papi: add support for enumflag part 1 of 2
[vpp.git] / src / vpp-api / python / vpp_papi / vpp_papi.py
index e1a7059..b4d4686 100644 (file)
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 #
 # Copyright (c) 2016 Cisco and/or its affiliates.
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 
 from __future__ import print_function
 from __future__ import absolute_import
+import ctypes
+import ipaddress
 import sys
+import multiprocessing as mp
 import os
+import queue
 import logging
-import collections
-import struct
+import functools
 import json
 import threading
 import fnmatch
 import weakref
 import atexit
-from . vpp_serializer import VPPType, VPPEnumType, VPPUnionType, BaseTypes
-from . vpp_serializer import VPPMessage
+import time
+from . vpp_format import verify_enum_hint
+from . vpp_serializer import VPPType, VPPEnumType, VPPEnumFlagType, VPPUnionType
+from . vpp_serializer import VPPMessage, vpp_get_type, VPPTypeAlias
+
+try:
+    import VppTransport
+except ModuleNotFoundError:
+    class V:
+        """placeholder for VppTransport as the implementation is dependent on
+        VPPAPIClient's initialization values
+        """
+
+    VppTransport = V
+
+logger = logging.getLogger('vpp_papi')
+logger.addHandler(logging.NullHandler())
+
+__all__ = ('FuncWrapper', 'VPP', 'VppApiDynamicMethodHolder',
+           'VppEnum', 'VppEnumType', 'VppEnumFlag',
+           'VPPIOError', 'VPPRuntimeError', 'VPPValueError',
+           'VPPApiClient', )
+
+
+def metaclass(metaclass):
+    @functools.wraps(metaclass)
+    def wrapper(cls):
+        return metaclass(cls.__name__, cls.__bases__, cls.__dict__.copy())
+
+    return wrapper
+
 
-if sys.version[0] == '2':
-    import Queue as queue
-else:
-    import queue as queue
+class VppEnumType(type):
+    def __getattr__(cls, name):
+        t = vpp_get_type(name)
+        return t.enum
+
+
+@metaclass(VppEnumType)
+class VppEnum:
+    pass
+
+
+@metaclass(VppEnumType)
+class VppEnumFlag:
+    pass
 
 
 def vpp_atexit(vpp_weakref):
     """Clean up VPP connection on shutdown."""
     vpp_instance = vpp_weakref()
     if vpp_instance and vpp_instance.transport.connected:
-        vpp_instance.logger.debug('Cleaning up VPP on exit')
+        logger.debug('Cleaning up VPP on exit')
         vpp_instance.disconnect()
 
 
-def vpp_iterator(d):
-    if sys.version[0] == '2':
-        return d.iteritems()
-    else:
-        return d.items()
+def add_convenience_methods():
+    # provide convenience methods to IP[46]Address.vapi_af
+    def _vapi_af(self):
+        if 6 == self._version:
+            return VppEnum.vl_api_address_family_t.ADDRESS_IP6.value
+        if 4 == self._version:
+            return VppEnum.vl_api_address_family_t.ADDRESS_IP4.value
+        raise ValueError("Invalid _version.")
+
+    def _vapi_af_name(self):
+        if 6 == self._version:
+            return 'ip6'
+        if 4 == self._version:
+            return 'ip4'
+        raise ValueError("Invalid _version.")
+
+    ipaddress._IPAddressBase.vapi_af = property(_vapi_af)
+    ipaddress._IPAddressBase.vapi_af_name = property(_vapi_af_name)
 
 
-class VppApiDynamicMethodHolder(object):
+class VppApiDynamicMethodHolder:
     pass
 
 
-class FuncWrapper(object):
+class FuncWrapper:
     def __init__(self, func):
         self._func = func
         self.__name__ = func.__name__
+        self.__doc__ = func.__doc__
 
     def __call__(self, **kwargs):
         return self._func(**kwargs)
 
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return '<FuncWrapper(func=<%s(%s)>)>' % (self.__name__, self.__doc__)
 
