function meta2dataview() {
	/* eslint-disable no-invalid-this */
	var nbytes;
	var flgs;
	var len;
	var dt;
	var sh;
	var st;
	var sm;
	var v;
	var m;
	var o;
	var s;
	var N;
	var M;
	var i;

	m = this._mode || 'throw';
	sm = this._submode || [ m ];
	N = this._ndims;
	M = sm.length;

	// Compute the amount of memory we need to allocate for storing meta data:
	len = 33 + (N*16) + M;

	// Check if we've already serialized ndarray meta data and can reuse an already allocated array buffer...
	v = this.__meta_dataview__;
	if ( v && v.byteLength === len ) { // Note: the byte length check is only a bare minimum sanity check, as cached contents may still be "stale" (e.g., shape and/or strides may have changed)
		return v;
	}
	// Allocate raw memory and create a view for interfacing with the allocated memory:
	v = new DataView( new ArrayBuffer( len ) );

	// Retrieve ndarray meta data:
	sh = this._shape;
	st = this._strides;
	dt = this._dtype;
	nbytes = this._bytesPerElement;

	// Endianness: (byteoffset: 0; bytelength: 1)
	o = 0;
	v.setInt8( o, ( IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN ) ? 1 : 0 );

	// Data type: (byteoffset: 1; bytelength: 2)
	o += 1;
	v.setInt16( o, DTYPES[ dt ], IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN );

	// Number of dimensions: (byteoffset: 3; bytelength: 8)
	o += 2;
	v.setBigInt64( o, BigInt( N ), IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN );

	// Shape and strides: (byteoffset: 11 and 11+(ndims*8), respectively; bytelength: ndims*8 for both shape and strides, and, thus, ndims*16 total)
	s = N * 8; // stride length between a dimension (shape[i]) and its associated stride
	o += 8;
	for ( i = 0; i < N; i++ ) {
		v.setBigInt64( o, BigInt( sh[i] ), IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN );
		v.setBigInt64( o+s, BigInt( st[i]*nbytes ), IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN );
		o += 8;
	}
	// Offset: (byteoffset: 11+(ndims*16); bytelength: 8)
	o += s;
	v.setBigInt64( o, BigInt( this._offset*nbytes ), IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN );

	// Order: (byteoffset: 19+(ndims*16); bytelength: 1)
	o += 8;
	v.setInt8( o, ORDERS[ this._order ] );

	// Mode: (byteoffset: 20+(ndims*16); bytelength: 1)
	o += 1;
	v.setInt8( o, MODES[ m ] );

	// Number of submodes: (byteoffset: 21+(ndims*16); bytelength: 8)
	o += 1;
	v.setBigInt64( o, BigInt( M ), IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN );

	// Submodes: (byteoffset: 29+(ndims*16); bytelength: nsubmodes*1)
	o += 8;
	for ( i = 0; i < M; i++ ) {
		v.setInt8( o, MODES[ sm[i] ] );
		o += 1;
	}
	// Flags: (byteoffset: 29+(ndims*16)+nsubmodes; bytelength: 4)
	flgs = 0|0;
	flgs |= ( this._flags.READONLY ) ? 4 : 0; // 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000100
	v.setInt32( o, flgs, IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN );

	// Cache the serialized meta data:
	this.__meta_dataview__ = v;

	return v;

	/* eslint-enable no-invalid-this */
}
Serializes ndarray meta data to a `DataView`.

## Notes

-   This function takes into account ndarray-like objects which may support index modes.

-   This function defaults to returning cached serialized meta data. To force serialization, set the private `__meta_dataview__` property to `null`.

-   Serialization is performed according to host byte order (endianness).

-   Meta data format:

    ```text
    | endianness (1 byte) | <dtype> (2 bytes) | <ndims> (8 bytes) | <shape> (ndims*8 bytes) | <strides> (ndims*8 bytes) | <offset> (8 bytes) | <order> (1 byte) | <mode> (1 byte) | <nsubmodes> (8 bytes) | <submodes> (nsubmodes*1 bytes) | <flags> (4 bytes) |
    ```

    which translates to the following `ArrayBuffer` layout:

    ```text
    ArrayBuffer[
        <endianness>[int8],
        <dtype>[int16],
        <ndims>[int64],
        <shape>[ndims*int64],
        <strides>[ndims*int64],
        <offset>[int64],
        <order>[int8],
        <mode>[int8],
        <nsubmodes>[int64],
        <submodes>[nsubmodes*int8],
        <flags>[int32]
    ]
    ```

    where `strides` and `offset` are in units of bytes.

-   If the endianness is `1`, the byte order is little endian. If the endianness is `0`, the byte order is big endian.

-   Buffer length:

    ```text
    1 + 2 + 8 + (ndims*8) + (ndims*8) + 8 + 1 + 1 + 8 + (nsubmodes*1) + 4 = 33 + (ndims*16) + nsubmodes
    ```

    For example, consider a three-dimensional ndarray with one subscript index mode (submode):

    ```text
    33 + (3*16) + 1 = 82 bytes
    ```

-   Views:

    -   endianness: `Int8Array( buf, 0, 1 )`
    -   dtype: `Int16Array( buf, 1, 1 )`
    -   ndims: `Int64Array( buf, 3, 1 )`
    -   shape: `Int64Array( buf, 11, ndims )`
    -   strides: `Int64Array( buf, 11+(ndims*8), ndims )`
    -   offset: `Int64Array( buf, 11+(ndims*16), 1 )`
    -   order: `Int8Array( buf, 19+(ndims*16), 1 )`
    -   mode: `Int8Array( buf, 20+(ndims*16), 1 )`
    -   nsubmodes: `Int64Array( buf, 21+(ndims*16), 1 )`
    -   submodes: `Int8Array( buf, 29+(ndims*16), nsubmodes )`
    -   flags: `Int32Array( buf, 29+(ndims*16)+nsubmodes, 1 )`

@private
@returns {DataView} serialized meta data