Inconsistent representation of binary values in listEntity results and query strings

[craxal]

• Package Name: @azure/data-tables
• Package Version: 3.0.1-alpha.20220112.3
• Operating system: Windows 11
• nodejs
  • version: 16.3.1
• browser
  • name/version:
• typescript
  • version: 4.5.3
• Is the bug related to documentation in
  • README.md
  • source code documentation
  • SDK API docs on https://docs.microsoft.com

Describe the bug
There is an inconsistency in how binary values are represented in listEntity results and query strings. listEntity results appear to use Base64 encoded values, but such values are considered invalid when used in a query string.

To Reproduce

1. Run the following code snippet:

   const client = TableClient.fromConnectionString("<CONNECTION_STRING>", "<TABLE>", { disableTypeConversion: true });
   
   // Insert the value "Hello!"
   await client.createEntity({ partitionKey: "Binary", rowKey: "Binary Base64", hello: { value: "SGVsbG8h", type: "Binary" } });
   
   // Note that "48656c6c6f21" is "Hello!" encoded in hexadecimal 
   const result1 = await client.listEntities({ disableTypeConversion: true, queryOptions: { filter: "hello eq binary'48656c6c6f21'" } }).byPage().next();
   
   // Note that "SGVsbG8h" is "Hello!" encoded in Base64 
   const result2 = await client.listEntities({ disableTypeConversion: true, queryOptions: { filter: "hello eq binary'SGVsbG8h'" } }).byPage().next();

2. Observe the console output.

Here, result1 contains the entity inserted into the table in the previous line. But attempting to get result2 causes an error to be thrown.

Expected behavior
I would expect the encoding for binary values when disableTypeConversion is true to be consistent with the encoding accepted by the service in query strings.

I realize that this may be the format that the platform returns. There's not a lot of documentation about working with binary values. This may be something to bring up with the platform team.

[joheredi]

Thanks for reporting @craxal. I'll investigate this issue next week. I'll see if there is something reasonable that can be done in the client SDK to improve the UX.

[github-actions]

Hi @craxal, we deeply appreciate your input into this project. Regrettably, this issue has remained inactive for over 2 years, leading us to the decision to close it. We've implemented this policy to maintain the relevance of our issue queue and facilitate easier navigation for new contributors. If you still believe this topic requires attention, please feel free to create a new issue, referencing this one. Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support.