1 files changed, 48 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/src/archive.hh b/src/archive.hh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bfd96b45c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/archive.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#include <string>
+
+using namespace std;
+
+
+/* dumpPath creates a Nix archive of the specified path.  The format
+   is as follows:
+
+   IF path points to a REGULAR FILE:
+     dump(path) = attrs(
+       [ ("type", "regular")
+       , ("contents", contents(path))
+       ])
+
+   IF path points to a DIRECTORY:
+     dump(path) = attrs(
+       [ ("type", "directory")
+       , ("entries", concat(map(f, sort(entries(path)))))
+       ])
+       where f(fn) = attrs(
+         [ ("name", fn)
+         , ("file", dump(path + "/" + fn))
+         ])
+
+   where:
+
+     attrs(as) = concat(map(attr, as)) + encN(0) 
+     attrs((a, b)) = encS(a) + encS(b)
+
+     encS(s) = encN(len(s)) + s + (padding until next 64-bit boundary)
+
+     encN(n) = 64-bit little-endian encoding of n.
+
+     contents(path) = the contents of a regular file.
+
+     sort(strings) = lexicographic sort by 8-bit value (strcmp).
+
+     entries(path) = the entries of a directory, without `.' and
+     `..'.
+
+     `+' denotes string concatenation. */
+
+struct DumpSink 
+{
+    virtual void operator () (const unsigned char * data, unsigned int len) = 0;
+};
+
+void dumpPath(const string & path, DumpSink & sink);