Generic Binary Keyed Format (*.gbkf)

Generic Binary Keyed Format (*.gbkf) is a compact and extensible binary format engineered for efficient, schema-flexible storage and transmission of structured data.

Originally developed to minimize data size between the servers and clients of CAD-Viewer.com , and later refactored into a core specification, plus a top-level specifications to support a wide variety of use cases.

GBKF defines a fixed binary structure based on a keyed‑value‑instance system. By providing keys, instance IDs, and arrays of typed values, it allows to design high-level data models—like object graphs or database-style records—without dealing with the underlying and complicated binary layout.

Specification

• Version 1, released on August 24, 2025.

Langauge Implementations

• C (to come)
• C++
• Rust (to come)
• Python
• JavaScript (To Come), currently you can compile the C++ into WebAssembly.

Tools

A GBKF file viewer and editor will be created.

Documentation

• Generalities
• Structure Patterns
• Examples

Reserved Specification ID's

The GBKF format allows to define a "Specification ID", similar to a "sub-extension". This allows readers to identify the top-level specification. If you are interested in the format, and you want to reserve a range of values, consult this page.