py-multibase

Common errors

• ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'multibase'

  cause The `py-multibase` library is either not installed or not available in the current Python environment.
  fix Install the library using pip: `pip install py-multibase`

• TypeError: a bytes-like object is required, not 'str'

  cause You are passing a Python string to a function (e.g., `multibase.encode`) that expects `bytes` or a bytes-like object, without explicitly encoding the string first.
  fix Convert your string to bytes before passing it to the function: `my_string.encode('utf-8')`. Example: `encode('base64', 'hello world'.encode('utf-8'))` or ensure the function handles string input if it's designed to.

• ValueError: Unknown multibase encoding: 'some_invalid_base'

  cause The specified multibase encoding (e.g., 'some_invalid_base') is not recognized or supported by the library.
  fix Use a valid multibase name as defined in the Multibase specification and supported by `py-multibase`. You can use `multibase.list_encodings()` to see all supported options.

Warnings

• breaking Version 2.0.0 and higher of `py-multibase` requires Python 3.10 or newer. Users on older Python versions (e.g., 3.9 or earlier) must remain on `py-multibase` 1.x or upgrade their Python interpreter.
  Fix: Upgrade Python to 3.10+ or pin `py-multibase` to a 1.x release: `pip install 'py-multibase<2.0.0'`
• gotcha Not all multibase encodings from the official specification may be fully implemented in `py-multibase` 2.0.0. GitHub issues indicate ongoing work to achieve 100% compatibility with reference implementations. Verify support for specific or less common encodings if they are critical to your application.
  Fix: Consult the `py-multibase` GitHub repository or documentation for the most up-to-date list of supported encodings. Consider contributing or using alternative libraries for unsupported formats.
• gotcha The `encode` function can accept both string and bytes input, but `decode` always returns `bytes`. Attempting to treat `bytes` output directly as a Python `str` without explicit decoding (e.g., `.decode('utf-8')`) will lead to `TypeError` or unexpected behavior.
  Fix: Ensure proper type handling: encode strings to bytes before passing to `encode` if implicit conversion isn't desired, and always `decode()` the output of `multibase.decode` if a `str` is required.

Install

• pip install py-multibase Install latest version

Imports

• encode, decode

  from multibase import encode, decode

• Encoder, Decoder

  from multibase import Encoder, Decoder

• get_encoding_info, list_encodings

  from multibase import get_encoding_info, list_encodings

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to encode and decode data using various multibase formats, including `base58btc` and `base64`. It also shows the use of reusable `Encoder` and `Decoder` classes for multiple operations and how to list supported encodings. Remember that `encode` takes `str` or `bytes` and `decode` returns `bytes`, so you might need to convert to `str` for printing.

from multibase import encode, decode, list_encodings

# Encode a string to base58btc
data_to_encode = 'hello world'
encoded_base58 = encode('base58btc', data_to_encode)
print(f"Encoded (base58btc): {encoded_base58}")

# Encode a string to base64
encoded_base64 = encode('base64', data_to_encode)
print(f"Encoded (base64): {encoded_base64}")

# Decode a multibase string
decoded_data = decode(encoded_base64)
print(f"Decoded: {decoded_data.decode('utf-8')}")

# Using reusable Encoder/Decoder classes
from multibase import Encoder, Decoder
base64_encoder = Encoder('base64')
encoded_reusable = base64_encoder.encode(b'reusable data')
print(f"Encoded (reusable base64): {encoded_reusable}")

decoder = Decoder()
decoded_reusable = decoder.decode(encoded_reusable)
print(f"Decoded (reusable): {decoded_reusable.decode('utf-8')}")

# List available encodings
# print(list_encodings())