title: c++ protobuf -- where are all the methods in my generated classes?
body: <p>I am attempting to parse a protobuf message (in c++) that I receive as a character array.  However, all <a href="https://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers/docs/reference/cpp/google.protobuf.message_lite?csw=1#MessageLite.ParseFromString.details" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the references</a> I've read on how to parse a byte array or string into a protobuf type (e.x. "ParseFromString") use methods that the compiler says aren't defined.</p>
  
  <p>For example,</p>
  
  <pre><code>Message* msg;
  bool success = ParseFromString(dataString, msg); //error: "ParseFromString" not defined in this scope
  MyProtoMsgType* proto = new MyProtoMsgType();
  proto-&gt;CopyFrom(*msg);
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The only methods of my message class that are available are the field setters and getters and a couple others (CopyFrom and MergeFrom).  So I have no way of reading the contents of a protobuf message received as a char array!</p>
  
  <p>I would so appreciate help, I've been searching for answers for hours upon hours.</p>