def decode(self, buf):
        """
        Set object attributes from binary string buffer.
        
        :param buf: The binary string representation of this struct from database.
        :type buf: bytes 
        """
        index = 0
        if self.length > len(buf):
            raise exc.ParseError("Insufficient data for reading header.") 
        for (name, nbytes, typecode) in self.format:
            string = buf[index:index + nbytes]
            index += nbytes
            value = struct.unpack('<' + typecode, string)[0]
            setattr(self, name, value)
        if const.DB_SIGNATURE1 != self.signature1 or \
                const.DB_SIGNATURE2 != self.signature2:
            msg = 'Bad signatures: {0} {0}'.format(hex(self.signature1),
                                                   hex(self.signature2))
            raise exc.InvalidDatabase(msg)
Set object attributes from binary string buffer.
        
        :param buf: The binary string representation of this struct from database.
        :type buf: bytes