.. contents ::
+
+
+
Compilation options
===================
-The following options can be specified using -D switch given to the C compiler:
-
-============================ ================================================================================================
-__BIG_ENDIAN__ Set this if your platform stores integers and floats in big-endian format.
- Mixed-endian systems (different layout for ints and floats) are currently not supported.
-NANOPB_INTERNALS Set this to expose the field encoder functions that are hidden since nanopb-0.1.3.
-PB_MAX_REQUIRED_FIELDS Maximum number of required fields to check for presence. Default value is 64. Increases stack
- usage 1 byte per every 8 fields. Compiler warning will tell if you need this.
-PB_FIELD_16BIT Add support for tag numbers > 255 and fields larger than 255 bytes or 255 array entries.
- Increases code size 3 bytes per each field. Compiler error will tell if you need this.
-PB_FIELD_32BIT Add support for tag numbers > 65535 and fields larger than 65535 bytes or 65535 array entries.
- Increases code size 9 bytes per each field. Compiler error will tell if you need this.
-PB_NO_ERRMSG Disables the support for error messages; only error information is the true/false return value.
- Decreases the code size by a few hundred bytes.
-PB_BUFFER_ONLY Disables the support for custom streams. Only supports encoding to memory buffers.
- Speeds up execution and decreases code size slightly.
-PB_OLD_CALLBACK_STYLE Use the old function signature (void\* instead of void\*\*) for callback fields. This was the
+The following options can be specified in one of two ways:
+
+1. Using the -D switch on the C compiler command line.
+2. By #defining them at the top of pb.h.
+
+You must have the same settings for the nanopb library and all code that
+includes pb.h.
+
+============================ ================================================
+__BIG_ENDIAN__ Set this if your platform stores integers and
+ floats in big-endian format. Mixed-endian
+ systems (different layout for ints and floats)
+ are currently not supported.
+PB_NO_PACKED_STRUCTS Disable packed structs. Increases RAM usage but
+ is necessary on some platforms that do not
+ support unaligned memory access.
+PB_ENABLE_MALLOC Set this to enable dynamic allocation support
+ in the decoder.
+PB_MAX_REQUIRED_FIELDS Maximum number of required fields to check for
+ presence. Default value is 64. Increases stack
+ usage 1 byte per every 8 fields. Compiler
+ warning will tell if you need this.
+PB_FIELD_16BIT Add support for tag numbers > 255 and fields
+ larger than 255 bytes or 255 array entries.
+ Increases code size 3 bytes per each field.
+ Compiler error will tell if you need this.
+PB_FIELD_32BIT Add support for tag numbers > 65535 and fields
+ larger than 65535 bytes or 65535 array entries.
+ Increases code size 9 bytes per each field.
+ Compiler error will tell if you need this.
+PB_NO_ERRMSG Disables the support for error messages; only
+ error information is the true/false return
+ value. Decreases the code size by a few hundred
+ bytes.
+PB_BUFFER_ONLY Disables the support for custom streams. Only
+ supports encoding and decoding with memory
+ buffers. Speeds up execution and decreases code
+ size slightly.
+PB_OLD_CALLBACK_STYLE Use the old function signature (void\* instead
+ of void\*\*) for callback fields. This was the
default until nanopb-0.2.1.
-============================ ================================================================================================
+PB_SYSTEM_HEADER Replace the standard header files with a single
+ header file. It should define all the required
+ functions and typedefs listed on the
+ `overview page`_. Value must include quotes,
+ for example *#define PB_SYSTEM_HEADER "foo.h"*.
+============================ ================================================
+
+The PB_MAX_REQUIRED_FIELDS, PB_FIELD_16BIT and PB_FIELD_32BIT settings allow
+raising some datatype limits to suit larger messages. Their need is recognized
+automatically by C-preprocessor #if-directives in the generated .pb.h files.
+The default setting is to use the smallest datatypes (least resources used).
+
+.. _`overview page`: index.html#compiler-requirements
+
+
+Proto file options
+==================
+The generator behaviour can be adjusted using these options, defined in the
+'nanopb.proto' file in the generator folder:
+
+============================ ================================================
+max_size Allocated size for *bytes* and *string* fields.
+max_count Allocated number of entries in arrays
+ (*repeated* fields).
+int_size Override the integer type of a field.
+ (To use e.g. uint8_t to save RAM.)
+type Type of the generated field. Default value
+ is *FT_DEFAULT*, which selects automatically.
+ You can use *FT_CALLBACK*, *FT_POINTER*,
+ *FT_STATIC* or *FT_IGNORE* to force a callback
+ field, a dynamically allocated field, a static
+ field or to completely ignore the field.
+long_names Prefix the enum name to the enum value in
+ definitions, i.e. *EnumName_EnumValue*. Enabled
+ by default.
