CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javaprotocol-buffers
Rylander
Rylander

Reputation: 20169

Protocol message end-group tag did not match expected tag

I keep getting the following stack trace and am not sure what it means. 

Caused by: com.google.protobuf.InvalidProtocolBufferException: Protocol message end-group tag did not match expected tag.
    at com.google.protobuf.InvalidProtocolBufferException.invalidEndTag(InvalidProtocolBufferException.java:73)
    at com.google.protobuf.CodedInputStream.checkLastTagWas(CodedInputStream.java:124)
    at com.google.protobuf.AbstractMessageLite$Builder.mergeFrom(AbstractMessageLite.java:189)
    at com.google.protobuf.AbstractMessage$Builder.mergeFrom(AbstractMessage.java:732)
    at com.google.protobuf.AbstractMessage$Builder.mergeFrom(AbstractMessage.java:238)
    at com.google.protobuf.AbstractMessageLite$Builder.mergeFrom(AbstractMessageLite.java:178)
    at com.google.protobuf.AbstractMessage$Builder.mergeFrom(AbstractMessage.java:724)

Upvotes: 28

Views: 59476

Answers (1)

Marc Gravell
Marc Gravell

Reputation: 1063198

Groups in protobuf are written as a start/end numeric pair - kinda like how <foo> needs a </foo>, but in a different format. Essentially it is complaining that it found a </bar> instead (just: the xml is only a metaphor). The details are in the encoding specification, but the long and short is that one of:

  • the data is inherently corrupt (either by damage of by a faulty encoder), or
  • the data is becoming corrupt while reading, or
  • the data is fine and you gave a faulty decoder

If I had to guess, the data has been damaged in transit - because that is so frighteningly common

Upvotes: 25

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