How to convert a BigInt to string to be able to use it in CRUD operations

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Summary

Converting BigInt values to strings is essential when preparing data for CRUD operations, as many databases and APIs do not natively support BigInt. The provided function recursively traverses an object, converting all BigInt values to strings using JSON.stringify and a custom replacer function.

Root Cause

  • BigInt values are not universally supported in serialization formats like JSON.
  • Direct serialization of BigInt results in errors or loss of precision.

Why This Happens in Real Systems

  • Data interoperability: Systems often rely on JSON for data exchange, which does not natively support BigInt.
  • Database limitations: Many databases store numbers as integers or floats, which cannot represent BigInt values.

Real-World Impact

  • Data corruption: Failing to convert BigInt leads to invalid JSON or database errors.
  • Application crashes: Unhandled BigInt serialization can cause runtime exceptions.
  • Data loss: Precision is lost if BigInt is incorrectly cast to a smaller numeric type.

Example or Code

function convertBigInt(obj) {
  return JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(obj, (key, value) => 
    typeof value === 'bigint' ? value.toString() : value
  ));
}

How Senior Engineers Fix It

  • Recursive conversion: Use a replacer function in JSON.stringify to handle nested objects.
  • Type checking: Explicitly check for typeof value === 'bigint' to ensure only BigInt values are converted.
  • Consistent formatting: Convert BigInt to strings with a consistent format (e.g., base-10) for readability.

Why Juniors Miss It

  • Lack of awareness: Juniors may not realize JSON does not support BigInt.
  • Overlooking edge cases: Nested objects or arrays containing BigInt are often missed.
  • Improper testing: Failing to test with large numeric values leads to unnoticed issues.

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