map/dict based approach to Encoding and Decoding channel data

[tiholic]

To overcome the brittleness of ordered encoding and decoding from iOS, Android and Flutter side, we must follow KVP based serialization and deserialization approach.

Related discussions:
#5 (comment)
#5 (comment)
#6 (comment)

[paddybyers]

we must follow KVP based serialization and deserialization approach

It's not mandatory to use an encoding in which key names are explicit (ie json or msgpack) if we can avoid the brittleness. For example, if we can have a single file that defines the schema (ie the field names and the types for each member of each class), and we can have a way to ensure that all 3 parts (dart, ios, android) implement the same schema then that's ok.

For example, have you seen https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/flutter-platform-channels-with-protobuf-e895e533dfb7/ ?

[QuintinWillison]

Thanks @paddybyers - that's an interesting approach which would also reduce the amount of code we have to write and transliterate - reducing the "triple-handing" when it comes to serialisation and deserialisation per value.

The last time I played with protocol buffers it always felt a bit turbulent, but then that may have just been the process of building and running the right version of the protoc tooling. That may have improved in the last few years.

Regardless, this approach could work with any schema-based code generator. What other options might there be when it comes to that tooling? Or might we consider writing something ourselves?

@tiholic, what do you think? Have you worked with code generation much, yourself? I haven't particularly but it's an area that does interest me.

[tiholic]

@QuintinWillison I have worked on json based code generation with a custom generator for java. I feel we can try protoc. I've been exploring on that.

[QuintinWillison]

Great. Thanks! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. 😀

[tiholic]

We can close this as it is already implemented. We have #28 for switching codec to a more robust solution.