# Proto Explorer
*A lightweight, interactive browser for exploring Protobuf/gRPC hierarchies*
[]()
[](https://streamlit.io/)
[]()
Proto Explorer lets you **visually explore Protobuf message hierarchies** (`*.proto` files) using only the compiled Python files (`*_pb2.py`). No `.proto` files or regeneration required.
* Expand nested message fields
* Show `oneof` group hierarchy
* Correctly detect `map<key, value>` fields
* Load `_pb2.py` from custom paths
* Runs locally; no server or DB needed
---
### 🌟 Demo Screenshot
---
## 🔧 Installation
Clone the repository and install dependencies:
```text
pip install proto-explorer
```
---
## ▶️ Run the App
```bash
proto-explorer -m <compiled_protobuf_pb2_module> [-p </path/to/compiled/protobuf>]
```
## ️✍️ Example
1. Clone a test Protobuf set (example: Google Pub/Sub):
```bash
git clone https://github.com/googleapis/googleapis.git
cd googleapis
```
2. Compile the .proto files to _pb2.py:
```bash
python -m grpc_tools.protoc \
--proto_path=. \
--python_out=. \
google/pubsub/v1/*.proto \
google/api/*.proto
```
Confirm that the following _pb2.py file exists:
```bash
google/pubsub/v1/pubsub_pb2.py
```
3. Launch Proto Explorer:
```bash
proto-explorer -m google.pubsub.v1.pubsub_pb2 -p .
```
```text
Launching Proto Explorer...
You can now view your Streamlit app in your browser.
Local URL: http://localhost:8501
Press 'q' then Enter to quit Proto Explorer.
```
Now open your browser and go to: http://localhost:8501/
Enjoy exploring your Protobuf message hierarchy!
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