README.md

@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ NATSBridge enables seamless communication across multiple platforms through NATS
 | Platform | Implementation | Features |
 |----------|----------------|----------|
 | **Julia** | [`src/NATSBridge.jl`](src/NATSBridge.jl) | Full feature set, Arrow IPC, multiple dispatch |
-| **JavaScript (Node.js)** | [`src/natsbridge.js`](src/natsbridge_ssr.js) | Node.js, async/await |
+| **JavaScript (Node.js)** | [`src/natsbridge_ssr.js`](src/natsbridge_ssr.js) | Node.js, async/await, Arrow IPC |
-| **JavaScript (Browser)** | [`src/natsbridge_csr.js`](src/natsbridge_csr.js) | Browser, WebSocket NATS, async/await |
+| **JavaScript (Browser)** | [`src/natsbridge_csr.js`](src/natsbridge_csr.js) | Browser, WebSocket NATS, async/await, JSON table only |
-| **Python** | [`src/natsbridge.py`](src/natsbridge.py) | Desktop Python, asyncio, type hints |
+| **Python** | [`src/natsbridge.py`](src/natsbridge.py) | Desktop Python, asyncio, type hints, Arrow IPC |
 | **MicroPython** | [`src/natsbridge_mpy.py`](src/natsbridge_mpy.py) | Memory-constrained, synchronous API |
 
 ### Platform Comparison
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ NATSBridge enables seamless communication across multiple platforms through NATS
 | Multiple Dispatch | ✅ Native | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
 | Async/Await | ❌ | ✅ Native | ✅ Native | ✅ Native | ⚠️ (uasyncio) |
 | Type Safety | ✅ Strong | ⚠️ (TypeScript) | ⚠️ (TypeScript) | ✅ (Type hints) | ❌ |
-| Arrow IPC | ✅ Native | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
+| Arrow IPC | ✅ Native | ✅ Native | ❌ (Browser incompatible) | ✅ Native | ❌ |
+| JSON Table | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (Only table type) | ✅ | ⚠️ (Limited) |
 | Direct Transport | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
 | Link Transport | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ (Limited) |
 | Handler Functions | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
@@ -73,7 +74,8 @@ NATSBridge enables seamless communication across multiple platforms through NATS
 - ✅ **Multi-payload support** - send multiple payloads with different types in one message
 - ✅ **Automatic transport selection** - direct vs link based on payload size
 - ✅ **Claim-Check pattern** for payloads ≥ 500KB
-- ✅ **Apache Arrow IPC** support for tabular data (zero-copy reading)
+- ✅ **Apache Arrow IPC** support for tabular data (Desktop: Julia/Python/Node.js)
+- ✅ **JSON Table** support for tabular data (All platforms including Browser)
 - ✅ **Exponential backoff** for reliable file server downloads
 - ✅ **Correlation ID tracking** for message tracing
 - ✅ **Reply-to support** for request-response patterns
@@ -424,8 +426,8 @@ env = NATSBridge.smartreceive(
 |------|-------|------------|--------|-------------|-------------|
 | `text` | `String` | `string` | `str` | `str` | Plain text strings |
 | `dictionary` | `Dict`, `NamedTuple` | `Object`, `Array` | `dict`, `list` | `dict` | JSON-serializable dictionaries |
-| `arrowtable` | `DataFrame`, `Arrow.Table` | `Array<Object>` | `pandas.DataFrame` | ❌ | Tabular data (Arrow IPC) |
+| `arrowtable` | `DataFrame`, `Arrow.Table` | ❌ (Browser), ✅ (Node.js) | `pandas.DataFrame` | ❌ | Tabular data (Arrow IPC) |
-| `jsontable` | `DataFrame`, `Vector{NamedTuple}` | `Array<Object>` | `list[dict]` | ⚠️ | Tabular data (JSON) |
+| `jsontable` | `DataFrame`, `Vector{NamedTuple}` | `Array<Object>` | `list[dict]` | ⚠️ | Tabular data (JSON) - **Only table type in Browser** |
 | `image` | `Vector{UInt8}` | `Uint8Array`, `Buffer` | `bytes` | `bytearray` | Image data (PNG, JPG) |
 | `audio` | `Vector{UInt8}` | `Uint8Array`, `Buffer` | `bytes` | `bytearray` | Audio data (WAV, MP3) |
 | `video` | `Vector{UInt8}` | `Uint8Array`, `Buffer` | `bytes` | `bytearray` | Video data (MP4, AVI) |
@@ -611,6 +613,26 @@ data = [("students", df, "arrowtable")]
 env, env_json_str = await NATSBridge.smartsend("/data/analysis", data)
 ```
 
+#### JavaScript (Browser)
+
+```javascript
+import NATSBridge from './src/natsbridge_csr.js';
+
+// Browser uses jsontable (JSON array of objects) instead of arrowtable
+// Apache Arrow is not compatible with browsers
+const df = [
+    { id: 1, name: "Alice", score: 95 },
+    { id: 2, name: "Bob", score: 88 },
+    { id: 3, name: "Charlie", score: 92 }
+];
+
+const [env, env_json_str] = await NATSBridge.smartsend(
+    "/data/analysis",
+    [["students", df, "jsontable"]],  // Use jsontable for browser
+    { broker_url: 'ws://localhost:4222' }
+);
+```
+
 ### Example 4: Request-Response Pattern
 
 Bi-directional communication with reply-to support.

docs/architecture.md

@@ -275,8 +275,8 @@ end
 |------|-------------|---------------|----------|-----------|
 | `text` | Plain text string | UTF-8 bytes | Base64 | All |
 | `dictionary` | JSON object | JSON string | Base64/JSON | All |
-| `arrowtable` | Apache Arrow IPC | Arrow IPC stream | Base64/arrow-ipc | Desktop |
+| `arrowtable` | Apache Arrow IPC | Arrow IPC stream | Base64/arrow-ipc | Desktop (Julia/Python/Node.js) |
-| `jsontable` | JSON array of objects | JSON string | Base64/json | All |
+| `jsontable` | JSON array of objects | JSON string | Base64/json | All (including Browser) |
 | `image` | Binary image data | Raw bytes | Base64 | All |
 | `audio` | Binary audio data | Raw bytes | Base64 | All |
 | `video` | Binary video data | Raw bytes | Base64 | All |
@@ -442,6 +442,16 @@ class NATSBridge:
         self.fileserver_url = fileserver_url or self.DEFAULT_FILESERVER_URL
 ```
 
