diff --git a/.eslintrc.json b/.eslintrc.json
index 0e46490..766a59b 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.json
+++ b/.eslintrc.json
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
   "plugins": ["import", "jsdoc"],
   "rules": {
     "@typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any": "warn",
+    "@typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars": "warn",
     "arrow-spacing": "error",
     "camelcase": "error",
     "comma-spacing": "error",
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@
     "jsdoc/check-tag-names": "error",
     "jsdoc/no-types": "error",
     "jsdoc/sort-tags": "error",
+    "no-constant-condition": "warn",
     "no-multi-spaces": "error",
     "no-trailing-spaces": "error",
     "no-var": "error",
diff --git a/src/thrift.ts b/src/thrift.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a0d25f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/thrift.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,228 @@
+// TCompactProtocol types
+const CompactType = {
+  STOP: 0,
+  TRUE: 1,
+  FALSE: 2,
+  BYTE: 3,
+  I16: 4,
+  I32: 5,
+  I64: 6,
+  DOUBLE: 7,
+  BINARY: 8,
+  LIST: 9,
+  SET: 10,
+  MAP: 11,
+  STRUCT: 12,
+  UUID: 13,
+}
+
+/**
+ * Parse TCompactProtocol
+ */
+export function deserializeTCompactProtocol(buffer: ArrayBuffer): [number, Record<string, any>] {
+  const view = new DataView(buffer)
+  let index = 0
+  let lastFid = 0
+  const result: Record<string, any> = {}
+
+  while (index < buffer.byteLength) {
+    // Parse each field based on its type and add to the result object
+    const [type, fid, newIndex, newLastFid] = readFieldBegin(view, index, lastFid)
+    index = newIndex
+    lastFid = newLastFid
+
+    if (type === CompactType.STOP) {
+      break
+    }
+
+    // Handle the field based on its type
+    let fieldValue
+    [fieldValue, index] = readElement(view, type, index)
+    result[`field_${fid}`] = fieldValue
+  }
+
+  return [ index, result ]
+}
+
+/**
+ * Read a single element based on its type
+ * @returns [value, newIndex]
+ */
+function readElement(view: DataView, type: number, index: number): [any, number] {
+  switch (type) {
+  case CompactType.TRUE:
+    return [true, index]
+  case CompactType.FALSE:
+    return [false, index]
+  case CompactType.BYTE:
+    // read byte directly
+    return [view.getInt8(index), index + 1]
+  case CompactType.I16:
+  case CompactType.I32:
+    return readZigZag(view, index)
+  case CompactType.I64:
+    return readZigZagBigInt(view, index)
+  case CompactType.DOUBLE:
+    return [view.getFloat64(index, true), index + 8]
+  case CompactType.BINARY: {
+    // strings are encoded as utf-8, no \0 delimiter
+    const [stringLength, stringIndex] = readVarInt(view, index)
+    const strBytes = new Uint8Array(view.buffer, stringIndex, stringLength)
+    return [new TextDecoder().decode(strBytes), stringIndex + stringLength]
+  }
+  case CompactType.LIST: {
+    const [elemType, listSize, listIndex] = readCollectionBegin(view, index)
+    index = listIndex
+    const listValues = []
+    for (let i = 0; i < listSize; i++) {
+      let listElem
+      [listElem, index] = readElement(view, elemType, index)
+      listValues.push(listElem)
+    }
+    return [listValues, index]
+  }
+  case CompactType.STRUCT: {
+    const structValues: {[key: string]: any} = {}
+    let structLastFid = 0
+    while (true) {
+      let structFieldType, structFid, structIndex
+      [structFieldType, structFid, structIndex, structLastFid] = readFieldBegin(view, index, structLastFid)
+      index = structIndex
+      if (structFieldType === CompactType.STOP) {
+        break
+      }
+      let structFieldValue
+      [structFieldValue, index] = readElement(view, structFieldType, index)
+      structValues[`field_${structFid}`] = structFieldValue
+    }
+    return [structValues, index]
+  }
+  // TODO: MAP and SET
+  case CompactType.UUID: {
+    // Read 16 bytes to uuid string
+    let uuid = ''
+    for (let i = 0; i < 16; i++) {
+      uuid += view.getUint8(index++).toString(16).padStart(2, '0')
+    }
+    return [uuid, index]
+  }
+  default:
+    throw new Error(`Unhandled type: ${type}`)
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Var int, also known as Unsigned LEB128.
+ * Var ints take 1 to 5 bytes (int32) or 1 to 10 bytes (int64).
+ * Takes a Big Endian unsigned integer, left-pads the bit-string to make it a
+ * multiple of 7 bits, splits it into 7-bit groups, prefix the most-significant
+ * 7-bit group with the 0 bit, prefixing the remaining 7-bit groups with the
+ * 1 bit and encode the resulting bit-string as Little Endian.
+ */
+function readVarInt(view: DataView, index: number): [number, number] {
+  let result = 0
+  let shift = 0
+  while (true) {
+    const byte = view.getUint8(index++)
+    result |= (byte & 0x7f) << shift
+    if ((byte & 0x80) === 0) {
+      return [result, index]
+    }
+    shift += 7
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Read a varint as a bigint.
