docs: function encoding(rtype, value, conf) {
    var enc;
  
    //console.dir('rtype: ' + rtype);
    //console.dir(value);
  
    switch(rtype) {
      case RTYPE.STRING:
        enc = ENCODING.RAW;
        // integer encoding
        if(typeof value === 'number'
          && parseInt(value) === value
          || (typeof value === 'string'
            && /^-?\d+$/.test(value))
          || (value instanceof Buffer) && isIntegerBuffer(value)) {
          enc = ENCODING.INT;
        }
        break;
      case RTYPE.LIST:
        // no ziplist support yet
        enc = ENCODING.LINKEDLIST;
        break;
      case RTYPE.SET:
        // no intset support yet
        enc = ENCODING.HASHTABLE;
        break;
      case RTYPE.HASH:
        // no zipmap support yet
        enc = ENCODING.HASHTABLE;
        break;
      case RTYPE.ZSET:
        // no ziplist support yet
        enc = ENCODING.SKIPLIST;
        break;
    }
  
    return enc;
  }