+### Browser Architecture
+
+Browser JavaScript has specific constraints due to security and compatibility:
+
+- **Async/await**: Native async/await support
+- **No Apache Arrow**: Arrow IPC not available in browsers
+- **JSON table only**: Use "jsontable" for tabular data
+- **WebSocket NATS**: Uses nats.ws for browser-compatible NATS connections
+- **Fetch API**: HTTP file server communication via fetch
+
 ### MicroPython Architecture
 
 MicroPython has significant constraints:

docs/requirements.md

@@ -115,8 +115,9 @@ NATSBridge is a cross-platform, bi-directional data bridge that enables seamless
 | Platform | Minimum Version | Notes |
 |----------|-----------------|-------|
 | Julia | 1.7+ | Arrow.jl required for arrowtable support |
-| Node.js | 16+ | nats.js required |
+| Node.js | 16+ | nats.js required, Arrow IPC supported |
 | Python | 3.8+ | pyarrow required for arrowtable support |
+| Browser | Latest | No Arrow IPC (uses jsontable only) |
 | MicroPython | 1.19+ | Limited to direct transport |
 
 ---
@@ -181,8 +182,8 @@ NATSBridge is a cross-platform, bi-directional data bridge that enables seamless
 |------|-------|------------|--------|-------------|-------------|
 | `text` | `String` | `string` | `str` | `str` | Plain text strings |
 | `dictionary` | `Dict`, `NamedTuple` | `Object`, `Array` | `dict`, `list` | `dict` | JSON-serializable data |
-| `arrowtable` | `DataFrame`, `Arrow.Table` | `Array<Object>` | `pandas.DataFrame` | ❌ | Tabular data (Arrow IPC) |
+| `arrowtable` | `DataFrame`, `Arrow.Table` | ❌ (Browser), ✅ (Node.js) | `pandas.DataFrame` | ❌ | Tabular data (Arrow IPC) |
-| `jsontable` | `Vector{NamedTuple}` | `Array<Object>` | `list[dict]` | ⚠️ | Tabular data (JSON) |
+| `jsontable` | `Vector{NamedTuple}` | `Array<Object>` | `list[dict]` | ⚠️ | Tabular data (JSON) - **Only table type in Browser** |
 | `image` | `Vector{UInt8}` | `Uint8Array`, `Buffer` | `bytes` | `bytearray` | Image binary data |
 | `audio` | `Vector{UInt8}` | `Uint8Array`, `Buffer` | `bytes` | `bytearray` | Audio binary data |
 | `video` | `Vector{UInt8}` | `Uint8Array`, `Buffer` | `bytes` | `bytearray` | Video binary data |
@@ -194,8 +195,8 @@ NATSBridge is a cross-platform, bi-directional data bridge that enables seamless
 |--------------|-----------------|-------|
 | `text` | UTF-8 → Base64 | Text must be String type |
 | `dictionary` | JSON → Base64 | JSON.jl for Julia |
-| `arrowtable` | Arrow IPC → Base64 | Requires Arrow.jl/pyarrow |
+| `arrowtable` | Arrow IPC → Base64 | Requires Arrow.jl/pyarrow (Desktop only) |
-| `jsontable` | JSON → Base64 | Human-readable format |
+| `jsontable` | JSON → Base64 | Human-readable format - **Browser uses this only** |
 | `image`/`audio`/`video`/`binary` | Direct → Base64 | Binary data preserved |
 
