# JSON to Protobuf

## Description

This operation converts JSON files into [Protobuf (Protocol Buffers)](https://protobuf.dev/) format. Protocol Buffers is a language-neutral, platform-neutral, extensible mechanism for serializing structured data. It's similar to JSON, but smaller and faster.

***

## Data types

These are the input/output expected data types for this operation:

### Input data

![](https://965373739-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FkxZeV4nlXcIAjMGZxzLI%2Fuploads%2FZmr35bwgundYfOW63E3q%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=2ba8baff-b40b-4dd4-ae2c-2a2ad5696788) - Input JSON-formatted strings.

### Output data <a href="#output-data" id="output-data"></a>

![](https://965373739-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FkxZeV4nlXcIAjMGZxzLI%2Fuploads%2FRDngsaxu99O216cFqn81%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=53e171be-7591-4c56-acdb-4e8e8646241d) - Resulting Protobuf-formatted strings.

***

## Parameters

These are the parameters you need to configure to use this operation (mandatory parameters are marked with a <mark style="color:red;">**\***</mark>):

<details>

<summary>Proto schema<mark style="color:red;"><strong>*</strong></mark></summary>

Add the schema that defines the message structure of your resulting Protobuf strings. Note that these must be formatted in Base64 or as plain text. You can use the [To Base64](https://docs.onum.com/the-workspace/pipelines/actions/transformation/field-transformation/field-transformation-operations/data-format/to-base64) operation to transform your strings.

A common proto file has this structure:

```protobuf
syntax = "proto3";

message User {
  string username = 1;
  int32 age = 2;
}
```

</details>

<details>

<summary>Message type<mark style="color:red;"><strong>*</strong></mark></summary>

Enter the specific part of the message in the proto file that you want to transform into JSON format.

For example, in this proto file:

```protobuf
syntax = "proto3";

package company;

message Employee {
  int32 id = 1;
  string name = 2;
  string role = 3;
}

message Department {
  string name = 1;
  repeated Employee employees = 2;
}
```

Enter `Employee` or `Department` to extract one of the messages.

</details>

## Example

Suppose you want to **transform** your **JSON files** into **Protobuf format**. To do it:

1. In your Pipeline, open the required [Action](https://docs.onum.com/the-workspace/pipelines/actions) configuration and select the input **Field**.
2. In the **Operation** field, choose **JSON to Protobuf**.
3. In the **Proto schema** field, enter `syntax = "proto3"; message ExampleMessage { int32 id = 1; string name = 2; }`
4. In the **Message type** field, enter `ExampleMessage`
5. Give your **Output field** a name and click **Save**. Your JSON data will be transformed. For example:

```
{ "id": 1, "name": "foo" } -> 
foo
```

{% hint style="info" %}
You can try out operations with specific values using the **Input** field above the operation. You can enter the value in the example above and check the result in the **Output** field.
{% endhint %}


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