# 12.9 `xdrlib` -- Encode and decode XDR data

The `xdrlib` module supports the External Data Representation Standard as described in RFC 1014 , written by Sun Microsystems, Inc. June 1987. It supports most of the data types described in the RFC.

The `xdrlib` module defines two classes, one for packing variables into XDR representation, and another for unpacking from XDR representation. There are also two exception classes.

`Packer` ()
  `Packer` is the class for packing data into XDR representation. The `Packer` class is instantiated with no arguments.

`Unpacker` (data)
  `Unpacker` is the complementary class which unpacks XDR data values from a string buffer. The input buffer is given as data.

See Also:

RFC 1014, XDR: External Data Representation Standard
  This RFC defined the encoding of data which was XDR at the time this module was originally written. It has appearantly been obsoleted by RFC 1832 .

RFC 1832, XDR: External Data Representation Standard
  Newer RFC that provides a revised definition of XDR.

Subsections

- 12.9.1 Packer Objects
- 12.9.2 Unpacker Objects
- 12.9.3 Exceptions