 ---
@@ -294,7 +295,8 @@ NATSBridge is a cross-platform, bi-directional data bridge that enables seamless
 | Test Scenario | Success Criteria |
 |-------------|-----------------|
 | Cross-platform text message | Julia ↔ JavaScript ↔ Python |
-| Cross-platform tabular data | Arrow IPC round-trip |
+| Cross-platform tabular data (Desktop) | Arrow IPC round-trip |
+| Cross-platform tabular data (Browser) | JSON table round-trip |
 | Large file transfer | File server upload/download |
 | Multi-payload mixed content | All payload types in one message |
 
@@ -356,6 +358,7 @@ function smartreceive(
 | Python | nats-py | Latest stable |
 | Python | aiohttp | Latest stable |
 | Python | pyarrow | Latest stable |
+| Browser | nats.ws | Latest stable |
 
 ### Optional Dependencies
 
@@ -399,7 +402,7 @@ function smartreceive(
 
 | Version | Supported Platforms |
 |---------|---------------------|
-| v1.0.x | Julia 1.7+, Node.js 16+, Python 3.8+, MicroPython 1.19+ |
+| v1.0.x | Julia 1.7+, Node.js 16+, Python 3.8+, Browser (latest), MicroPython 1.19+ |
 
 ---
 

docs/spec.md

@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ await smartsend("/agent/v1/process", data)
 | All | `String` | `"text"` |
 | All | `Dict`/`Object` | `"dictionary"` |
 | Desktop | `DataFrame` | `"arrowtable"` or `"jsontable"` |
+| Browser | `Array` of objects | `"jsontable"` (only table type) |
 | All | `Array` of objects | `"jsontable"` |
 | All | `Uint8Array`/`Buffer`/`bytes` | `"binary"` |
 | Desktop | `Arrow.Table` | `"arrowtable"` |
@@ -203,8 +204,8 @@ await smartsend("/agent/v1/process", data)
 |-------|-------------|---------------------|------------------|
 | `text` | Plain text string | All | `base64` |
 | `dictionary` | JSON object/dictionary | All | `base64`, `json` |
-| `arrowtable` | Apache Arrow IPC table | Desktop (Julia/JS/Python) | `base64`, `arrow-ipc` |
+| `arrowtable` | Apache Arrow IPC table | Desktop (Julia/Python/Node.js) | `base64`, `arrow-ipc` |
-| `jsontable` | JSON array of objects | All | `base64`, `json` |
+| `jsontable` | JSON array of objects | All (including Browser) | `base64`, `json` |
 | `image` | Binary image data | All | `base64` |
 | `audio` | Binary audio data | All | `base64` |
 | `video` | Binary video data | All | `base64` |
@@ -613,7 +614,7 @@ function fileserver_download_handler(
 
 ## Platform-Specific Constraints
 
-### Desktop (Julia/JS/Python)
+### Desktop (Julia/Python/Node.js)
 
 | Feature | Status | Notes |
 |---------|--------|-------|
@@ -623,6 +624,16 @@ function fileserver_download_handler(
 | File server download | ✅ Supported | HTTP/HTTPS |
 | Size threshold | 500KB | Configurable |
 
+### Browser (JavaScript)
+
+| Feature | Status | Notes |
+|---------|--------|-------|
+| Arrow IPC | ❌ Not supported | Apache Arrow not browser-compatible |
+| JSON table | ✅ Supported | Only table type available in browser |
+| File server upload | ✅ Supported | HTTP/HTTPS |
+| File server download | ✅ Supported | HTTP/HTTPS |
+| Size threshold | 500KB | Configurable |
+
 ### MicroPython
 
 | Feature | Status | Notes |

src/natsbridge_csr.js

@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@
  * using NATS as the message bus, with support for both direct payload transport and
  * URL-based transport for larger payloads.
  * 
- * Supported payload types: "text", "dictionary", "arrowtable", "jsontable", "image", "audio", "video", "binary"
+ * Supported payload types: "text", "dictionary", "jsontable", "image", "audio", "video", "binary"
+ * Note: Browser version does NOT support Apache Arrow IPC (arrowtable) due to browser compatibility constraints.
+ * Use "jsontable" for tabular data in browser applications.
  * 
  * Browser-compatible version uses:
  * - nats.ws for WebSocket-based NATS connections
@@ -21,7 +23,6 @@
 import * as nats from 'nats.ws';
 
 // Use native fetch available in browsers
-import { tableFromArrays, tableToIPC } from 'apache-arrow/browser';
 