-class VPP():
-    """VPP interface.
-
-    This class provides the APIs to VPP.  The APIs are loaded
-    from provided .api.json files and makes functions accordingly.
-    These functions are documented in the VPP .api files, as they
-    are dynamically created.
-
-    Additionally, VPP can send callback messages; this class
-    provides a means to register a callback function to receive
-    these messages in a background thread.
-    """
-
-    def process_json_file(self, apidef_file):
-        api = json.load(apidef_file)
-        types = {}
-        for t in api['enums']:
-            t[0] = 'vl_api_' + t[0] + '_t'
-            types[t[0]] = {'type': 'enum', 'data': t}
-        for t in api['unions']:
-            t[0] = 'vl_api_' + t[0] + '_t'
-            types[t[0]] = {'type': 'union', 'data': t}
-        for t in api['types']:
-            t[0] = 'vl_api_' + t[0] + '_t'
-            types[t[0]] = {'type': 'type', 'data': t}
-
-        i = 0
-        while True:
-            unresolved = {}
-            for k, v in types.items():
-                t = v['data']
-                if v['type'] == 'enum':
-                    try:
-                        VPPEnumType(t[0], t[1:])
-                    except ValueError:
-                        unresolved[k] = v
-                elif v['type'] == 'union':
-                    try:
-                        VPPUnionType(t[0], t[1:])
-                    except ValueError:
-                        unresolved[k] = v
-                elif v['type'] == 'type':
-                    try:
-                        VPPType(t[0], t[1:])
-                    except ValueError:
-                        unresolved[k] = v
-            if len(unresolved) == 0:
-                break
-            if i > 3:
-                raise ValueError('Unresolved type definitions {}'
-                                 .format(unresolved))
-            types = unresolved
-            i += 1
-
-        for m in api['messages']:
-            try:
-                self.messages[m[0]] = VPPMessage(m[0], m[1:])
-            except NotImplementedError:
-                self.logger.error('Not implemented error for {}'.format(m[0]))
-
-    def __init__(self, apifiles=None, testmode=False, async_thread=True,
-                 logger=logging.getLogger('vpp_papi'), loglevel='debug',
-                 read_timeout=5, use_socket=False,
-                 server_address='/run/vpp-api.sock'):
-        """Create a VPP API object.
-
-        apifiles is a list of files containing API
-        descriptions that will be loaded - methods will be
-        dynamically created reflecting these APIs.  If not
-        provided this will load the API files from VPP's
-        default install location.
 
-        logger, if supplied, is the logging logger object to log to.
-        loglevel, if supplied, is the log level this logger is set
-        to report at (from the loglevels in the logging module).
-        """
-        if logger is None:
-            logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-            if loglevel is not None:
-                logger.setLevel(loglevel)
-        self.logger = logger
+class VPPApiError(Exception):
+    pass
 
-        self.messages = {}
-        self.id_names = []
-        self.id_msgdef = []
-        self.header = VPPType('header', [['u16', 'msgid'],
-                                         ['u32', 'client_index']])
-        self.apifiles = []
-        self.event_callback = None
-        self.message_queue = queue.Queue()
-        self.read_timeout = read_timeout
-        self.async_thread = async_thread
 
-        if use_socket:
-            from . vpp_transport_socket import VppTransport
-        else:
-            from . vpp_transport_shmem import VppTransport
+class VPPNotImplementedError(NotImplementedError):
+    pass
 
-        if not apifiles:
-            # Pick up API definitions from default directory
-            try:
-                apifiles = self.find_api_files()
-            except RuntimeError:
-                # In test mode we don't care that we can't find the API files
-                if testmode:
-                    apifiles = []
-                else:
-                    raise
 
-        for file in apifiles:
-            with open(file) as apidef_file:
-                self.process_json_file(apidef_file)
+class VPPIOError(IOError):
+    pass
 
-        self.apifiles = apifiles
 
-        # Basic sanity check
-        if len(self.messages) == 0 and not testmode:
-            raise ValueError(1, 'Missing JSON message definitions')
+class VPPRuntimeError(RuntimeError):
+    pass
 
-        self.transport = VppTransport(self, read_timeout=read_timeout,
-                                      server_address=server_address)
-        # Make sure we allow VPP to clean up the message rings.
-        atexit.register(vpp_atexit, weakref.ref(self))
 
-    class ContextId(object):
-        """Thread-safe provider of unique context IDs."""
-        def __init__(self):
-            self.context = 0
-            self.lock = threading.Lock()
+class VPPValueError(ValueError):
+    pass
 
-        def __call__(self):
-            """Get a new unique (or, at least, not recently used) context."""
-            with self.lock:
-                self.context += 1
-                return self.context
-    get_context = ContextId()
 
