• About
• Requirements
• Installation
• Usage
  • Serialize
  • Deserialize
  • Field Definition
  • Field Order
  • Non empty parameter constructor object
  • Get Protobuf Wrapper
• Advanced
  • Supported property types and relationships
  • How it works
  • Performance
• License

This library is a extension that help your use Google Protobuf without .proto files.

In general .proto file will generate model that inherit IMessage. Protobuf using it for serialization.

Sometimes we already have some models in .NET projects and doesn't need to share them for other languages. And we also need to serialize or deserialize them with Protobuf.

In this case, this library will help you to use Protobuf for serialization.

Wodsoft.Protobuf.Wrapper requires NETStandard 2.0 or above.

The library works on platform that allow dynamic complie. For example, IOS is not allow to work.

Library is available in NuGet package Wodsoft.Protobuf.Wrapper.

dotnet add package Wodsoft.Protobuf.Wrapper

You can use method Serialize of Wodsoft.Protobuf.Message. You need a System.IO.Stream to store bytes.

YourModel model = new ();
MemoryStream stream = new MemoryStream();
Message.Serialize(stream, model);

Also, there is a overloaded method. You can pass a Google.Protobuf.CodedInputStream from your context.

YourModel model = new ();
CodedInputStream input = ...;
Message.Serialize(input, model);

Or you want to serialize to bytes directly.

YourModel model = new ();
var bytes = Message.SerializeToBytes(model);

You can use method Deserialize of Wodsoft.Protobuf.Message. You need a System.IO.Stream where contains serialized bytes. Then it will return your model of generic argument T.

Stream stream = ...;
YourType model = Message.Deserialize<YourType>(stream);

Also, there is a overloaded method too. You can pass a Google.Protobuf.CodedOutputStream from your context.

CodedOutputStream output = ...;
YourType model = Message.Deserialize<YourType>(output);

Or you want to deserialize from bytes directly.

YourType model = Message.DeserializeFromBytes<YourType>(bytes);

IMessageFieldProvider.GetFields(Type type) will return message fields that map from a object type.

The default implementation is GeneralMessageFieldProvider.Intance. It's only map readable and writeable propertie to message field.

You can create your own IMessageFieldProvider to map message fields. And set Message<T>.FieldProvider to your field provider instance value.

Use System.Runtime.Serialization.DataMemberAttribute for your properties and set the Order property to attribute.
Otherwise it will order properties with name.

⚠️ If there is a DataMemberAttribute on any property, it will ONLY serialize or deserialize with properties which has DataMemberAttribute.

⚠️ If there is no DataMemberAttribute exists, communication with difference version model program maybe FAULT because of difference property ORDER.

Use MessageBuilder.SetTypeInitializer<T>(Func<T> initializer) to set the initializer for non empty parameter constructor object.

We can set a model value to Message<> variable directly.

SimplyModel model;
Message<SimplyModel> message = model;

Then message can be used in Protobuf serialization directly.

• (?) means work with Nullable<> types.
• It's fine to use Protobuf object that inherit Google.Protobuf.IMessage as property type.
• All RepeatedField and MapField object CAN NOT CONTAINS null values.
• We support use byte, sbyte, short and ushort as property type. It will work as type int with serialization. Deserialize from other library serialized message, int field maybe lost its data.

Mainly, Protobuf do serialization through Google.Protobuf.IMessage and Google.Protobuf.IBufferMessage interfaces.

So we define a abstract Wodsoft.Protobuf.Message class. And define protected abstract Read, Write, CalculateSize methods. Explicit implement there interfaces and call the methods.

Then define a abstract Wodsoft.Protobuf.Message<T> generic class. There is a property to reach origin model. And we can make some implicit operator here.

public T Source { get; }

Finally, we create dynamic class inherit Message<T> for those models when they need to do serialization in runtime. Emit codes for Read, Write, CalculateSize.

• RECOMMEND USE RepeatedField<>, IList<> or ICollection<> as collection property type. Use RepeatedField<> will be the fastest performance.
• Use IList<> or ICollection<> will convert it to RepeatedField<> when serialize model.
• Use List<> or Collection<> will convert it to RepeatedField<> when serialize model. And convert it back when deserialize model.
• RECOMMEND USE MapField<,> or IDictionary<,> as dictionary property type. Use MapField<,> will be the fastest performance.
• Use IDictionary<,> will convert it to MapField<,> when serialize model.
• Use Dictionary<,> will convert it to MapField<,> when serialize model. And convert it back when deserialize model.

This library is under the MIT License.