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https://github.com/ipkn/dumpable

Serialization without any serialization codes in C++
https://github.com/ipkn/dumpable

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Serialization without any serialization codes in C++

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dumpable - Serialization without any serialization codes in C++

========



What is it?

-----------



With **dumpable**, you could..



  * serialize your custom *dumpable* struct **without any extra code** for serialize/deserialize

  * deserialize in **constant time** (just casting to T*)



*dumpable* struct is a struct that contains only members with following types: 

  * POD

  * **dstring**, **dvector**, **dmap**

  * another *dumpable* struct



Example

-------



Extracted from **simple\_example** (test.cpp)



  1. Define custom struct

    - Use **dstring**, **dwstring**, **dvector**, **dmap** instead of **string**, **wstring**, **vector**, **map** respectively.

    

    ```cpp

    struct student

    {

      dwstring name;

      int score;

      student(){}

      student(const wstring& name, int score) : name(name), score(score) {}

    };



    struct classroom

    {

      dstring class_name;

      dvector students;

    };

    ```

  2. Fill data and dump to a file.



    ```cpp

    // building sample data

    classroom data;

    

    data.class_name = "1001";

    data.students.push_back(student(L"Alice",2));

    data.students.push_back(student(L"Bob",5));

    data.students.push_back(student(L"\ud55c\uae00",13));

    

    // dump to file

    ostringstream out;

    dumpable::write(data, out);

    

    FILE* fp = fopen("dumped.bin", "wb");

    size_t buffer_size = out.str().size();

    fwrite(&buffer_size, 1, sizeof(buffer_size), fp);

    fwrite(out.str().data(), buffer_size, 1, fp);

    fclose(fp);



    // Wait, where's serialization code?

    // You don't need it with dumpable!

    ```

    Or you can do additional tasks like compression, encryption, adding meta informations and so on.



  3. Read from the file and reconstruct original data.

  

    ```cpp



    FILE* fp = fopen("dumped.bin","rb");

    fread(&buffer_size, 1, sizeof(buffer_size), fp);

    char* buffer = new char[buffer_size];

    fread(buffer, buffer_size, 1, fp);



    const classroom* pClassRoom = dumpable::from_dumped_buffer(buffer);



    // pClassRoom is valid; Play with pClassRoom.

    

    ...

      

    // if we clear chunk ...

    delete[] buffer;

    // now pClassRom is now invalid.

    ```

    Note: **dumpable::from\_dumped\_buffer** takes constant time.

      

See **simple\_example** from test.cpp for more detail.



When to use? (or Why do I develop this library?)

------------------------------------------------



I'm working at a video game company, so I want to optimize the loading speed of the game. **dumpable** eliminates time for reconstructing game data from binary to C++ struct.



It can also be used for serializing network packets. While `protobuf` is a very good tool for it, **dumpable** supports nested C++ structs.



Thready Safety

--------------



Currently only one thread can call **dumpable::write**. (It uses global variable. It can be change to thread_local.)  

**dumpable::from\_dumped\_buffer** is thread-safe.



Limitation

----------



You cannot use **dumpable** with struct having virtual functions.  

Modifying **dumpable** containers could be slow.  

Versioning and error detection are not supported;  

Calling **dumpable::from_dumped_buffer\** with a buffer created by an object of type **U** may crash the program.  



Currently only few member functions are implemented. 



Installation

------------



Dumpable is header-only library. Include "dumpable.h" and that's all!



License

-------



Dumpable is licensed under the MIT license.

See the file LICENSE.



Special thanks to

-----------------



Inspired by innover.