+class VPPApiJSONFiles:
     @classmethod
-    def find_api_dir(cls):
+    def find_api_dir(cls, dirs):
         """Attempt to find the best directory in which API definition
         files may reside. If the value VPP_API_DIR exists in the environment
         then it is first on the search list. If we're inside a recognized
@@ -212,10 +155,6 @@ class VPP():
         :returns: A single directory name, or None if no such directory
             could be found.
         """
-        dirs = []
-
-        if 'VPP_API_DIR' in os.environ:
-            dirs.append(os.environ['VPP_API_DIR'])
 
         # perhaps we're in the 'src/scripts' or 'src/vpp-api/python' dir;
         # in which case, plot a course to likely places in the src tree
@@ -277,7 +216,7 @@ class VPP():
         # finally, try the location system packages typically install into
         dirs.append(os.path.sep.join(('', 'usr', 'share', 'vpp', 'api')))
 
-        # check the directories for existance; first one wins
+        # check the directories for existence; first one wins
         for dir in dirs:
             if os.path.isdir(dir):
                 return dir
@@ -285,7 +224,7 @@ class VPP():
         return None
 
     @classmethod
-    def find_api_files(cls, api_dir=None, patterns='*'):
+    def find_api_files(cls, api_dir=None, patterns='*'):  # -> list
         """Find API definition files from the given directory tree with the
         given pattern. If no directory is given then find_api_dir() is used
         to locate one. If no pattern is given then all definition files found
@@ -306,9 +245,9 @@ class VPP():
         :returns: A list of file paths for the API files found.
         """
         if api_dir is None:
-            api_dir = cls.find_api_dir()
+            api_dir = cls.find_api_dir([])
             if api_dir is None:
-                raise RuntimeError("api_dir cannot be located")
+                raise VPPApiError("api_dir cannot be located")
 
         if isinstance(patterns, list) or isinstance(patterns, tuple):
             patterns = [p.strip() + '.api.json' for p in patterns]
@@ -324,10 +263,231 @@ class VPP():
 
