2 files changed, 22 insertions, 3 deletions
diff --git a/src/vpp-api/python/vpp_papi/vpp_papi.py b/src/vpp-api/python/vpp_papi/vpp_papi.py
index ca4b955fd07..bd2682f5b8f 100644
--- a/src/vpp-api/python/vpp_papi/vpp_papi.py
+++ b/src/vpp-api/python/vpp_papi/vpp_papi.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import fnmatch
 import weakref
 import atexit
 from . vpp_serializer import VPPType, VPPEnumType, VPPUnionType, BaseTypes
-from . vpp_serializer import VPPMessage, vpp_get_type
+from . vpp_serializer import VPPMessage, vpp_get_type, VPPTypeAlias
 from . vpp_format import VPPFormat
 
 if sys.version[0] == '2':
@@ -102,13 +102,15 @@ class VPP(object):
         for t in api['types']:
             t[0] = 'vl_api_' + t[0] + '_t'
             types[t[0]] = {'type': 'type', 'data': t}
+        for t, v in api['aliases'].items():
+            types['vl_api_' + t + '_t'] = {'type': 'alias', 'data': v}
 
         i = 0
         while True:
             unresolved = {}
             for k, v in types.items():
                 t = v['data']
-                if not vpp_get_type(t[0]):
+                if not vpp_get_type(k):
                     if v['type'] == 'enum':
                         try:
                             VPPEnumType(t[0], t[1:])
@@ -124,6 +126,11 @@ class VPP(object):
                             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:
diff --git a/src/vpp-api/python/vpp_papi/vpp_serializer.py b/src/vpp-api/python/vpp_papi/vpp_serializer.py
index bd0f73803da..a001cca565a 100644
--- a/src/vpp-api/python/vpp_papi/vpp_serializer.py
+++ b/src/vpp-api/python/vpp_papi/vpp_serializer.py
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class FixedList_u8(object):
         self.packer = BaseTypes(field_type, num)
         self.size = self.packer.size
 
-    def pack(self, list, kwargs):
+    def pack(self, list, kwargs = None):
         """Packs a fixed length bytestring. Left-pads with zeros
         if input data is too short."""
         if not list:
@@ -277,6 +277,18 @@ class VPPUnionType(object):
         return self.tuple._make(r), maxsize
 
 
+def VPPTypeAlias(name, msgdef):
+    t = vpp_get_type(msgdef['type'])
+    if not t:
+        raise ValueError()
+    if 'length' in msgdef:
+        if msgdef['length'] == 0:
+            raise ValueError()
+        types[name] = FixedList(name, msgdef['type'], msgdef['length'])
+    else:
+        types[name] = t
+
+
 class VPPType(object):
     # Set everything up to be able to pack / unpack
     def __init__(self, name, msgdef):