NeoBuf

Metalanguage implementation for networking code in my own game engine (which written in C#)

Requirements

• Python 3.5+

Setup

• No python packages needed, so just install python 3.5+
• Clone this repo
• Create your own *.msg files in your project
• Open terminal, go to the root folder of your project
• Run python path/to/neobuf/compile.py

Example and how to

Every *.msg is a single message entity that will be compiled to respective *.cs file near it

The original message consists of lines that start with some keyword

• package is a package definition for compiled code
• // is a comment that will not be in compiled code
• use adds a custom dependency
• # defines a single variable
• @ defines a List of specified type
• ! before variable type means that it is Enum type
• % is a line comment that will be compiled into *.cs

Example:

// Example message for testing NeoBuf

package Test.Foo

use SomeNamespace.SomeClass
use SomeNamespace.SomeEnum

# int Color
# string Name // Some inline comment

% Some comment for Aliases (used only in variable definition and makes empty line at networking code)
@ string Aliases


%
# !SomeEnum MyEnum
# SomeClass MyClass
@ SomeClass ListOfMyClasses

If this file is named Test.msg then it will be compiled into Test.cs:

// This file was generated via NeoBuf. Please, do not modify manually
// Этот файл был сгенерирован через NeoBuf. Пожалуйста, не редактируйте его вручную
// https://github.com/Mishin870/NeoBuf

using SomeNamespace.SomeClass;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using NeoSeusCore.Network.Transport;
using SomeNamespace.SomeEnum;
using NeoSeusCore.Messages;

namespace Test.Foo {
    public class Test : Message {
        public int Color;
        public string Name;// Some inline comment
        
        // Some comment for Aliases (used only at variable definition and makes empty line at networking code)
        public List<string> Aliases;
        
        public SomeEnum MyEnum;
        public SomeClass MyClass;
        public List<SomeClass> ListOfMyClasses;

        public override void Read(DataStream Data) {
            Color = Data.ReadInt();
            Name = Data.ReadString();
            
            Aliases = Data.ReadList(NetworkHelper.STRING_READER);
            
            MyEnum = (SomeEnum)Data.ReadInt();
            MyClass = SomeClass.READER(Data);
            ListOfMyClasses = Data.ReadList(SomeClass.READER);
        }

        public override void Write(DataStream Data) {
            Data.WriteInt(Color);
            Data.WriteString(Name);
            
            Data.WriteList(Aliases, NetworkHelper.STRING_WRITER);
            
            Data.WriteInt((int) MyEnum);
            SomeClass.WRITER(Data, MyClass);
            Data.WriteList(ListOfMyClasses, SomeClass.WRITER);
        }
    }
} 

As you can see, all variables from source file have a definition and networking code for reading and writing

It's using my classes such as DataStream and NetworkHelper, but you can define your own or modify this script (also it is possible to migrate it to another language)

Tasks

• Compile simple types
• Lists, enums, lists of enums etc.
• *.msg comments support
• Comments for compiled C# code
• Inline comments for variables
• Ability to define path to process (not the working directory)
• Variables that doesn't need a networking code (only definition)
• More useful keywords or user friendly stuff