         return api_files
 
+    @classmethod
+    def process_json_file(self, apidef_file):
+        api = json.load(apidef_file)
+        return self._process_json(api)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def process_json_str(self, json_str):
+        api = json.loads(json_str)
+        return self._process_json(api)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _process_json(api):  # -> Tuple[Dict, Dict]
+        types = {}
+        services = {}
+        messages = {}
+        try:
+            for t in api['enums']:
+                t[0] = 'vl_api_' + t[0] + '_t'
+                types[t[0]] = {'type': 'enum', 'data': t}
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+        try:
+            for t in api['enumflags']:
+                t[0] = 'vl_api_' + t[0] + '_t'
+                types[t[0]] = {'type': 'enum', 'data': t}
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+        try:
+            for t in api['unions']:
+                t[0] = 'vl_api_' + t[0] + '_t'
+                types[t[0]] = {'type': 'union', 'data': t}
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+
+        try:
+            for t in api['types']:
+                t[0] = 'vl_api_' + t[0] + '_t'
+                types[t[0]] = {'type': 'type', 'data': t}
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+
+        try:
+            for t, v in api['aliases'].items():
+                types['vl_api_' + t + '_t'] = {'type': 'alias', 'data': v}
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+
+        try:
+            services.update(api['services'])
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+
+        i = 0
+        while True:
+            unresolved = {}
+            for k, v in types.items():
+                t = v['data']
+                if not vpp_get_type(k):
+                    if v['type'] == 'enum':
+                        try:
+                            VPPEnumType(t[0], t[1:])
+                        except ValueError:
+                            unresolved[k] = v
+                if not vpp_get_type(k):
+                    if v['type'] == 'enumflag':
+                        try:
+                            VPPEnumFlagType(t[0], t[1:])
+                        except ValueError:
+                            unresolved[k] = v
+                    elif v['type'] == 'union':
+                        try:
+                            VPPUnionType(t[0], t[1:])
+                        except ValueError:
+                            unresolved[k] = v
+                    elif v['type'] == 'type':
+                        try:
+                            VPPType(t[0], t[1:])
+                        except ValueError:
+                            unresolved[k] = v
+                    elif v['type'] == 'alias':
+                        try:
+                            VPPTypeAlias(k, t)
+                        except ValueError:
+                            unresolved[k] = v
+            if len(unresolved) == 0:
+                break
+            if i > 3:
+                raise VPPValueError('Unresolved type definitions {}'
+                                    .format(unresolved))
+            types = unresolved
+            i += 1
+        try:
+            for m in api['messages']:
+                try:
+                    messages[m[0]] = VPPMessage(m[0], m[1:])
+                except VPPNotImplementedError:
+                    ### OLE FIXME
+                    logger.error('Not implemented error for {}'.format(m[0]))
+        except KeyError:
+            pass
+        return messages, services
+
+
+class VPPApiClient:
+    """VPP interface.
+
+    This class provides the APIs to VPP.  The APIs are loaded
+    from provided .api.json files and makes functions accordingly.
+    These functions are documented in the VPP .api files, as they
+    are dynamically created.
+
+    Additionally, VPP can send callback messages; this class
+    provides a means to register a callback function to receive
+    these messages in a background thread.
+    """
+    apidir = None
+    VPPApiError = VPPApiError
+    VPPRuntimeError = VPPRuntimeError
+    VPPValueError = VPPValueError
+    VPPNotImplementedError = VPPNotImplementedError
+    VPPIOError = VPPIOError
+
+
+    def __init__(self, apifiles=None, testmode=False, async_thread=True,
+                 logger=None, loglevel=None,
+                 read_timeout=5, use_socket=False,
+                 server_address='/run/vpp/api.sock'):
+        """Create a VPP API object.
+
+        apifiles is a list of files containing API
+        descriptions that will be loaded - methods will be
+        dynamically created reflecting these APIs.  If not
+        provided this will load the API files from VPP's
+        default install location.
+
+        logger, if supplied, is the logging logger object to log to.
+        loglevel, if supplied, is the log level this logger is set
+        to report at (from the loglevels in the logging module).
+        """
+        if logger is None:
+            logger = logging.getLogger(
+                "{}.{}".format(__name__, self.__class__.__name__))
+            if loglevel is not None:
+                logger.setLevel(loglevel)
+        self.logger = logger
+
+        self.messages = {}
+        self.services = {}
+        self.id_names = []
+        self.id_msgdef = []
+        self.header = VPPType('header', [['u16', 'msgid'],
+                                         ['u32', 'client_index']])
+        self.apifiles = []
+        self.event_callback = None
+        self.message_queue = queue.Queue()
+        self.read_timeout = read_timeout
+        self.async_thread = async_thread
+        self.event_thread = None
+        self.testmode = testmode
+        self.use_socket = use_socket
+        self.server_address = server_address
+        self._apifiles = apifiles
+        self.stats = {}
+
+        if use_socket:
+            from . vpp_transport_socket import VppTransport
+        else:
+            from . vpp_transport_shmem import VppTransport
+
+        if not apifiles:
+            # Pick up API definitions from default directory
+            try:
+                apifiles = VPPApiJSONFiles.find_api_files(self.apidir)
+            except (RuntimeError, VPPApiError):
+                # In test mode we don't care that we can't find the API files
+                if testmode:
+                    apifiles = []
+                else:
+                    raise VPPRuntimeError
+
+        for file in apifiles:
+            with open(file) as apidef_file:
+                m, s = VPPApiJSONFiles.process_json_file(apidef_file)
+                self.messages.update(m)
+                self.services.update(s)
+
+        self.apifiles = apifiles
+
+        # Basic sanity check
+        if len(self.messages) == 0 and not testmode:
+            raise VPPValueError(1, 'Missing JSON message definitions')
+        if not(verify_enum_hint(VppEnum.vl_api_address_family_t)):
+            raise VPPRuntimeError("Invalid address family hints. "
+                                  "Cannot continue.")
+
+        self.transport = VppTransport(self, read_timeout=read_timeout,
+                                      server_address=server_address)
+        # Make sure we allow VPP to clean up the message rings.
+        atexit.register(vpp_atexit, weakref.ref(self))
+
+        add_convenience_methods()
+
+    def get_function(self, name):
+        return getattr(self._api, name)
+
+    class ContextId:
+        """Multiprocessing-safe provider of unique context IDs."""
+        def __init__(self):
+            self.context = mp.Value(ctypes.c_uint, 0)
+            self.lock = mp.Lock()
+
+        def __call__(self):
+            """Get a new unique (or, at least, not recently used) context."""
+            with self.lock:
+                self.context.value += 1
+                return self.context.value
+    get_context = ContextId()
+
+    def get_type(self, name):
+        return vpp_get_type(name)
+
     @property
     def api(self):
         if not hasattr(self, "_api"):
-            raise Exception("Not connected, api definitions not available")
+            raise VPPApiError("Not connected, api definitions not available")
         return self._api
 
