3 ms·

While not a direct competitor to protobufs, if you are working in the video game space where struct versioning is not needed, there is an alternative language c

While not a direct competitor to protobufs, if you are working in the video game space where struct versioning is not needed, there is an alternative language called "schema" that supports C, C++, C#, Golang, Rust and JavaScript. https://github.com/mas-bandwidth/schema https://github.com/mas-bandwidth/schema

satvikpendem 2mo ago
Of all names, they pick schema? That's like calling a programming language "language."
- max-privatevoid 2mo ago
  My favorite programming language is called "A Programming Language".
  - andai 2mo ago
    Reminds me of xkcd tattoo that says in Chinese, "It's what my tattoo says."
jayd16 2mo ago
> video game space where struct versioning is not needed Save files? Looser than exact version multiplayer?
- gafferongames 2mo ago
  Multiplayer games typically deploy both client and server at the same time, and refuse to connect a client if it doesn't speak the exact same protocol as the server. Thus all the versioning overhead of protobufs is not needed for this wire protocol. (Yes, games still use versioning everywhere else where it makes sense: save games, asset data, config etc...)
  - npstr 2mo ago
    Good luck deploying a client to the mobile app stores together with your backend :pain: But then again, those barely count as games, I guess.
    - dvtkrlbs 2mo ago
      Wouldn’t it make sense to also have the old version of the game live and gradually roll out the new version for mobile
      - jayd16 2mo ago
        You can do this but if it's too granular (like you have no concept of version compatibility) then it can heavily split your matchmaking. Plus the headaches of keeping many out of date builds up to date enough to deploy. Even if you don't care about in game compatibility, all your servers still talk to some centralized data store and that will likely want a single deploy that handles old clients
    - cyberax 2mo ago
      We do it just fine (not for games). You submit a new binary for review in advance and then do a coordinated release once the review completes.
      - jayd16 2mo ago
        Then players are locked out of multiplayer until they download a possibily large content patch.
        what 2mo ago
        This feels like normal on mobile? Games force you to update to keep playing.
        cyberax 2mo ago
        I think both iOS and Android support separate downloads for large assets?
eventualcomp 2mo ago
Checked the contributor list, please disclose that you're a primary contributor.

satvikpendem 2mo ago

Of all names, they pick schema? That's like calling a programming language "language."

max-privatevoid 2mo ago
My favorite programming language is called "A Programming Language".
- andai 2mo ago
  Reminds me of xkcd tattoo that says in Chinese, "It's what my tattoo says."

jayd16 2mo ago

> video game space where struct versioning is not needed Save files? Looser than exact version multiplayer?

gafferongames 2mo ago
Multiplayer games typically deploy both client and server at the same time, and refuse to connect a client if it doesn't speak the exact same protocol as the server. Thus all the versioning overhead of protobufs is not needed for this wire protocol. (Yes, games still use versioning everywhere else where it makes sense: save games, asset data, config etc...)
- npstr 2mo ago
  Good luck deploying a client to the mobile app stores together with your backend :pain: But then again, those barely count as games, I guess.
  - dvtkrlbs 2mo ago
    Wouldn’t it make sense to also have the old version of the game live and gradually roll out the new version for mobile
    - jayd16 2mo ago
      You can do this but if it's too granular (like you have no concept of version compatibility) then it can heavily split your matchmaking. Plus the headaches of keeping many out of date builds up to date enough to deploy. Even if you don't care about in game compatibility, all your servers still talk to some centralized data store and that will likely want a single deploy that handles old clients
  - cyberax 2mo ago
    We do it just fine (not for games). You submit a new binary for review in advance and then do a coordinated release once the review completes.
    - jayd16 2mo ago
      Then players are locked out of multiplayer until they download a possibily large content patch.
      - what 2mo ago
        This feels like normal on mobile? Games force you to update to keep playing.
      - cyberax 2mo ago
        I think both iOS and Android support separate downloads for large assets?

eventualcomp 2mo ago

Checked the contributor list, please disclose that you're a primary contributor.