Use new `Msg[Co]Dec` repr meths in `._exceptions`

Particularly when logging around `MsgTypeError`s.

Other:
- make `_raise_from_unexpected_msg()`'s `expect_msg` a non-default value
  arg, must always be passed by caller.
- drop `'canceller'` from `_body_fields` ow it shows up twice for ctxc.
- use `.msg.pretty_struct.pformat()`.
- parameterize `RemoteActorError.reprol()` (repr-one-line method) to
  show `RemoteActorError[<self.boxed_type_str>]( ..` to make obvi
  the boxed remote error type.
- re-impl `.boxed_type_str` as `str`-casting the `.boxed_type` value
  which is guaranteed to render non-`None`.

tractor/_context.py

@@ -472,13 +472,17 @@ class Context:
         return 'parent' if self._portal else 'child'
 
     @staticmethod
-    def peer_side(side: str) -> str:
+    def _peer_side(side: str) -> str:
         match side:
             case 'child':
                 return 'parent'
             case 'parent':
                 return 'child'
 
+    @property
+    def peer_side(self) -> str:
+        return self._peer_side(self.side)
+
     # TODO: remove stat!
     # -[ ] re-implement the `.experiemental._pubsub` stuff
     #     with `MsgStream` and that should be last usage?
@@ -512,9 +516,7 @@ class Context:
         equiv of a `StopIteration`.
 
         '''
-        await self.chan.send(
+        await self.chan.send(Stop(cid=self.cid))
-            Stop(cid=self.cid)
-        )
 
     def _maybe_cancel_and_set_remote_error(
         self,
@@ -593,7 +595,6 @@ class Context:
         # TODO: never do this right?
         # if self._remote_error:
         #     return
-        peer_side: str = self.peer_side(self.side)
 
         # XXX: denote and set the remote side's error so that
         # after we cancel whatever task is the opener of this
@@ -601,7 +602,7 @@ class Context:
         # appropriately.
         log.runtime(
             'Setting remote error for ctx\n\n'
-            f'<= {peer_side!r}: {self.chan.uid}\n'
+            f'<= {self.peer_side!r}: {self.chan.uid}\n'
             f'=> {self.side!r}\n\n'
             f'{error}'
         )
@@ -623,9 +624,8 @@ class Context:
 
         elif isinstance(error, MsgTypeError):
             msgerr = True
-            peer_side: str = self.peer_side(self.side)
             log.error(
-                f'IPC dialog error due to msg-type caused by {peer_side!r} side\n\n'
+                f'IPC dialog error due to msg-type caused by {self.peer_side!r} side\n\n'
 
                 f'{error}\n'
                 f'{pformat(self)}\n'
@@ -1067,12 +1067,12 @@ class Context:
             except trio.EndOfChannel as eoc:
                 if (
                     eoc
-                    and stream.closed
+                    and
+                    stream.closed
                 ):
                     # sanity, can remove?
                     assert eoc is stream._eoc
-                    # from .devx import pause
+
-                    # await pause()
                     log.warning(
                         'Stream was terminated by EoC\n\n'
                         # NOTE: won't show the error <Type> but
@@ -1644,10 +1644,9 @@ class Context:
         side: str = self.side
         if side == 'child':
             assert not self._portal
-        peer_side: str = self.peer_side(side)
 
         flow_body: str = (
-            f'<= peer {peer_side!r}: {from_uid}\n'
+            f'<= peer {self.peer_side!r}: {from_uid}\n'
             f'  |_<{nsf}()>\n\n'
 
             f'=> {side!r}: {self._task}\n'
@@ -1665,7 +1664,7 @@ class Context:
                 log_meth = log.runtime
 
             log_meth(
-                f'Delivering IPC ctx error from {peer_side!r} to {side!r} task\n\n'
+                f'Delivering IPC ctx error from {self.peer_side!r} to {side!r} task\n\n'
 
                 f'{flow_body}'
 
@@ -2330,7 +2329,7 @@ async def open_context_from_portal(
                 and ctx.cancel_acked
             ):
                 log.cancel(
-                    'Context cancelled by caller task\n'
+                    'Context cancelled by {ctx.side!r}-side task\n'
                     f'|_{ctx._task}\n\n'
 
                     f'{repr(scope_err)}\n'
@@ -2364,6 +2363,7 @@ async def open_context_from_portal(
             None,
         )
 
+
 def mk_context(
     chan: Channel,
     cid: str,

tractor/_exceptions.py

@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ from tractor.msg import (
 from tractor.msg.pretty_struct import (
     iter_fields,
     Struct,
+    pformat as struct_format,
 )
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -108,6 +109,10 @@ _body_fields: list[str] = list(
         'relay_path',
         '_msg_dict',
         'cid',
+
+        # since only ctxc should show it but `Error` does
+        # have it as an optional field.
+        'canceller',
     }
 )
 
@@ -382,6 +387,9 @@ class RemoteActorError(Exception):
         '''
         Error type raised by original remote faulting actor.
 