     def make_function(self, msg, i, multipart, do_async):
@@ -342,46 +502,52 @@ class VPP():
         f.__doc__ = ", ".join(["%s %s" %
                                (msg.fieldtypes[j], k)
                                for j, k in enumerate(msg.fields)])
+        f.msg = msg
+
         return f
 
     def _register_functions(self, do_async=False):
         self.id_names = [None] * (self.vpp_dictionary_maxid + 1)
         self.id_msgdef = [None] * (self.vpp_dictionary_maxid + 1)
         self._api = VppApiDynamicMethodHolder()
-        for name, msg in vpp_iterator(self.messages):
+        for name, msg in self.messages.items():
             n = name + '_' + msg.crc[2:]
-            i = self.transport.get_msg_index(n.encode())
+            i = self.transport.get_msg_index(n)
             if i > 0:
                 self.id_msgdef[i] = msg
                 self.id_names[i] = name
-                # TODO: Fix multipart (use services)
-                multipart = True if name.find('_dump') > 0 else False
-                f = self.make_function(msg, i, multipart, do_async)
-                setattr(self._api, name, FuncWrapper(f))
+
+                # Create function for client side messages.
+                if name in self.services:
+                    f = self.make_function(msg, i, self.services[name], do_async)
+                    setattr(self._api, name, FuncWrapper(f))
             else:
                 self.logger.debug(
                     'No such message type or failed CRC checksum: %s', n)
 
     def connect_internal(self, name, msg_handler, chroot_prefix, rx_qlen,
                          do_async):
-        pfx = chroot_prefix.encode() if chroot_prefix else None
+        pfx = chroot_prefix.encode('utf-8') if chroot_prefix else None
 
-        rv = self.transport.connect(name.encode(), pfx, msg_handler, rx_qlen)
+        rv = self.transport.connect(name, pfx,
+                                    msg_handler, rx_qlen)
         if rv != 0:
-            raise IOError(2, 'Connect failed')
+            raise VPPIOError(2, 'Connect failed')
         self.vpp_dictionary_maxid = self.transport.msg_table_max_index()
         self._register_functions(do_async=do_async)
 
         # Initialise control ping
         crc = self.messages['control_ping'].crc
         self.control_ping_index = self.transport.get_msg_index(
-            ('control_ping' + '_' + crc[2:]).encode())
+            ('control_ping' + '_' + crc[2:]))
         self.control_ping_msgdef = self.messages['control_ping']
         if self.async_thread:
             self.event_thread = threading.Thread(
                 target=self.thread_msg_handler)
             self.event_thread.daemon = True
             self.event_thread.start()
+        else:
+            self.event_thread = None
         return rv
 
     def connect(self, name, chroot_prefix=None, do_async=False, rx_qlen=32):
@@ -412,7 +578,8 @@ class VPP():
     def disconnect(self):
         """Detach from VPP."""
         rv = self.transport.disconnect()
-        self.message_queue.put("terminate event thread")
+        if self.event_thread is not None:
+            self.message_queue.put("terminate event thread")
         return rv
 
     def msg_handler_sync(self, msg):
@@ -434,12 +601,33 @@ class VPP():
             # No context -> async notification that we feed to the callback
             self.message_queue.put_nowait(r)
         else:
-            raise IOError(2, 'RPC reply message received in event handler')
+            raise VPPIOError(2, 'RPC reply message received in event handler')
+
+    def has_context(self, msg):
+        if len(msg) < 10:
+            return False
+
+        header = VPPType('header_with_context', [['u16', 'msgid'],
+                                                 ['u32', 'client_index'],
+                                                 ['u32', 'context']])
 
-    def decode_incoming_msg(self, msg):
+        (i, ci, context), size = header.unpack(msg, 0)
+        if self.id_names[i] == 'rx_thread_exit':
+            return
+
+        #
+        # Decode message and returns a tuple.
+        #
+        msgobj = self.id_msgdef[i]
+        if 'context' in msgobj.field_by_name and context >= 0:
+            return True
+        return False
+
+    def decode_incoming_msg(self, msg, no_type_conversion=False):
         if not msg:
-            self.logger.warning('vpp_api.read failed')
+            logger.warning('vpp_api.read failed')
             return
+
         (i, ci), size = self.header.unpack(msg, 0)
         if self.id_names[i] == 'rx_thread_exit':
             return
@@ -449,9 +637,9 @@ class VPP():
         #
         msgobj = self.id_msgdef[i]
         if not msgobj:
-            raise IOError(2, 'Reply message undefined')
+            raise VPPIOError(2, 'Reply message undefined')
 
