Crate rpfm_ipc 

RPFM IPC - Inter-Process Communication Protocol

This crate defines the IPC protocol used for communication between the RPFM frontend and the backend server (rpfm_server). It provides type-safe message definitions that ensure consistent communication between the two processes.

Protocol Overview

The communication follows a request-response pattern over WebSocket connections:

1. The frontend creates a messages::Message<Command> with a unique ID
2. The message is serialized to JSON and sent over WebSocket to the server
3. The server processes the command and sends back a messages::Message<Response>
4. The frontend matches the response ID to the original request

This ID correlation mechanism enables asynchronous, non-blocking communication where multiple requests can be in flight simultaneously.

Modules

• messages: Core protocol definitions including messages::Command, messages::Response, and the messages::Message wrapper.
• helpers: Data structures for marshalling complex data between UI and server, including helpers::ContainerInfo, helpers::RFileInfo, and helpers::DataSource.

Usage

This crate is not intended for standalone use. It serves as a shared dependency between rpfm_server and rpfm_ui, providing the common language they need to communicate.

Example Message Flow

// Frontend creates a command
let command = Message {
    id: 1,
    data: Command::OpenPackFiles(vec![PathBuf::from("/path/to/pack.pack")]),
};

// Serialize and send over WebSocket...

// Server responds with matching ID
let response = Message {
    id: 1,  // Same ID as the request
    data: Response::ContainerInfo(container_info),
};

Modules

helpers

IPC Helpers Module

messages

IPC Messages Module

settings_keys

Typed constants for all settings keys used across the application.