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+# nimpb_build
+
+**NOTE** nimpb_build is still experimental :-)
+
+A tool for generating suitable Nim code for
+[nimpb](https://github.com/oswjk/nimpb). It uses a prebuilt and bundled protoc
+compiler. This tool supports the following platforms:
+
+- Linux x86_32
+- Linux x86_64
+- Linux aarch_64
+- OSX x86_64
+- Windows
+
+nimpb_build is modeled somewhat after [prost-build](https://github.com/danburkert/prost).
+
+# Install with Nimble
+
+    $ nimble install https://github.com/oswjk/nimpb_build
+
+# Usage
+
+Using the tool is simple:
+
+    $ nimpb_build -I. --out=. my.proto
+
+It's almost like using protoc directly. In fact, the arguments are basically
+passed along to protoc.
+
+You can specify nimpb_build as a dependency for your project in your .nimble
+file and create a task for generating code:
+
+    requires "nimpb_build"
+
+    task proto, "Process .proto files":
+        exec "nimpb_build -I. --out=. my.proto"
+
+# How it works
+
+nimpb_build includes functionality to invoke the protoc compiler. It also
+includes a built-in protoc plugin, that protoc will use to generate the Nim
+code.
+
+First, nimpb_build will execute protoc with correct arguments. It will also
+pass itself as a plugin using the --plugin argument to protoc. nimpb_build
+will set the NIMPB_BUILD_PLUGIN=1 environment variable when executing protoc,
+so that when protoc executes nimpb_build, the new nimpb_build instance knows
+to work in protoc plugin mode.