+        When the error has only been relayed a single actor-hop
+        this will be the same as the `.boxed_type`.
+
         '''
         if self._src_type is None:
             self._src_type = get_err_type(
@@ -396,7 +404,8 @@ class RemoteActorError(Exception):
         String-name of the (last hop's) boxed error type.
 
         '''
-        return self._ipc_msg.boxed_type_str
+        bt: Type[BaseException] = self.boxed_type
+        return str(bt.__name__)
 
     @property
     def boxed_type(self) -> str:
@@ -492,7 +501,11 @@ class RemoteActorError(Exception):
         '''
         # TODO: use this matryoshka emjoi XD
         # => 🪆
-        reprol_str: str = f'{type(self).__name__}('
+        reprol_str: str = (
+            f'{type(self).__name__}'  # type name
+            f'[{self.boxed_type_str}]'  # parameterized by boxed type
+            '('  # init-style look
+        )
         _repr: str = self._mk_fields_str(
             self.reprol_fields,
             end_char=' ',
@@ -532,7 +545,8 @@ class RemoteActorError(Exception):
         self,
     ) -> BaseException:
         '''
-        Unpack the inner-most source error from it's original IPC msg data.
+        Unpack the inner-most source error from it's original IPC
+        msg data.
 
         We attempt to reconstruct (as best as we can) the original
         `Exception` from as it would have been raised in the
@@ -570,6 +584,14 @@ class RemoteActorError(Exception):
     #     #     boxed_type=get_type_ref(..
     #     raise NotImplementedError
 
+    @property
+    def sender(self) -> tuple[str, str]|None:
+        if (
+            (msg := self._ipc_msg)
+            and (value := msg.sender)
+        ):
+            return tuple(value)
+
 
 class ContextCancelled(RemoteActorError):
     '''
@@ -644,8 +666,8 @@ class MsgTypeError(
     - `Yield`
     - TODO: any embedded `.pld` type defined by user code?
 
-    Normally the source of an error is re-raised from some `.msg._codec`
+    Normally the source of an error is re-raised from some
-    decode which itself raises in a backend interchange
+    `.msg._codec` decode which itself raises in a backend interchange
     lib (eg. a `msgspec.ValidationError`).
 
     '''
@@ -734,20 +756,6 @@ class StreamOverrun(
     handled by app code using `MsgStream.send()/.receive()`.
 
     '''
-    @property
-    def sender(self) -> tuple[str, str] | None:
-        value = self._ipc_msg.sender
-        if value:
-            return tuple(value)
-
-
-# class InternalActorError(RemoteActorError):
-#     '''
-#     Boxed (Remote) internal `tractor` error indicating failure of some
-#     primitive, machinery state or lowlevel task that should never
-#     occur.
-
-#     '''
 
 
 class TransportClosed(trio.ClosedResourceError):
@@ -944,8 +952,7 @@ def _raise_from_unexpected_msg(
     src_err: AttributeError,
     log: StackLevelAdapter,  # caller specific `log` obj
 
-    expect_msg: str = Yield,
+    expect_msg: Type[MsgType],
-    stream: MsgStream | None = None,
 
     # allow "deeper" tbs when debugging B^o
     hide_tb: bool = True,
@@ -987,6 +994,8 @@ def _raise_from_unexpected_msg(
         ) from src_err
 
     # TODO: test that shows stream raising an expected error!!!
+    stream: MsgStream|None
+    _type: str = 'Context'
 
     # raise the error message in a boxed exception type!
     if isinstance(msg, Error):
@@ -1003,12 +1012,13 @@ def _raise_from_unexpected_msg(
     # TODO: does it make more sense to pack 
     # the stream._eoc outside this in the calleer always?
         # case Stop():
-    elif (
+    elif stream := ctx._stream:
+        _type: str = 'MsgStream'
+
+        if (
+            stream._eoc
+            or
             isinstance(msg, Stop)
-        or (
-            stream
-            and stream._eoc
-        )
         ):
             log.debug(
                 f'Context[{cid}] stream was stopped by remote side\n'
@@ -1040,22 +1050,16 @@ def _raise_from_unexpected_msg(
             ctx.maybe_raise()
             raise eoc from src_err
 
