# BinStruct

**BinStruct** is a library that provides a rich set of tools for parsing and encoding binaries.

The goal is to write declarations that are **readable now and will remain readable for years**. Your code will closely resemble a page from protocol documentation, ensuring clarity and maintainability.

This library is particularly beneficial for use cases that require **bidirectional data flow**.

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## Installation

To get started, add `BinStruct` to your `mix.exs` dependencies:

```elixir
def deps do
[
  {:bin_struct, "~> 0.2.7"}
]
end
```

---

## Getting Started

### Explore Examples
Start by exploring the examples folder. Run the following command to see an example in action:

```sh
mix run examples/png.exs
```

### Reference Documentation
- [BinStruct Module Documentation](https://hexdocs.pm/bin_struct/BinStruct.html)

#### Type-Specific Docs
- [StaticValue](https://hexdocs.pm/bin_struct/BinStruct.Types.StaticValue.html)
- [Binary](https://hexdocs.pm/bin_struct/BinStruct.Types.Binary.html)
- [Enum](https://hexdocs.pm/bin_struct/BinStruct.Types.Enum.html)
- [Flags](https://hexdocs.pm/bin_struct/BinStruct.Types.Flags.html)
- [List](https://hexdocs.pm/bin_struct/BinStruct.Types.ListOf.html)
- [Variant](https://hexdocs.pm/bin_struct/BinStruct.Types.VariantOf.html)

### Explore Tests
For further insights, check out the `test/` folder, where you can explore the library’s future functionality through tests.

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## View generated code

there is module_code/0 function for any module with applied use macro to (BinStruct, BinStructCustomType or BinStructOptionsInterface)
which will show for you all generated code.

---

## Configuration

You can configure `BinStruct` by adding the following to your `config.exs` file:

```elixir
config :bin_struct,
  define_receive_send_tcp: true,
  define_receive_send_tls: true,
  enable_log_tcp: true,
  enable_log_tls: true
```

### Notes on TLS
- TLS functionality is implemented using the `:ssl` application.
- If you wish to use TLS, make sure to either **disable it** or add `:ssl` to the list of `extra_applications`:

  ```elixir
  def application do
  [
    extra_applications: [:ssl]
  ]
  end
  ```

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## Additional Documentation

Comprehensive documentation is available online:  
[BinStruct Docs](https://hexdocs.pm/bin_struct)

---

## Development Notes

I expect developing cycle of this library to be in iterative manner. 

It was not the same long ago then it was firstly developed for running one of our product.

Then it adapted for requirements of another products and so on.

So it's in first place is production grade library, not an abstract or experimental one. 

Many can find redundancy in syntax and lack of shortcuts, this is expected. 

General structure will help in future to implement and optimize more features required for more complex products.

Next most desired feature for me is typesafe layer. 
I'm waiting for types to be implemented into elixir and code editors and i will implement it into this library.

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## Development

There is such tools as

  1. BinStruct.Macro.MacroDebug.puts_code/1
  2. BinStruct.Macro.Parse.ParseTopologyDebug.print_topology/2

which may help in complex situations while developing, optimizing or generated code is not compiling.

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## Testing

```sh
mix test
```

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