+packed_struct Make the generated structures packed.
+ NOTE: This cannot be used on CPUs that break
+ on unaligned accesses to variables.
+skip_message Skip the whole message from generation.
+no_unions Generate 'oneof' fields as optional fields
+ instead of C unions.
+msgid Specifies a unique id for this message type.
+ Can be used by user code as an identifier.
+============================ ================================================
+
+These options can be defined for the .proto files before they are converted
+using the nanopb-generatory.py. There are three ways to define the options:
+
+1. Using a separate .options file.
+ This is the preferred way as of nanopb-0.2.1, because it has the best
+ compatibility with other protobuf libraries.
+2. Defining the options on the command line of nanopb_generator.py.
+ This only makes sense for settings that apply to a whole file.
+3. Defining the options in the .proto file using the nanopb extensions.
+ This is the way used in nanopb-0.1, and will remain supported in the
+ future. It however sometimes causes trouble when using the .proto file
+ with other protobuf libraries.
+
+The effect of the options is the same no matter how they are given. The most
+common purpose is to define maximum size for string fields in order to
+statically allocate them.
+
+Defining the options in a .options file
+---------------------------------------
+The preferred way to define options is to have a separate file
+'myproto.options' in the same directory as the 'myproto.proto'. ::
+
+ # myproto.proto
+ message MyMessage {
+ required string name = 1;
+ repeated int32 ids = 4;
+ }
+
+::
+
+ # myproto.options
+ MyMessage.name max_size:40
+ MyMessage.ids max_count:5
+
+The generator will automatically search for this file and read the
+options from it. The file format is as follows:
+
+* Lines starting with '#' or '//' are regarded as comments.
+* Blank lines are ignored.
+* All other lines should start with a field name pattern, followed by one or
+ more options. For example: *"MyMessage.myfield max_size:5 max_count:10"*.
+* The field name pattern is matched against a string of form *'Message.field'*.
+ For nested messages, the string is *'Message.SubMessage.field'*.
+* The field name pattern may use the notation recognized by Python fnmatch():
+
+ - *\** matches any part of string, like 'Message.\*' for all fields
+ - *\?* matches any single character
+ - *[seq]* matches any of characters 's', 'e' and 'q'
+ - *[!seq]* matches any other character
+
+* The options are written as *'option_name:option_value'* and several options
+ can be defined on same line, separated by whitespace.
+* Options defined later in the file override the ones specified earlier, so
+ it makes sense to define wildcard options first in the file and more specific
+ ones later.
+
+If preferred, the name of the options file can be set using the command line
+switch *-f* to nanopb_generator.py.
+
+Defining the options on command line
+------------------------------------
+The nanopb_generator.py has a simple command line option *-s OPTION:VALUE*.
+The setting applies to the whole file that is being processed.
+
+Defining the options in the .proto file
+---------------------------------------
+The .proto file format allows defining custom options for the fields.
+The nanopb library comes with *nanopb.proto* which does exactly that, allowing
+you do define the options directly in the .proto file::
+
+ import "nanopb.proto";
+
+ message MyMessage {
+ required string name = 1 [(nanopb).max_size = 40];
+ repeated int32 ids = 4 [(nanopb).max_count = 5];
+ }
+
+A small complication is that you have to set the include path of protoc so that
+nanopb.proto can be found. This file, in turn, requires the file
+*google/protobuf/descriptor.proto*. This is usually installed under
+*/usr/include*. Therefore, to compile a .proto file which uses options, use a
+protoc command similar to::
+
+ protoc -I/usr/include -Inanopb/generator -I. -omessage.pb message.proto
+
+The options can be defined in file, message and field scopes::
+
+ option (nanopb_fileopt).max_size = 20; // File scope
+ message Message
+ {
+ option (nanopb_msgopt).max_size = 30; // Message scope
+ required string fieldsize = 1 [(nanopb).max_size = 40]; // Field scope
+ }
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-The PB_MAX_REQUIRED_FIELDS, PB_FIELD_16BIT and PB_FIELD_32BIT settings allow raising some datatype limits to suit larger messages.
-Their need is recognized automatically by C-preprocessor #if-directives in the generated .pb.h files. The default setting is to use
-the smallest datatypes (least resources used).
pb.h
====
PB_WT_32BIT = 5
} pb_wire_type_t;
+pb_extension_type_t
+-------------------
+Defines the handler functions and auxiliary data for a field that extends
+another message. Usually autogenerated by *nanopb_generator.py*::
+
+ typedef struct {
+ bool (*decode)(pb_istream_t *stream, pb_extension_t *extension,
+ uint32_t tag, pb_wire_type_t wire_type);
+ bool (*encode)(pb_ostream_t *stream, const pb_extension_t *extension);
+ const void *arg;
+ } pb_extension_type_t;
+
+In the normal case, the function pointers are *NULL* and the decoder and
+encoder use their internal implementations. The internal implementations
+assume that *arg* points to a *pb_field_t* that describes the field in question.