-    if (
+        # TODO: our own transport/IPC-broke error subtype?
-        stream
+        if stream._closed:
-        and stream._closed
+            raise trio.ClosedResourceError('This stream was closed')
-    ):
-        # TODO: our own error subtype?
-        raise trio.ClosedResourceError(
-            'This stream was closed'
-        )
 
     # always re-raise the source error if no translation error case
     # is activated above.
-    _type: str = 'Stream' if stream else 'Context'
     raise MessagingError(
-        f"{_type} was expecting a {expect_msg} message"
+        f'{_type} was expecting a {expect_msg.__name__!r} message'
-        " BUT received a non-error msg:\n"
+        ' BUT received a non-error msg:\n\n'
-        f'{pformat(msg)}'
+        f'{struct_format(msg)}'
     ) from src_err
 
 
@@ -1088,13 +1092,11 @@ def _mk_msg_type_err(
         # no src error from `msgspec.msgpack.Decoder.decode()` so
         # prolly a manual type-check on our part.
         if message is None:
-            fmt_spec: str = codec.pformat_msg_spec()
             fmt_stack: str = (
                 '\n'.join(traceback.format_stack(limit=3))
             )
             tb_fmt: str = pformat_boxed_tb(
                 tb_str=fmt_stack,
-                # fields_str=header,
                 field_prefix='  ',
                 indent='',
             )
@@ -1102,8 +1104,7 @@ def _mk_msg_type_err(
                 f'invalid msg -> {msg}: {type(msg)}\n\n'
                 f'{tb_fmt}\n'
                 f'Valid IPC msgs are:\n\n'
-                # f'  ------ - ------\n'
+                f'{codec.msg_spec_str}\n',
-                f'{fmt_spec}\n',
             )
         elif src_type_error:
             src_message: str = str(src_type_error)

tractor/_portal.py

@@ -420,7 +420,6 @@ class Portal:
             kwargs=kwargs,
             portal=self,
         )
-        ctx._portal = self
 
         # ensure receive-only stream entrypoint
         assert ctx._remote_func_type == 'asyncgen'
@@ -430,9 +429,10 @@ class Portal:
             async with MsgStream(
                 ctx=ctx,
                 rx_chan=ctx._rx_chan,
-            ) as rchan:
+            ) as stream:
-                self._streams.add(rchan)
+                self._streams.add(stream)
-                yield rchan
+                ctx._stream = stream
+                yield stream
 
         finally:
 
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ class Portal:
 
             # XXX: should this always be done?
             # await recv_chan.aclose()
-            self._streams.remove(rchan)
+            self._streams.remove(stream)
 
     # NOTE: impl is found in `._context`` mod to make
     # reading/groking the details simpler code-org-wise. This

tractor/_rpc.py

@@ -181,12 +181,11 @@ async def _invoke_non_context(
         # way: using the linked IPC context machinery.
         failed_resp: bool = False
         try:
-            await chan.send(
+            ack = StartAck(
-                StartAck(
                 cid=cid,
                 functype='asyncfunc',
             )
-            )
+            await chan.send(ack)
         except (
             trio.ClosedResourceError,
             trio.BrokenResourceError,
@@ -194,12 +193,11 @@ async def _invoke_non_context(
         ) as ipc_err:
             failed_resp = True
             if is_rpc:
-                raise
+                raise ipc_err
             else:
-                # TODO: should this be an `.exception()` call?
+                log.exception(
-                log.warning(
+                    f'Failed to respond to runtime RPC request for\n\n'
-                    f'Failed to respond to non-rpc request: {func}\n'
+                    f'{ack}\n'
-                    f'{ipc_err}'
                 )
 
         with cancel_scope as cs:
@@ -220,20 +218,19 @@ async def _invoke_non_context(
                 and chan.connected()
             ):
                 try:
-                    await chan.send(
+                    ret_msg = return_msg(
-                        return_msg(
                         cid=cid,
                         pld=result,
                     )
-                    )
+                    await chan.send(ret_msg)
                 except (
                     BrokenPipeError,
                     trio.BrokenResourceError,
                 ):
                     log.warning(
-                        'Failed to return result:\n'
+                        'Failed to send RPC result?\n'
-                        f'{func}@{actor.uid}\n'
+                        f'|_{func}@{actor.uid}() -> {ret_msg}\n\n'
-                        f'remote chan: {chan.uid}'
+                        f'x=> peer: {chan.uid}\n'
                     )
 