 // ---------------------------------------------- Constants ---------------------------------------------- //
 
@@ -111,13 +112,6 @@ async function serializeData(data, payloadType) {
     } else if (payloadType === 'dictionary') {
         const jsonStr = JSON.stringify(data);
         return new Uint8Array(new TextEncoder().encode(jsonStr));
-    } else if (payloadType === 'arrowtable') {
-        // Convert array of objects to Arrow IPC format
-        if (!Array.isArray(data) || data.length === 0) {
-            throw new Error('Arrow table data must be a non-empty array of objects');
-        }
-        
-        return serializeArrowTable(data);
     } else if (payloadType === 'jsontable') {
         // Serialize array of objects to JSON format
         if (!Array.isArray(data)) {
@@ -154,49 +148,6 @@ async function serializeData(data, payloadType) {
     }
 }
 
-/**
- * Helper function to properly serialize table data to Arrow IPC
- * @param {Array<Object>} data - Array of objects representing table rows
- * @returns {Uint8Array} Arrow IPC formatted buffer
- */
-function serializeArrowTable(data) {
-    if (!Array.isArray(data) || data.length === 0) {
-        throw new Error('Table data must be a non-empty array of objects');
-    }
-    
-    logTrace('serializeArrowTable', `Serializing table with ${data.length} rows`);
-    
-    // Convert array of objects to a key-value format expected by tableFromArrays
-    const columns = {};
-    const keys = Object.keys(data[0]);
-    for (const key of keys) {
-        columns[key] = data.map(row => row[key]);
-    }
-    
-    logTrace('serializeArrowTable', `Columns: ${Object.keys(columns).join(', ')}`);
-    
-    const table = tableFromArrays(columns);
-    
-    logTrace('serializeArrowTable', `Arrow table created with ${table.numRows} rows, ${table.numCols} cols`);
-    
-    // Convert to IPC format
-    const ipcBuffer = tableToIPC(table);
-    
-    logTrace('serializeArrowTable', `IPC buffer type: ${typeof ipcBuffer}, byteLength: ${ipcBuffer.byteLength}`);
-    
-    const resultBuffer = new Uint8Array(ipcBuffer);
-    logTrace('serializeArrowTable', `Result buffer: ${resultBuffer.length} bytes`);
-    
-    // Debug: Show first 20 bytes in hex
-    const hexPreview = [];
-    for (let i = 0; i < Math.min(20, resultBuffer.length); i++) {
-        hexPreview.push(resultBuffer[i].toString(16).padStart(2, '0'));
-    }
-    logTrace('serializeArrowTable', `First 20 bytes (hex): ${hexPreview.join(' ')}`);
-    
-    return resultBuffer;
-}
-
 /**
  * Deserialize bytes to data based on type
  * @param {Uint8Array|ArrayBuffer} data - Serialized data as bytes
@@ -210,7 +161,7 @@ async function deserializeData(data, payloadType, correlationId) {
     logTrace(correlationId, `deserializeData: type=${payloadType}, bufferLength=${buffer.length}`);
     
     // Debug: Show first 20 bytes in hex for binary data
-    if (payloadType === 'arrowtable' || payloadType === 'jsontable' || payloadType === 'image' || payloadType === 'binary') {
+    if (payloadType === 'jsontable' || payloadType === 'image' || payloadType === 'binary') {
         const hexPreview = [];
         for (let i = 0; i < Math.min(20, buffer.length); i++) {
             hexPreview.push(buffer[i].toString(16).padStart(2, '0'));
@@ -227,18 +178,6 @@ async function deserializeData(data, payloadType, correlationId) {
         const result = JSON.parse(jsonStr);
         logTrace(correlationId, `deserializeData: dictionary keys=${Object.keys(result).join(', ')}`);
         return result;
-    } else if (payloadType === 'arrowtable') {
-        logTrace(correlationId, `deserializeData: Attempting Arrow table deserialization`);
-        
-        try {
-            // Try tableFromIPC (browser API)
-            const table = tableFromIPC(buffer);
-            logTrace(correlationId, `deserializeData: Arrow table from IPC - rows=${table.numRows}, cols=${table.numCols}`);
-            return table;
-        } catch (e) {
-            logTrace(correlationId, `deserializeData: tableFromIPC failed: ${e.message}`);
-            throw new Error(`Unable to deserialize Arrow table: ${e.message}`);
-        }
     } else if (payloadType === 'jsontable') {
         const jsonStr = new TextDecoder().decode(buffer);
         const result = JSON.parse(jsonStr);
@@ -478,8 +417,6 @@ function buildPayload(dataname, payloadType, payloadBytes, transport, data) {
     let encoding = 'base64';
     if (payloadType === 'jsontable') {
         encoding = 'json';
-    } else if (payloadType === 'arrowtable') {
-        encoding = 'arrow-ipc';
     }
     
     return {