This tutorial provides a basic Python programmer's introduction to working with protocol buffers. By walking through creating a simple example application, it shows you how to

Define message formats in a .proto file.
Use the protocol buffer compiler.
Use the Python protocol buffer API to write and read messages. 

This isn't a comprehensive guide to using protocol buffers in Python. For more detailed reference information, see the Protocol Buffer Language Guide, the Python API Reference, the Python Generated Code Guide, and the Encoding Reference.