 @acm
@@ -250,7 +247,7 @@ async def _errors_relayed_via_ipc(
     ] = trio.TASK_STATUS_IGNORED,
 
 ) -> None:
-    __tracebackhide__: bool = hide_tb  # TODO: use hide_tb here?
+    __tracebackhide__: bool = hide_tb
     try:
         yield  # run RPC invoke body
 
@@ -262,23 +259,19 @@ async def _errors_relayed_via_ipc(
         KeyboardInterrupt,
     ) as err:
 
-        # always hide this frame from debug REPL if the crash
+        # NOTE: always hide this frame from debug REPL call stack
-        # originated from an rpc task and we DID NOT fail due to
+        # if the crash originated from an RPC task and we DID NOT
-        # an IPC transport error!
+        # fail due to an IPC transport error!
         if (
             is_rpc
-            and chan.connected()
+            and
+            chan.connected()
         ):
             __tracebackhide__: bool = hide_tb
 
-        if not is_multi_cancelled(err):
-
         # TODO: maybe we'll want different "levels" of debugging
         # eventualy such as ('app', 'supervisory', 'runtime') ?
-
+        if not is_multi_cancelled(err):
-            # if not isinstance(err, trio.ClosedResourceError) and (
-            # if not is_multi_cancelled(err) and (
-
             entered_debug: bool = False
             if (
                 (
@@ -310,16 +303,15 @@ async def _errors_relayed_via_ipc(
                 # strange bug in our transport layer itself? Going
                 # to keep this open ended for now.
                 entered_debug = await _debug._maybe_enter_pm(err)
-
                 if not entered_debug:
                     log.exception(
                         'RPC task crashed\n'
                         f'|_{ctx}'
                     )
 
-        # always (try to) ship RPC errors back to caller
+        # ALWAYS try to ship RPC errors back to parent/caller task
         if is_rpc:
-            #
+
             # TODO: tests for this scenario:
             # - RPC caller closes connection before getting a response
             #   should **not** crash this actor..
@@ -331,33 +323,41 @@ async def _errors_relayed_via_ipc(
                 hide_tb=hide_tb,
             )
 
-        # error is probably from above coro running code *not from
+        # if the ctx cs is NOT allocated, the error is likely from
-        # the target rpc invocation since a scope was never
+        # above `coro` invocation machinery NOT from inside the
-        # allocated around the coroutine await.
+        # `coro` itself, i.e. err is NOT a user application error.
         if ctx._scope is None:
             # we don't ever raise directly here to allow the
             # msg-loop-scheduler to continue running for this
             # channel.
             task_status.started(err)
 
-        # always reraise KBIs so they propagate at the sys-process
+        # always reraise KBIs so they propagate at the sys-process level.
-        # level.
         if isinstance(err, KeyboardInterrupt):
             raise
 
-
+    # RPC task bookeeping.
-    # RPC task bookeeping
+    # since RPC tasks are scheduled inside a flat
+    # `Actor._service_n`, we add "handles" to each such that
+    # they can be individually ccancelled.
     finally:
         try:
-            ctx, func, is_complete = actor._rpc_tasks.pop(
+            ctx: Context
+            func: Callable
+            is_complete: trio.Event
+            (
+                ctx,
+                func,
+                is_complete,
+            ) = actor._rpc_tasks.pop(
                 (chan, ctx.cid)
             )
             is_complete.set()
 
         except KeyError:
-            if is_rpc:
             # If we're cancelled before the task returns then the
             # cancel scope will not have been inserted yet
+            if is_rpc:
                 log.warning(
                     'RPC task likely errored or cancelled before start?'
                     f'|_{ctx._task}\n'
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ async def _errors_relayed_via_ipc(
 
         finally:
             if not actor._rpc_tasks:
-                log.runtime("All RPC tasks have completed")
+                log.runtime('All RPC tasks have completed')
                 actor._ongoing_rpc_tasks.set()
 
