Crunch

Crunch is a C++ message definition and serialization framework for mission-critical, resource-constrained systems where message semantics matter as much as structure.

See the Doxygen for API reference and detailed documentation.

Key Features

• Opt-out validation: Semantic field and cross-field validation are first-class, built-in, and happen by default.
• Static memory allocation: For use in resource-constrained systems.
• Flexible serialization: Swap serialization formats (e.g., TLV, static layout) without changing message definitions.
• Built-in integrity checks: Support for CRC16 or parity is built-in.
• Zero exceptions: Uses std::expected and std::optional for error handling to be compatible with real-time requirements.

Dependencies

Crunch requires C++23 and uses some STL libraries.

None of the STL libraries used by Crunch perform dynamic memory allocation.

Installation

Crunch is a header-only library. You can vendor it directly or use a build system.

Vendoring

Copy the include/ directory to your project:

cp -r crunch/include/ your_project/vendor/

Then add the include path to your compiler:

g++ -I vendor -std=c++23 your_code.cpp

CMake

Add Crunch as a subdirectory:

add_subdirectory(vendor/crunch)
target_link_libraries(your_target PRIVATE Crunch::crunch)

Bazel

Add the dependency to your BUILD file:

cc_binary(
name = "your_target",
srcs = ["main.cpp"],
deps = ["//include:crunch"],  # Or @crunch//include:crunch if external
)

Quick Start

#include <crunch/crunch.hpp>

using namespace Crunch;
using namespace Crunch::fields;
using namespace Crunch::messages;

struct SensorReading {
CRUNCH_MESSAGE_FIELDS(temperature, humidity);
static constexpr MessageId message_id = 1;

// Temperature in Celsius, must be between -40 and 85
Field<1, Required, Float32<InRange<-40.0, 85.0>>> temperature;

// Humidity percentage, must be between 0 and 100
Field<2, Required, Float32<InRange<0.0, 100.0>>> humidity;

// Cross-field validation: high humidity requires moderate temperature
constexpr auto Validate() const -> std::optional<Error> {
if (*humidity.get() > 90.0f && *temperature.get() > 50.0f) {
return Error::validation(2, "humidity > 90% invalid above 50C");
}
return std::nullopt;
}

bool operator==(const SensorReading&) const = default;
};

int main() {
SensorReading msg;

msg.temperature.set(23.5f);
msg.humidity.set(65.0f);

// Get a correctly-sized buffer for this message type
auto buffer = GetBuffer<SensorReading, integrity::CRC16, serdes::PackedLayout>();

// Serialize (validates fields AND cross-field logic, calculates and appends integrity check, then writes)
if (auto err = Serialize(buffer, msg); err) {
return 1;
}

// Deserialize into new object. Checks integrity and validates fields AND cross-field logic.
SensorReading decoded;
if (auto err = Deserialize(buffer, decoded); err) {
return 1;
}

assert(msg == decoded);  // Round-trip successful
}

Message Definition

Messages must define:

1. A unique MessageId
2. A CRUNCH_MESSAGE_FIELDS macro listing all fields
3. A Validate method returning std::optional<Error>
4. An operator== for equality comparison

Supported Field Types

Category	Types
Integers	Int8, Int16, Int32, Int64, UInt8, UInt16, UInt32, UInt64
Floats	Float32, Float64
Other	Bool, String, Enum
Aggregate	Submessage, Array, Map

See Field Types for detailed examples of each type.

Validation Flow

When serializing or deserializing, validation occurs in order:

1. Field Presence: Checks that all Required fields are set.
2. Field Values: Checks that set fields satisfy their validators.
3. Message Logic: Executes the user-defined Validate() method.

Validation can be bypassed using SerializeWithoutValidation.

Serialization

Crunch supports pluggable serialization:

• serdes::StaticLayout<Alignment> - Deterministic, fixed-size binary format
• serdes::TlvLayout - Tag-Length-Value format for flexibility

See Serialization Formats for wire format details.

Roadmap

Done:

• Basic message definitions, field/message validation
• Scalar fields, enums, strings, submessages, arrays, maps
• Static layout and TLV serialization
• CRC16 and parity integrity checking
• Unit testing, documentation, CI/CD

Upcoming:

• Test coverage reporting
• QEMU-based cross-platform testing
• Fuzz testing
• Performance benchmarks
• C, Rust, Python bindings

Follow along at volatileint.dev for roadmap updates!