add doc for network translation

1 files changed, 93 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/src/message/signalproxy/translation/mod.rs b/src/message/signalproxy/translation/mod.rs
index 064257c..6a21ec0 100644
--- a/src/message/signalproxy/translation/mod.rs
+++ b/src/message/signalproxy/translation/mod.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,99 @@
+/**
+Quassel has 3 main ways to represent an object over the Network:
+
+# VariantList
+The struct is serialized to a Vector of Variants. This is mostly used in the InitData messages.
+First the field name as a ByteArray (UTF-8 String), followed by the field value in it's own Type's variant.
+The order in which the fields are transmitted cannot be assumed.
+
+Example:
+```ignore
+NetworkConfig {
+    ping_timeout_enabled: true,
+    ping_interval: 0,
+}
+```
+to
+```ignore
+VariantList([
+    ByteArray(
+        "pingTimeoutEnabled",
+    ),
+    bool(
+        true,
+    ),
+    ByteArray(
+        "pingInterval",
+    ),
+    i32(
+        30,
+    ),
+])
+```
+
+
+# VariantMap
+The struct is represented as a `VariantMap`. The keys and values of
+the struct are serialized to a corresponding `HashMap<String, Variant>`.
+
+Example:
+```ignore
+NetworkConfig {
+    ping_timeout_enabled: false,
+    ping_interval: 0,
+}
+```
+to
+```ignore
+VariantMap({
+  "pingTimeoutEnabled": bool(false)
+  "pingInterval": i32(0)
+})
+```
+
+## Structure of Arrays
+
+For Objects that are transmitted as multiple at once the VariantMap
+representation is augemented and instead of transmitting multiple `VariantMaps`,
+each field is a `VariantList` of Items.
+
+Example:
+```ignore
+vec![
+    NetworkConfig {
+        ping_timeout_enabled: false,
+        ping_interval: 0,
+    },
+    NetworkConfig {
+        ping_timeout_enabled: true,
+        ping_interval: 1,
+    },
+]
+```
+to
+```ignore
+VariantMap({
+  "pingTimeoutEnabled": VariantList([
+    bool(false),
+    bool(true),
+  ]),
+  "pingInterval": VariantList([
+    i32(0),
+    i32(1),
+  ])
+})
+```
+**/
+use crate::primitive::VariantMap;
+
 pub trait Network {
     type Item;
 
     fn to_network(&self) -> Self::Item;
     fn from_network(input: &mut Self::Item) -> Self;
 }
+
+pub trait NetworkMap {
+    fn to_variantmap(&self) -> VariantMap;
+    fn from_variantmap(input: &mut VariantMap) -> Self;
+}