Protobuf

Natscope decodes binary Protobuf payloads into JSON everywhere it shows a message: the browser, live tail and the publish preview. Two pieces make that work.

1. A proto source gives Natscope your .proto files and compiles them into descriptors.
2. A subject mapping binds a NATS subject pattern to a fully-qualified message type.

Attaching a proto source and mapping, then decoding a binary payload.

Add a proto source

Go to Settings → Proto Files and click Add source. Three kinds:

• Git repository — clone over HTTPS with a token, pick a tag. Tags sort by semver.
• Local directory — a path on the machine running Natscope.
• Uploaded files — an ad-hoc set of .proto files.

Compilation resolves buf.lock dependencies from the buf module cache and ships the well-known types. When it fails, the diagnostics name the file, the line and the missing import.

Proto sources — click to enlarge

Versions

A Git source compiles a specific tag. Switch the active version per source when your schema moves on. Mappings can pin to a tag or to a descriptor fingerprint, so messages written under an older schema keep decoding after the schema changes.

Live reload

Local sources can be watched. Edit a .proto on disk and the recompiled schema reaches every connected browser in under half a second. Active live tails re-decode with it without reconnecting.

Map subjects to types

Go to Settings → Mappings and add one. The form is three steps:

1. Source — which proto source to pick a type from
2. Proto message type — the fully-qualified type
3. Subject pattern — the NATS pattern that should decode with it, wildcards included

Click Add mapping. Use Import, Export and Copy in the toolbar to move mappings in bulk between workspaces.

Subject mappings — click to enlarge

Health checks

Each mapping reports its own health: a missing source, a stale version selection, or a type that no longer exists in the compiled descriptors. Broken mappings show up in the list instead of failing silently at decode time.

Conflicts

When two sources define the same symbol, Natscope reports the conflict rather than picking one at random. Decoding keeps working while you sort it out.

Browse the registry

Settings → Proto Files has an Available messages section listing every message type compiled from the active source versions, grouped by package. Open a type to see its fields and a generated example JSON payload, which doubles as a starting point for publishing.