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| 1 | +# UnsignedByte — GraphQL Custom Scalar |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +Author – ChilliCream |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +Date – 2025-12-29 |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +**License and Copyright** |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +Copyright © GraphQL contributors. This specification is licensed under |
| 10 | +[OWFa 1.0](https://www.openwebfoundation.org/the-agreements/the-owf-1-0-agreements-granted-claims/owfa-1-0). |
| 11 | + |
| 12 | +# Overview |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | +The `UnsignedByte` scalar type represents an unsigned 8-bit integer. It is |
| 15 | +intended for scenarios where values are constrained to the range 0 to 255, such |
| 16 | +as representing color channel values (RGB), small counters, or byte-level data. |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +Unlike the built-in `Int` scalar which represents signed 32-bit integers, |
| 19 | +`UnsignedByte` provides stronger type safety and validation for values that must |
| 20 | +fit within an unsigned 8-bit range. |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +# Recommended name |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +The recommended name for this scalar is `UnsignedByte`. |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +# Result spec |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +An `UnsignedByte` scalar must serialize to an integer value in the range 0 to |
| 29 | +255 (inclusive). |
| 30 | + |
| 31 | +## Examples |
| 32 | + |
| 33 | +These are valid result values: |
| 34 | + |
| 35 | +| Value | Explanation | |
| 36 | +| ----- | ---------------------------- | |
| 37 | +| `0` | Minimum unsigned byte value. | |
| 38 | +| `255` | Maximum unsigned byte value. | |
| 39 | +| `128` | Mid-range value. | |
| 40 | + |
| 41 | +These are invalid result values: |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +| Value | Why is it invalid | |
| 44 | +| ------- | ------------------------------------------ | |
| 45 | +| `-1` | Negative values are not allowed. | |
| 46 | +| `256` | Exceeds maximum unsigned byte value (255). | |
| 47 | +| `3.14` | Fractional values are not allowed. | |
| 48 | +| `"128"` | Must be a number, not a string. | |
| 49 | + |
| 50 | +# Input spec |
| 51 | + |
| 52 | +An `UnsignedByte` scalar accepts integer values in the range 0 to 255 |
| 53 | +(inclusive), both as GraphQL literals and as JSON input values. |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +Implementations should validate: |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | +- Value is an integer (no fractional component) |
| 58 | +- Value is between 0 and 255 (inclusive) |
| 59 | +- Value is not negative |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +## Examples |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +Valid input values: |
| 64 | + |
| 65 | +GraphQL Literal: |
| 66 | + |
| 67 | +```graphql |
| 68 | +mutation { |
| 69 | + setColor(red: 255, green: 128, blue: 0) { |
| 70 | + id |
| 71 | + } |
| 72 | +} |
| 73 | +``` |
| 74 | + |
| 75 | +JSON input: |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +```json |
| 78 | +{ |
| 79 | + "red": 255, |
| 80 | + "green": 128, |
| 81 | + "blue": 0 |
| 82 | +} |
| 83 | +``` |
| 84 | + |
| 85 | +Invalid input values: |
| 86 | + |
| 87 | +| Value | Why is it invalid | |
| 88 | +| ------- | ------------------------------------------ | |
| 89 | +| `-1` | Negative values are not allowed. | |
| 90 | +| `256` | Exceeds maximum unsigned byte value (255). | |
| 91 | +| `3.14` | Fractional values are not allowed. | |
| 92 | +| `"128"` | Must be a number, not a string. | |
| 93 | + |
| 94 | +# References |
| 95 | + |
| 96 | +- [GraphQL Specification - Int](https://spec.graphql.org/September2025/#sec-Int) |
| 97 | + — Built-in integer scalar type |
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