and multiple library implementations, though it remains less widely adopted than JSON, MessagePack, or Protocol Buffers. Proponents highlight its compactness and streaming capabilities, while critics point to limited tooling and ecosystem maturity.