 
@@ -414,19 +414,16 @@ async def _invoke(
 
     # TODO: possibly a specially formatted traceback
     # (not sure what typing is for this..)?
-    # tb = None
+    # tb: TracebackType = None
 
     cancel_scope = CancelScope()
-    # activated cancel scope ref
+    cs: CancelScope|None = None  # ref when activated
-    cs: CancelScope|None = None
-
     ctx = actor.get_context(
         chan=chan,
         cid=cid,
         nsf=NamespacePath.from_ref(func),
 
-        # TODO: if we wanted to get cray and support it?
+        # NOTE: no portal passed bc this is the "child"-side
-        # side='callee',
 
         # We shouldn't ever need to pass this through right?
         # it's up to the soon-to-be called rpc task to
@@ -459,8 +456,8 @@ async def _invoke(
             kwargs['stream'] = ctx
 
 
-    elif getattr(func, '_tractor_context_function', False):
     # handle decorated ``@tractor.context`` async function
+    elif getattr(func, '_tractor_context_function', False):
         kwargs['ctx'] = ctx
         context = True
 
@@ -474,7 +471,8 @@ async def _invoke(
         task_status=task_status,
     ):
         if not (
-            inspect.isasyncgenfunction(func) or
+            inspect.isasyncgenfunction(func)
+            or
             inspect.iscoroutinefunction(func)
         ):
             raise TypeError(f'{func} must be an async function!')
@@ -486,8 +484,7 @@ async def _invoke(
         except TypeError:
             raise
 
-        # TODO: implement all these cases in terms of the
+        # TODO: impl all these cases in terms of the `Context` one!
-        # `Context` one!
         if not context:
             await _invoke_non_context(
                 actor,
@@ -503,7 +500,7 @@ async def _invoke(
                 return_msg,
                 task_status,
             )
-            # below is only for `@context` funcs
+            # XXX below fallthrough is ONLY for `@context` eps
             return
 
         # our most general case: a remote SC-transitive,
@@ -580,9 +577,6 @@ async def _invoke(
             #   itself calls `ctx._maybe_cancel_and_set_remote_error()`
             #   which cancels the scope presuming the input error
             #   is not a `.cancel_acked` pleaser.
-            # - currently a never-should-happen-fallthrough case
-            #   inside ._context._drain_to_final_msg()`..
-            #   # TODO: remove this ^ right?
             if ctx._scope.cancelled_caught:
                 our_uid: tuple = actor.uid
 
@@ -598,9 +592,7 @@ async def _invoke(
                 if cs.cancel_called:
 
                     canceller: tuple = ctx.canceller
-                    msg: str = (
+                    explain: str = f'{ctx.side!r}-side task was cancelled by '
-                        'actor was cancelled by '
-                    )
 
                     # NOTE / TODO: if we end up having
                     # ``Actor._cancel_task()`` call
@@ -610,22 +602,28 @@ async def _invoke(
                     if ctx._cancel_called:
                         # TODO: test for this!!!!!
                         canceller: tuple = our_uid
-                        msg += 'itself '
+                        explain += 'itself '
 
                     # if the channel which spawned the ctx is the
                     # one that cancelled it then we report that, vs.
                     # it being some other random actor that for ex.
                     # some actor who calls `Portal.cancel_actor()`
                     # and by side-effect cancels this ctx.
+                    #
+                    # TODO: determine if the ctx peer task was the
+                    # exact task which cancelled, vs. some other
+                    # task in the same actor.
                     elif canceller == ctx.chan.uid:
-                        msg += 'its caller'
+                        explain += f'its {ctx.peer_side!r}-side peer'
 
                     else:
-                        msg += 'a remote peer'
+                        explain += 'a remote peer'
 
+                    # TODO: move this "div centering" into
+                    # a helper for use elsewhere!
                     div_chars: str = '------ - ------'
                     div_offset: int = (
-                        round(len(msg)/2)+1
+                        round(len(explain)/2)+1
                         +
                         round(len(div_chars)/2)+1
                     )
@@ -636,11 +634,12 @@ async def _invoke(
                         +
                         f'{div_chars}\n'
                     )
-                    msg += (
+                    explain += (
                         div_str +
                         f'<= canceller: {canceller}\n'
-                        f'=> uid: {our_uid}\n'
+                        f'=> cancellee: {our_uid}\n'
-                        f'  |_{ctx._task}()'
+                        # TODO: better repr for ctx tasks..
+                        f'  |_{ctx.side!r} {ctx._task}'
 