-        r, size = msgobj.unpack(msg)
+        r, size = msgobj.unpack(msg, ntc=no_type_conversion)
         return r
 
     def msg_handler_async(self, msg):
@@ -477,10 +665,28 @@ class VPP():
     def validate_args(self, msg, kwargs):
         d = set(kwargs.keys()) - set(msg.field_by_name.keys())
         if d:
-            raise ValueError('Invalid argument {} to {}'
-                             .format(list(d), msg.name))
+            raise VPPValueError('Invalid argument {} to {}'
+                                .format(list(d), msg.name))
 
-    def _call_vpp(self, i, msg, multipart, **kwargs):
+    def _add_stat(self, name, ms):
+        if not name in self.stats:
+            self.stats[name] = {'max': ms, 'count': 1, 'avg': ms}
+        else:
+            if ms > self.stats[name]['max']:
+                self.stats[name]['max'] = ms
+            self.stats[name]['count'] += 1
+            n = self.stats[name]['count']
+            self.stats[name]['avg'] = self.stats[name]['avg'] * (n - 1) / n + ms / n
+
+    def get_stats(self):
+        s = '\n=== API PAPI STATISTICS ===\n'
+        s += '{:<30} {:>4} {:>6} {:>6}\n'.format('message', 'cnt', 'avg', 'max')
+        for n in sorted(self.stats.items(), key=lambda v: v[1]['avg'], reverse=True):
+            s += '{:<30} {:>4} {:>6.2f} {:>6.2f}\n'.format(n[0], n[1]['count'],
+                                                           n[1]['avg'], n[1]['max'])
+        return s
+
+    def _call_vpp(self, i, msgdef, service, **kwargs):
         """Given a message, send the message and await a reply.
 
         msgdef - the message packing definition
@@ -495,7 +701,7 @@ class VPP():
         the response.  It will raise an IOError exception if there was
         no response within the timeout window.
         """
-
+        ts = time.time()
         if 'context' not in kwargs:
             context = self.get_context()
             kwargs['context'] = context
@@ -503,55 +709,86 @@ class VPP():
             context = kwargs['context']
         kwargs['_vl_msg_id'] = i
 
+        no_type_conversion = kwargs.pop('_no_type_conversion', False)
+        timeout = kwargs.pop('_timeout', None)
+
         try:
             if self.transport.socket_index:
                 kwargs['client_index'] = self.transport.socket_index
         except AttributeError:
             pass
-        self.validate_args(msg, kwargs)
-        b = msg.pack(kwargs)
+        self.validate_args(msgdef, kwargs)
+
+        s = 'Calling {}({})'.format(msgdef.name,
+            ','.join(['{!r}:{!r}'.format(k, v) for k, v in kwargs.items()]))
+        self.logger.debug(s)
+
+        b = msgdef.pack(kwargs)
         self.transport.suspend()
 
         self.transport.write(b)
 
-        if multipart:
-            # Send a ping after the request - we use its response
-            # to detect that we have seen all results.
-            self._control_ping(context)
+        msgreply = service['reply']
+        stream = True if 'stream' in service else False
+        if stream:
+            if 'stream_msg' in service:
+                # New service['reply'] = _reply and service['stream_message'] = _details
+                stream_message = service['stream_msg']
+                modern =True
+            else:
+                # Old  service['reply'] = _details
+                stream_message = msgreply
+                msgreply = 'control_ping_reply'
+                modern = False
+                # Send a ping after the request - we use its response
+                # to detect that we have seen all results.
+                self._control_ping(context)
 
