simpler serialization

package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "fixed-merkle-tree",
-  "version": "0.3.4",
+  "version": "0.5.0",
   "description": "Fixed depth merkle tree implementation with sequential inserts",
   "main": "src/merkleTree.js",
   "scripts": {

src/merkleTree.js

@@ -152,6 +152,36 @@ class MerkleTree {
   elements() {
     return this._layers[0].slice()
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Serialize entire tree state including intermediate layers into a plain object
+   * Deserializing it back will not require to recompute any hashes
+   * Elements are not converted to a plain type, this is responsibility of the caller
+   */
+  serialize() {
+    return {
+      levels: this.levels,
+      _zeros: this._zeros,
+      _layers: this._layers,
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Deserialize data into a MerkleTree instance
+   * Make sure to provide the same hashFunction as was used in the source tree,
+   * otherwise the tree state will be invalid
+   *
+   * @param data
+   * @param hashFunction
+   * @returns {MerkleTree}
+   */
+  static deserialize(data, hashFunction) {
+    const instance = Object.assign(Object.create(this.prototype), data)
+    instance._hash = hashFunction || defaultHash
+    instance.capacity = 1 << instance.levels
+    instance.zeroElement = instance._zeros[0]
+    return instance
+  }
 }
 
 module.exports = MerkleTree

test/merkleTree.test.js

@@ -202,4 +202,19 @@ describe('MerkleTree', () => {
       ])
     })
   })
+
+  describe('#serialize', () => {
+    it('should work', () => {
+      const src = new MerkleTree(10, [1, 2, 3])
+      const data = src.serialize()
+      const dst = MerkleTree.deserialize(data)
+
+      src.root().should.equal(dst.root())
+
+      src.insert(10)
+      dst.insert(10)
+
+      src.root().should.equal(dst.root())
+    })
+  })
 })