Mess

are extensible and language-neutral Mess(-ages Embedded Style Serialization).
Supported backends:

• C++
• Python
• C# (in progress)
• PHP (in progress)
• ImHex Pattern Language

Although this project is developed for a smart home project, it can be used anywhere.

Motivation

This project was created for a language-independent protocol description, with an emphasis on an alloc-free, copy-free implementation for c++, since the generated files are used on microcontrollers, where performance and every byte of data are important.

Pros

• Language-independent protocol description
• Alloc-free and zero-copy on C++ Backend
• An architecture that allows you to quickly implement a new backend
• Support for protocol versioning
  hashing the protocol version and embedding it in the message
• Add new

Cons

• Few backends implemented.
  You can help with this :3 Just create a PR and I will gladly consider it
• No Map message (VarDictionary).
  Still in development, non-trivial task: need to save alloc-free zero-copy for c++. If you have any ideas, please describe in Issues
• Add new

Message declaration

Message is described using ini-like format like this:

[.Protocol]
name = TestProto
hash_bytes_count = 1

[Color]
r = Int8
g = Int8
b = Int8

# My awesome message <3
[MessageName]
field_char = Int8
field2_long = Int64
field_float_array = VarArray<Float>
field_string = VarArray<Int8>
field_color = Color
# You can provide doc information for
# specified field and mess will take that into account!
field_color_array = VarArray<Color>

Supported types:

• Int8
• Int16
• Int32
• Int64
• Float
• Fixed16 (possible rename later)
• Fixed32 (possible rename later)

And generic types:

• VarArray<Type>
• VarDictionary<Type, Type> (in progress)

Usage

By CMakeLists.txt:

Define variables ${MESS_DIRECTORY}, ${MESS_SOURCE} and ${MESS_TARGET}, then include CMakeLists.txt. Full usage you can see in this example.

More information:

1. Define variables:

• ${MESS_DIRECTORY} Path to Mess folder (ex. ./Mess)
• ${MESS_SOURCE} Path to Mess source file (ex. ./messages/messages.ini)
• ${MESS_TARGET} Path to output (generated) file (./headers/messages.h)
• All paths can be relative.

2. Include Mess CMakeLists.txt

All of the above in your CMakeLists.txt:

set(MESS_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/Mess")
set(MESS_SOURCE "./messages/messages.ini")
set(MESS_TARGET "./headers/messages.h")

include(${MESS_DIRECTORY}/CMakeLists.txt)

Manually

cd Mess

# Create VirtualEnv
python -m venv .venv

# Activate VirtualEnv
# Or on windows: venv\Scripts\activate.bat or venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
source .venv/bin/activate

# Update pip
python -m pip install --upgrade pip

# Install some required modules
pip install -r requirements

# Finally usage
python mess.py cpp ./output.cpp ./source.ini

Examples

Example on c++ and cmake