export namespace Buffer {
  export function fromString(str: string): Uint8Array {
    const buffer = String.UTF8.encode(str, false);

    // Workaround for https://github.com/AssemblyScript/assemblyscript/issues/1066
    if (buffer.byteLength === 0) return new Uint8Array(0);

    return Uint8Array.wrap(buffer);
  }

  export function toString(arr: Uint8Array): string {
    return String.UTF8.decode(arr.buffer, false);
  }

  /**
   * Returns a pointer to the start of the raw data (i.e. after the header)
   *
   * @see https://docs.assemblyscript.org/details/memory#internals
   */
  export function getDataPtr(arr: Uint8Array): usize {
    return changetype<usize>(arr.buffer) + arr.byteOffset;
  }

  export function readString(
    arr: Uint8Array,
    start: usize,
    end: usize
  ): string {
    return String.UTF8.decodeUnsafe(getDataPtr(arr) + start, end - start);
  }
}