NanoPB: How to handle bytes types in C

syntax = "proto3";

package example;

message BytesMessage {
  bytes data = 1;
  bytes signature = 2;
}

protoc --nanopb_out=. bytes.proto

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdint.h>
#include <string.h>
#include "bytes.pb.h"
#include "pb_encode.h"
#include "pb_decode.h"

int main() {
    // Buffer for encoded message
    uint8_t buffer[256];
    size_t message_length;
    
    // --- ENCODING ---
    example_BytesMessage message = example_BytesMessage_init_zero;
    
    // Set bytes data
    const uint8_t data[] = {0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04, 0x05};
    const uint8_t signature[] = {0xAA, 0xBB, 0xCC, 0xDD};
    
    message.data.size = sizeof(data);
    memcpy(message.data.bytes, data, sizeof(data));
    
    message.signature.size = sizeof(signature);
    memcpy(message.signature.bytes, signature, sizeof(signature));
    
    // Create stream for encoding
    pb_ostream_t ostream = pb_ostream_from_buffer(buffer, sizeof(buffer));
    
    // Encode the message
    if (!pb_encode(&ostream, example_BytesMessage_fields, &message)) {
        printf("Encoding failed: %s\n", PB_GET_ERROR(&ostream));
        return 1;
    }
    
    message_length = ostream.bytes_written;
    printf("Encoded %zu bytes\n", message_length);
    
    // Print hex dump of encoded data
    printf("Encoded data: ");
    for (size_t i = 0; i < message_length; i++) {
        printf("%02x ", buffer[i]);
    }
    printf("\n");
    
    // --- DECODING ---
    example_BytesMessage decoded = example_BytesMessage_init_zero;
    
    // Create stream for decoding
    pb_istream_t istream = pb_istream_from_buffer(buffer, message_length);
    
    // Decode the message
    if (!pb_decode(&istream, example_BytesMessage_fields, &decoded)) {
        printf("Decoding failed: %s\n", PB_GET_ERROR(&istream));
        return 1;
    }
    
    // Print decoded values
    printf("Decoded values:\n");
    printf("  data: ");
    for (size_t i = 0; i < decoded.data.size; i++) {
        printf("%02x ", decoded.data.bytes[i]);
    }
    printf("\n");
    printf("  signature: ");
    for (size_t i = 0; i < decoded.signature.size; i++) {
        printf("%02x ", decoded.signature.bytes[i]);
    }
    printf("\n");
    
    return 0;
}

gcc -o bytes_example bytes_example.c bytes.pb.c pb_common.c pb_encode.c pb_decode.c -I.

import bytes_pb2

# Read the binary data
with open('encoded.bin', 'rb') as f:
    data = f.read()

# Decode
msg = bytes_pb2.BytesMessage()
msg.ParseFromString(data)

print("Python decoded values:")
print(f"  data: {msg.data.hex()}")
print(f"  signature: {msg.signature.hex()}")

protoc --python_out=. bytes.proto

// After encoding, add this:
FILE *f = fopen("encoded.bin", "wb");
fwrite(buffer, 1, message_length, f);
fclose(f);

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdint.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include "bytes.pb.h"
#include "pb_encode.h"
#include "pb_decode.h"

typedef struct {
    uint8_t* data;
    size_t size;
} dynamic_bytes_t;

// Encoder callback for bytes
bool bytes_encode_callback(pb_ostream_t *stream, const pb_field_t *field, void * const *arg) {
    const dynamic_bytes_t* bytes = (const dynamic_bytes_t*)*arg;
    
    if (!pb_encode_tag_for_field(stream, field))
        return false;
    
    return pb_encode_string(stream, bytes->data, bytes->size);
}

// Decoder callback for bytes
bool bytes_decode_callback(pb_istream_t *stream, const pb_field_t *field, void **arg) {
    dynamic_bytes_t* bytes = (dynamic_bytes_t*)*arg;
    
    // Allocate buffer
    size_t size = stream->bytes_left;
    bytes->data = (uint8_t*)malloc(size);
    
    if (!bytes->data) {
        return false;
    }
    
    bytes->size = size;
    
    // Read data into buffer
    if (!pb_read(stream, bytes->data, size)) {
        free(bytes->data);
        bytes->data = NULL;
        bytes->size = 0;
        return false;
    }
    
    return true;
}

int main() {
    uint8_t buffer[256];
    size_t message_length;
    
    uint8_t data_array[] = {0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04, 0x05};
    uint8_t signature_array[] = {0xAA, 0xBB, 0xCC, 0xDD};
    
    dynamic_bytes_t data = {data_array, sizeof(data_array)};
    dynamic_bytes_t signature = {signature_array, sizeof(signature_array)};
    
    // --- ENCODING ---
    example_BytesMessage message = example_BytesMessage_init_zero;
    
    message.data.funcs.encode = bytes_encode_callback;
    message.data.arg = &data;
    message.signature.funcs.encode = bytes_encode_callback;
    message.signature.arg = &signature;
    
    pb_ostream_t ostream = pb_ostream_from_buffer(buffer, sizeof(buffer));
    
    if (!pb_encode(&ostream, example_BytesMessage_fields, &message)) {
        printf("Encoding failed: %s\n", PB_GET_ERROR(&ostream));
        return 1;
    }
    
    message_length = ostream.bytes_written;
    printf("Encoded %zu bytes\n", message_length);
    
    // --- DECODING ---
    example_BytesMessage decoded = example_BytesMessage_init_zero;
    dynamic_bytes_t decoded_data = {NULL, 0};
    dynamic_bytes_t decoded_signature = {NULL, 0};
    
    decoded.data.funcs.decode = bytes_decode_callback;
    decoded.data.arg = &decoded_data;
    decoded.signature.funcs.decode = bytes_decode_callback;
    decoded.signature.arg = &decoded_signature;
    
    pb_istream_t istream = pb_istream_from_buffer(buffer, message_length);
    
    if (!pb_decode(&istream, example_BytesMessage_fields, &decoded)) {
        printf("Decoding failed: %s\n", PB_GET_ERROR(&istream));
        return 1;
    }
    
    printf("Decoded values:\n");
    printf("  data: ");
    for (size_t i = 0; i < decoded_data.size; i++) {
        printf("%02x ", decoded_data.data[i]);
    }
    printf("\n");
    printf("  signature: ");
    for (size_t i = 0; i < decoded_signature.size; i++) {
        printf("%02x ", decoded_signature.data[i]);
    }
    printf("\n");
    
    // Free allocated memory
    free(decoded_data.data);
    free(decoded_signature.data);
    
    return 0;
}