+
+To implement custom processing of unknown fields, you can provide pointers
+to your own functions. Their functionality is mostly the same as for normal
+callback fields, except that they get called for any unknown field when decoding.
+
+pb_extension_t
+--------------
+Ties together the extension field type and the storage for the field value::
+
+ typedef struct {
+ const pb_extension_type_t *type;
+ void *dest;
+ pb_extension_t *next;
+ } pb_extension_t;
+
+:type: Pointer to the structure that defines the callback functions.
+:dest: Pointer to the variable that stores the field value
+ (as used by the default extension callback functions.)
+:next: Pointer to the next extension handler, or *NULL*.
+
+PB_GET_ERROR
+------------
+Get the current error message from a stream, or a placeholder string if
+there is no error message::
+
+ #define PB_GET_ERROR(stream) (string expression)
+
+This should be used for printing errors, for example::
+
+ if (!pb_decode(...))
+ {
+ printf("Decode failed: %s\n", PB_GET_ERROR(stream));
+ }
+
+The macro only returns pointers to constant strings (in code memory),
+so that there is no need to release the returned pointer.
+
+PB_RETURN_ERROR
+---------------
+Set the error message and return false::
+
+ #define PB_RETURN_ERROR(stream,msg) (sets error and returns false)
+
+This should be used to handle error conditions inside nanopb functions
+and user callback functions::
+
+ if (error_condition)
+ {
+ PB_RETURN_ERROR(stream, "something went wrong");
+ }
+
+The *msg* parameter must be a constant string.
+
+
+
pb_encode.h
===========
Normally pb_encode simply walks through the fields description array and serializes each field in turn. However, submessages must be serialized twice: first to calculate their size and then to actually write them to output. This causes some constraints for callback fields, which must return the same data on every call.
+pb_encode_delimited
+-------------------
+Calculates the length of the message, encodes it as varint and then encodes the message. ::
+
+ bool pb_encode_delimited(pb_ostream_t *stream, const pb_field_t fields[], const void *src_struct);
+
+(parameters are the same as for `pb_encode`_.)
+
+A common way to indicate the message length in Protocol Buffers is to prefix it with a varint.
+This function does this, and it is compatible with *parseDelimitedFrom* in Google's protobuf library.
+
.. sidebar:: Encoding fields manually
The functions with names *pb_encode_\** are used when dealing with callback fields. The typical reason for using callbacks is to have an array of unlimited size. In that case, `pb_encode`_ will call your callback function, which in turn will call *pb_encode_\** functions repeatedly to write out values.
If the submessage contains callback fields, the callback function might misbehave and write out a different amount of data on the second call. This situation is recognized and *false* is returned, but garbage will be written to the output before the problem is detected.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
pb_decode.h
===========
For optional fields, this function applies the default value and sets *has_<field>* to false if the field is not present.
+If *PB_ENABLE_MALLOC* is defined, this function may allocate storage for any pointer type fields.
+In this case, you have to call `pb_release`_ to release the memory after you are done with the message.
+On error return `pb_decode` will release the memory itself.
+
pb_decode_noinit
----------------
Same as `pb_decode`_, except does not apply the default values to fields. ::
The destination structure should be filled with zeros before calling this function. Doing a *memset* manually can be slightly faster than using `pb_decode`_ if you don't need any default values.
+In addition to decoding a single message, this function can be used to merge two messages, so that
+values from previous message will remain if the new message does not contain a field.
+
+This function *will not* release the message even on error return. If you use *PB_ENABLE_MALLOC*,
+you will need to call `pb_release`_ yourself.
+
+pb_decode_delimited
+-------------------
+Same as `pb_decode`_, except that it first reads a varint with the length of the message. ::
+
+ bool pb_decode_delimited(pb_istream_t *stream, const pb_field_t fields[], void *dest_struct);
+
+(parameters are the same as for `pb_decode`_.)
+
+A common method to indicate message size in Protocol Buffers is to prefix it with a varint.
+This function is compatible with *writeDelimitedTo* in the Google's Protocol Buffers library.
+
+pb_release
+----------
+Releases any dynamically allocated fields.
+
+ void pb_release(const pb_field_t fields[], void *dest_struct);
+
+:fields: A field description array. Usually autogenerated.
+:dest_struct: Pointer to structure where data will be stored.
+
+This function is only available if *PB_ENABLE_MALLOC* is defined. It will release any
+pointer type fields in the structure and set the pointers to NULL.
+
pb_skip_varint
--------------
Skip a varint_ encoded integer without decoding it. ::