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go-raw-protobuf

A lightweight Go library for encoding and decoding Protocol Buffers (protobuf) without requiring .proto files.

This library provides a simple way to work with protobuf messages dynamically, eliminating the need for precompiled .proto definitions. It supports basic protobuf wire types and is designed for flexibility and ease of use.

Disclaimer: This library is a work in progress and may have rough edges, but it gets the job done! Contributions and feedback are welcome.

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Installation

Add the library to your project using go get:

go get github.com/nextu1337/go-raw-protobuf

Or simply copy the file into your project.

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Supported Types

The library currently supports the following protobuf wire types:

Decoding:

• Varint (decoded as uint64)
• Length-delimited (decoded as []byte or string if it passes utf-8 validation)
• Fixed32 as [4]byte
• Fixed64 as [8]byte

Encoding:

• integers (int, int32, int64, uint, uint32, uint64, bool) (encoded as varint)
• floating-point numbers (float32, float64) (encoded as LittleEndian fixed32/fixed64)
• strings (string) (encoded as length-delimited)
• byte slices ([]byte) (encoded as length-delimited)
• arrays ([]interface{}) (encoded as length-delimited, nested message)
• nested arrays ([][]interface{}) (encoded as length-delimited, nested message)

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Usage

Encoding a Message

Convert a slice of data into a protobuf-encoded byte slice:

data := []interface{}{123.456, "hello there!", []interface{}{true, "test"}}
encoded := EncodeProto(ArrayToProtoParts(data))
fmt.Println(hex.EncodeToString(encoded)) // Output: Protobuf-encoded hex string

Decoding a Message

Decode a protobuf-encoded byte slice back into a slice of data:

data, _ := hex.DecodeString("08aefb8999d532120e496e697469616c20636f6d6d6974")
decoded := ProtoPartsToArray(DecodeProto(data).Parts)
// Loop through DecodeProto(data).Parts yourself if dealing with floating-point numbers etc or else fixed32/fixed64 will be returned as []byte and no different from utf8 invalid length-delimited data
fmt.Println(decoded) // Output: Decoded data as a slice

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Contributing

Found a bug or have an idea for improvement? Open an issue or submit a pull request!

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