What is Daedalus

Daedalus is a general-purpose library for working with text and binary data formats. Its ambition is to bring exceptional performance and a natural Java API to every format it supports. You write the models. Daedalus generates the code that reads, writes, and measures them.

Daedalus will not have a stable release until all three are finalized:

• Project Valhalla
• Vector API
• Lazy Constants

Data formats

Protobuf is the first completed datatype. More text and binary formats are planned.

• Protocol Buffers
• JSON

How to contribute

Help shape a library that makes data easier to work with. Contributions can start with:

• Formats: implement a new datatype on the shared foundation.
• Performance: bring a representative workload and reproducible measurements.
• Correctness: improve compatibility and cover difficult edge cases.
• Developer experience: refine diagnostics, APIs, and examples.

Correctness and a coherent Java API matter just as much as speed. The Protobuf implementation is the starting reference for new datatypes.

A guide to the source

• Type system: conversion, defaults, and sizing contracts.
• Annotation processor: model analysis and source generation.
• JDK support: mixins for standard Java types.
• Datatypes: format implementations and schema tools.
• CLI: the shared command framework.

Origins & support

Daedalus started as ModernProtobuf, born from building Cobalt and wanting Protobuf models that felt at home in a public Java API. It is growing into a shared foundation for text and binary serialization.

Developed by Alessandro Autiero. If you find the project useful, you can help it grow through GitHub Sponsors.