Install and use Google protocol Buffers

Let's talk about a project similar to Google protocol buffers: thrift from Facebook.

 

 

This article only states the situation in Linux.

(1)first download to the protobuf-2.3.0.tar.gz file.

After the release, you must carefully read readme.txt. The first part of this document describes precautions for installation on UNIX.

The installation process is as follows:

$./Configure
$ Make
$Make check
$ Make install

Note that step 1 has a strange "make check". As the name suggests, it is used for inspection. If "make check" fails, you can still install it, but some functions of Google protocol buffers may not work properly on your system. "Make check" ProcessThe time consumed is relatively long.And wait patiently. In this process, Google test will be called for testing. If you have used Google test, you will know how pleasing the green pass is. The following is the result of "make check" on my RHEL 5:

 

"Make install" may require the superuser permission.

The default installation path is/usr/local. If you want to install it in another path, it is very easy. For example, to install it in/usr, you only need to call configure as follows:

./Configure -- prefix =/usr

 

(2) There are multiple Protocol buffers documents. If you contact them for the first time, you can read several of them in this order: Protocol buffer basics: C ++, language guide, c ++ generated code ,......

 

(3) When compiling a protocol buffers application, use-lprotobuf to link to its dynamic or static library.

 

(4) A friend who just got in touch with protocol buffers may ask, how should protocol buffers be used in the socket communication protocol? You need to compile a. proto file according to your protocol. The format of this file is written according to the requirements of Protocol buffers. Then use the Protocol buffers compiler to generate the class file corresponding to this file (including. h file and one. CC file), and then include the header file generated in your program. When you need to send a socket message, use the serializetostring () method of the object of this class to generate a string, this string is equivalent to the encoded message in the traditional sense. Then, on the receiver of the socket message, use the parsefromstring () method, you can resolve the data contained in the message to the member variables of the generated class, and then use the data directly. The entire process does not require you to consider encoding or decoding. Even if you change the protocol, the modification is very convenient. If you have time, I will write a detailed sample to present it.

 

(To be continued)