# 12.17 `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.

class `Packer`( | )

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

class `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 apparently been obsoleted by RFC 1832.

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