---
id: pbtools
version: "0.47.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: dormant
---

# pbtools — Google Protocol Buffers tools.

License: permissive · Maintenance: dormant · Downloads: 228.0K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pbtools is a Python tool that generates C source code from Protocol Buffer proto3 specifications and includes a proto3 language parser. It targets embedded and performance-sensitive C applications, generating code designed around arena-based memory allocation (no malloc/free), thread safety, and small memory footprint. The tool outputs C structs and encode/decode functions for each protobuf message.

The generated C code is intended for scenarios where you need fast, lightweight protobuf serialization without dynamic memory management. You provide a proto3 file, run the code generator, and get C header and source files ready to compile into your application. Known limitations include lack of support for options, gRPC services, reserved fields, and public imports.

Use it for:

- Generate C protobuf serialization code for embedded systems or microcontrollers with tight memory constraints.
- Build command-line tools or utilities that need to parse and validate proto3 definitions at development time.
- Create C libraries that encode/decode protobuf messages using arena-based memory for predictable performance.
- Integrate protobuf messaging into C applications where dynamic allocation must be avoided or minimized.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Generates C source code from Protocol Buffer proto3 definitions and parses proto3 language files in Python 3.6+.

No. The project is dormant with last release on 2023-06-04 and no commits since 2024-04-06, combined with high install friction. Unless you are maintaining legacy code already using pbtools 0.47.0, prefer actively maintained alternatives.

## Install

pip install pbtools
uv add pbtools
poetry add pbtools

## Installing pbtools

Before you install: High install friction due to source distribution format. Project is dormant—last release was 2023-06-04, with no commits since 2024-04-06. No active maintenance signal.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive; you may use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions, provided you retain the license notice.

Quickstart:

pip install pbtools
pbtools generate_c_source examples/hello_world/hello_world.proto

Requires Python 3.6+. Generated C code requires a C compiler and workspace memory management; char must be 8 bits.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works reliably with modern Python versions beyond 3.6.
- Current status of known limitations (options, services/gRPC, reserved fields, public imports) and whether they affect typical use cases.
- Whether high install friction (source distribution) causes build failures on common platforms.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: dormant
- Downloads: 228.0K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

protobuf code generator, protocol buffers C source, proto3 parser python, generate C from proto, protobuf tools, protobuf, code-generation, embedded-c

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/pbtools) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/pbtools/)