+ */
+function readVarBigInt(view: DataView, index: number): [bigint, number] {
+  let result = BigInt(0)
+  let shift = BigInt(0)
+  while (true) {
+    const byte = BigInt(view.getUint8(index++))
+    result |= (byte & BigInt(0x7f)) << shift
+    if ((byte & BigInt(0x80)) === BigInt(0)) {
+      return [result, index]
+    }
+    shift += BigInt(7)
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Values of type int32 and int64 are transformed to a zigzag int.
+ * A zigzag int folds positive and negative numbers into the positive number space.
+ */
+function readZigZag(view: DataView, index: number): [number, number] {
+  const [zigzag, newIndex] = readVarInt(view, index)
+  // convert zigzag to int
+  const value = (zigzag >>> 1) ^ -(zigzag & 1)
+  return [value, newIndex]
+}
+
+/**
+ * A zigzag int folds positive and negative numbers into the positive number space.
+ * This version returns a BigInt.
+ */
+function readZigZagBigInt(view: DataView, index: number): [bigint, number] {
+  const [zigzag, newIndex] = readVarBigInt(view, index)
+  // convert zigzag to int
+  const value = (zigzag >> BigInt(1)) ^ -(zigzag & BigInt(1))
+  return [value, newIndex]
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get thrift type from half a byte
+ */
+function getCompactType(byte: number): number {
+  return byte & 0x0f
+}
+
+/**
+ * Read field type and field id
+ */
+function readFieldBegin(view: DataView, index: number, lastFid: number): [number, number, number, number] {
+  const type = view.getUint8(index++)
+  if ((type & 0x0f) === CompactType.STOP) {
+    // STOP also ends a struct
+    return [0, 0, index, lastFid]
+  }
+  const delta = type >> 4
+  let fid // field id
+  if (delta === 0) {
+    // not a delta, read zigzag varint field id
+    [fid, index] = readZigZag(view, index)
+  } else {
+    // add delta to last field id
+    fid = lastFid + delta
+  }
+  return [getCompactType(type), fid, index, fid]
+}
+
+function readCollectionBegin(view: DataView, index: number): [number, number, number] {
+  const sizeType = view.getUint8(index++)
+  const size = sizeType >> 4
+  const type = getCompactType(sizeType)
+  if (size === 15) {
+    const [newSize, newIndex] = readVarInt(view, index)
+    return [type, newSize, newIndex]
+  }
+  return [type, size, index]
+}
+
+/**
+ * Convert int to varint. Outputs 1-5 bytes for int32.
+ */
+export function toVarInt(n: number): number[] {
+  let idx = 0
+  const varInt = []
+  while (true) {
+    if ((n & ~0x7f) === 0) {
+      varInt[idx++] = n
+      break
+    } else {
+      varInt[idx++] = (n & 0x7f) | 0x80
+      n >>>= 7
+    }
+  }
+  return varInt
+}
diff --git a/test/thrift.test.ts b/test/thrift.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..80b0333
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/thrift.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { deserializeTCompactProtocol, toVarInt } from '../src/thrift'
+
+describe('deserializeTCompactProtocol function', () => {
+
+  it('parses basic types correctly', () => {
+    // Setup a buffer with thrift encoded data for basic types
+    const buffer = new ArrayBuffer(128)
+    const view = new DataView(buffer)
+    let index = 0
+
+    // Boolean
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0x11) // Field 1 type TRUE
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0x12) // Field 2 type FALSE
+
+    // Byte
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0x13) // Field 3 type BYTE
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0x7f) // Max value for a signed byte
+
+    // Int16
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0x14) // Field 4 type int16
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xfe) // 0xfffe zigzag => 16-bit max value 0x7fff
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xff)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0x3)
+
+    // Int32
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0x15) // Field 5 type int32
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xfe) // 0xfffffffe zigzag => 32-bit max value 0x7fffffff
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xff)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xff)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xff)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0x0f)
+
+    // Int64
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0x16) // Field 6 type int64
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xfe)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xff)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xff)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xff)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xff)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xff)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xff)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xff)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0xff)
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0x01)
+
+    // Double
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0x17) // Field 7 type DOUBLE
+    view.setFloat64(index, 123.456, true)
+    index += 8
+
+    // String
+    const str = 'Hello, Thrift!'
+    view.setUint8(index++, 0x18) // Field 8 type STRING
+    // write string length as varint
+    const stringLengthVarInt = toVarInt(str.length)
+    stringLengthVarInt.forEach(byte => view.setUint8(index++, byte))
+    // write string bytes
+    for (let i = 0; i < str.length; i++) {
+      view.setUint8(index++, str.charCodeAt(i))
+    }
+
+    // Mark the end of the structure
+    view.setUint8(index, 0x00) // STOP field
+
+    const [bufferLength, result] = deserializeTCompactProtocol(buffer)
+    expect(bufferLength).toBe(index + 1)
+
+    // Assertions for each basic type
+    expect(result.field_1).toBe(true) // TRUE
+    expect(result.field_2).toBe(false) // FALSE
+    expect(result.field_3).toBe(0x7f) // BYTE
+    expect(result.field_4).toBe(0x7fff) // I16
+    expect(result.field_5).toBe(0x7fffffff) // I32
+    expect(result.field_6).toBe(BigInt('0x7fffffffffffffff')) // I64
+    expect(result.field_7).toBeCloseTo(123.456) // DOUBLE
+    expect(result.field_8).toBe('Hello, Thrift!') // STRING
+  })
+
+})