         # Block until we get a reply.
         rl = []
         while (True):
-            msg = self.transport.read()
-            if not msg:
-                raise IOError(2, 'VPP API client: read failed')
-            r = self.decode_incoming_msg(msg)
+            r = self.read_blocking(no_type_conversion, timeout)
+            if r is None:
+                raise VPPIOError(2, 'VPP API client: read failed')
             msgname = type(r).__name__
             if context not in r or r.context == 0 or context != r.context:
                 # Message being queued
                 self.message_queue.put_nowait(r)
                 continue
-
-            if not multipart:
+            if msgname != msgreply and (stream and (msgname != stream_message)):
+                print('REPLY MISMATCH', msgreply, msgname, stream_message, stream)
+            if not stream:
                 rl = r
                 break
-            if msgname == 'control_ping_reply':
+            if msgname == msgreply:
+                if modern: # Return both reply and list
+                    rl = r, rl
                 break
 
             rl.append(r)
 
         self.transport.resume()
 
+        s = 'Return value: {!r}'.format(r)
+        if len(s) > 80:
+            s = s[:80] + "..."
+        self.logger.debug(s)
+        te = time.time()
+        self._add_stat(msgdef.name, (te - ts) * 1000)
         return rl
 
     def _call_vpp_async(self, i, msg, **kwargs):
-        """Given a message, send the message and await a reply.
+        """Given a message, send the message and return the context.
 
         msgdef - the message packing definition
         i - the message type index
         context - context number - chosen at random if not
         supplied.
         The remainder of the kwargs are the arguments to the API call.
+
+        The reply message(s) will be delivered later to the registered callback.
+        The returned context will help with assigning which call
+        the reply belongs to.
         """
         if 'context' not in kwargs:
             context = self.get_context()
@@ -567,6 +804,35 @@ class VPP():
         b = msg.pack(kwargs)
 
         self.transport.write(b)
+        return context
+
+    def read_blocking(self, no_type_conversion=False, timeout=None):
+        """Get next received message from transport within timeout, decoded.
+
+        Note that notifications have context zero
+        and are not put into receive queue (at least for socket transport),
+        use async_thread with registered callback for processing them.
+
+        If no message appears in the queue within timeout, return None.
+
+        Optionally, type conversion can be skipped,
+        as some of conversions are into less precise types.
+
+        When r is the return value of this, the caller can get message name as:
+            msgname = type(r).__name__
+        and context number (type long) as:
+            context = r.context
+
+        :param no_type_conversion: If false, type conversions are applied.
+        :type no_type_conversion: bool
+        :returns: Decoded message, or None if no message (within timeout).
+        :rtype: Whatever VPPType.unpack returns, depends on no_type_conversion.
+        :raises VppTransportShmemIOError if timed out.
+        """
+        msg = self.transport.read(timeout=timeout)
+        if not msg:
+            return None
+        return self.decode_incoming_msg(msg, no_type_conversion)
 
     def register_event_callback(self, callback):
         """Register a callback for async messages.
@@ -601,5 +867,57 @@ class VPP():
             if self.event_callback:
                 self.event_callback(msgname, r)
 
+    def validate_message_table(self, namecrctable):
+        """Take a dictionary of name_crc message names
+        and returns an array of missing messages"""
+
+        missing_table = []
+        for name_crc in namecrctable:
+            i = self.transport.get_msg_index(name_crc)
+            if i <= 0:
+                missing_table.append(name_crc)
+        return missing_table
+
+    def dump_message_table(self):
+        """Return VPPs API message table as name_crc dictionary"""
+        return self.transport.message_table
+
+    def dump_message_table_filtered(self, msglist):
+        """Return VPPs API message table as name_crc dictionary,
+        filtered by message name list."""
+
+        replies = [self.services[n]['reply'] for n in msglist]
+        message_table_filtered = {}
+        for name in msglist + replies:
+            for k,v in self.transport.message_table.items():
+                if k.startswith(name):
+                    message_table_filtered[k] = v
+                    break
+        return message_table_filtered
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return "<VPPApiClient apifiles=%s, testmode=%s, async_thread=%s, " \
+               "logger=%s, read_timeout=%s, use_socket=%s, " \
+               "server_address='%s'>" % (
+                   self._apifiles, self.testmode, self.async_thread,
+                   self.logger, self.read_timeout, self.use_socket,
+                   self.server_address)
+
+    def details_iter(self, f, **kwargs):
+        cursor = 0
+        while True:
+            kwargs['cursor'] = cursor
+            rv, details = f(**kwargs)
+            #
+            # Convert to yield from details when we only support python 3
+            #
+            for d in details:
+                yield d
+            if rv.retval == 0 or rv.retval != -165:
+                break
+            cursor = rv.cursor
+
+# Provide the old name for backward compatibility.
+VPP = VPPApiClient
 
 # vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4