blob: 80ed16a0c295452592bea7bc8a22f2dc2ffc4b67 [file] [log] [blame]
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +00001// Copyright 2019 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
2// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
3// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
4
5// Package proto provides functions operating on protocol buffer messages.
6//
7// For documentation on protocol buffers in general, see:
Akash Reddy Kankanalac0014632025-05-21 17:12:20 +05308// https://protobuf.dev.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +00009//
10// For a tutorial on using protocol buffers with Go, see:
Akash Reddy Kankanalac0014632025-05-21 17:12:20 +053011// https://protobuf.dev/getting-started/gotutorial.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000012//
13// For a guide to generated Go protocol buffer code, see:
Akash Reddy Kankanalac0014632025-05-21 17:12:20 +053014// https://protobuf.dev/reference/go/go-generated.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000015//
Akash Reddy Kankanalac0014632025-05-21 17:12:20 +053016// # Binary serialization
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000017//
18// This package contains functions to convert to and from the wire format,
19// an efficient binary serialization of protocol buffers.
20//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053021// - [Size] reports the size of a message in the wire format.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000022//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053023// - [Marshal] converts a message to the wire format.
24// The [MarshalOptions] type provides more control over wire marshaling.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000025//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053026// - [Unmarshal] converts a message from the wire format.
27// The [UnmarshalOptions] type provides more control over wire unmarshaling.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000028//
Akash Reddy Kankanalac0014632025-05-21 17:12:20 +053029// # Basic message operations
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000030//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053031// - [Clone] makes a deep copy of a message.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000032//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053033// - [Merge] merges the content of a message into another.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000034//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053035// - [Equal] compares two messages. For more control over comparisons
36// and detailed reporting of differences, see package
37// [google.golang.org/protobuf/testing/protocmp].
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000038//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053039// - [Reset] clears the content of a message.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000040//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053041// - [CheckInitialized] reports whether all required fields in a message are set.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000042//
Akash Reddy Kankanalac0014632025-05-21 17:12:20 +053043// # Optional scalar constructors
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000044//
45// The API for some generated messages represents optional scalar fields
46// as pointers to a value. For example, an optional string field has the
47// Go type *string.
48//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053049// - [Bool], [Int32], [Int64], [Uint32], [Uint64], [Float32], [Float64], and [String]
50// take a value and return a pointer to a new instance of it,
51// to simplify construction of optional field values.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000052//
53// Generated enum types usually have an Enum method which performs the
54// same operation.
55//
56// Optional scalar fields are only supported in proto2.
57//
Akash Reddy Kankanalac0014632025-05-21 17:12:20 +053058// # Extension accessors
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000059//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053060// - [HasExtension], [GetExtension], [SetExtension], and [ClearExtension]
61// access extension field values in a protocol buffer message.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000062//
63// Extension fields are only supported in proto2.
64//
Akash Reddy Kankanalac0014632025-05-21 17:12:20 +053065// # Related packages
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000066//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053067// - Package [google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/protojson] converts messages to
68// and from JSON.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000069//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053070// - Package [google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/prototext] converts messages to
71// and from the text format.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000072//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053073// - Package [google.golang.org/protobuf/reflect/protoreflect] provides a
74// reflection interface for protocol buffer data types.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000075//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053076// - Package [google.golang.org/protobuf/testing/protocmp] provides features
77// to compare protocol buffer messages with the [github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp]
78// package.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000079//
balaji.nagarajan8a2a7ee2026-06-19 22:31:13 +053080// - Package [google.golang.org/protobuf/types/dynamicpb] provides a dynamic
81// message type, suitable for working with messages where the protocol buffer
82// type is only known at runtime.
David K. Bainbridgebd6b2882021-08-26 13:31:02 +000083//
84// This module contains additional packages for more specialized use cases.
85// Consult the individual package documentation for details.
86package proto