                         # TODO: instead just show the
                         # ctx.__str__() here?
@@ -659,7 +658,7 @@ async def _invoke(
                     # task, so relay this cancel signal to the
                     # other side.
                     ctxc = ContextCancelled(
-                        message=msg,
+                        message=explain,
                         boxed_type=trio.Cancelled,
                         canceller=canceller,
                     )
@@ -702,11 +701,9 @@ async def _invoke(
             ctx: Context = actor._contexts.pop((
                 chan.uid,
                 cid,
-                # ctx.side,
             ))
 
             merr: Exception|None = ctx.maybe_error
-
             (
                 res_type_str,
                 res_str,
@@ -720,7 +717,7 @@ async def _invoke(
             )
             log.runtime(
                 f'IPC context terminated with a final {res_type_str}\n\n'
-                f'{ctx}\n'
+                f'{ctx}'
             )
 
 
@@ -806,13 +803,19 @@ async def process_messages(
       and `Actor.cancel()` process-wide-runtime-shutdown requests
       (as utilized inside `Portal.cancel_actor()` ).
 
-
     '''
     assert actor._service_n  # state sanity
 
     # TODO: once `trio` get's an "obvious way" for req/resp we
     # should use it?
-    # https://github.com/python-trio/trio/issues/467
+    # -[ ] existing GH https://github.com/python-trio/trio/issues/467
+    # -[ ] for other transports (like QUIC) we can possibly just
+    #  entirely avoid the feeder mem-chans since each msg will be
+    #  delivered with a ctx-id already?
+    #
+    #  |_ for ex, from `aioquic` which exposed "stream ids":
+    #  - https://github.com/aiortc/aioquic/blob/main/src/aioquic/quic/connection.py#L1175
+    #  - https://github.com/aiortc/aioquic/blob/main/src/aioquic/quic/connection.py#L659
     log.runtime(
         'Entering RPC msg loop:\n'
         f'peer: {chan.uid}\n'
@@ -850,7 +853,7 @@ async def process_messages(
                         | Return(cid=cid)
                         | CancelAck(cid=cid)
 
-                        # `.cid` means RPC-ctx-task specific
+                        # `.cid` indicates RPC-ctx-task scoped
                         | Error(cid=cid)
 
                         # recv-side `MsgType` decode violation
@@ -1046,16 +1049,16 @@ async def process_messages(
                                 trio.Event(),
                             )
 
-                    # runtime-scoped remote error (since no `.cid`)
+                    # runtime-scoped remote (internal) error
+                    # (^- bc no `Error.cid` -^)
+                    #
+                    # NOTE: this is the non-rpc error case, that
+                    # is, an error NOT raised inside a call to
+                    # `_invoke()` (i.e. no cid was provided in the
+                    # msg - see above). Raise error inline and
+                    # mark the channel as "globally errored" for
+                    # all downstream consuming primitives.
                     case Error():
-                        # NOTE: this is the non-rpc error case,
-                        # that is, an error **not** raised inside
-                        # a call to ``_invoke()`` (i.e. no cid was
-                        # provided in the msg - see above). Push
-                        # this error to all local channel
-                        # consumers (normally portals) by marking
-                        # the channel as errored
-                        # assert chan.uid
                         chan._exc: Exception = unpack_error(
                             msg,
                             chan=chan,
@@ -1111,7 +1114,7 @@ async def process_messages(
             f'|_{chan.raddr}\n'
         )
 
-        # transport **was** disconnected
+        # transport **WAS** disconnected
         return True
 
     except (
@@ -1150,12 +1153,11 @@ async def process_messages(
     finally:
         # msg debugging for when he machinery is brokey
         log.runtime(
-            'Exiting IPC msg loop with\n'
+            'Exiting IPC msg loop with final msg\n\n'
-            f'peer: {chan.uid}\n'
+            f'<= peer: {chan.uid}\n'
             f'|_{chan}\n\n'
-            'final msg:\n'
+            f'{pformat(msg)}\n\n'
-            f'{pformat(msg)}\n'
         )
 
-    # transport **was not** disconnected
+    # transport **WAS NOT** disconnected
     return False

tractor/_runtime.py

@@ -850,7 +850,7 @@ class Actor:
         msg_buffer_size: int|None = None,
         allow_overruns: bool = False,
         load_nsf: bool = False,
-        ack_timeout: float = 3,
+        ack_timeout: float = float('inf'),
 
     ) -> Context:
         '''

tractor/msg/__init__.py

@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ from ._codec import (
     MsgDec as MsgDec,
     current_codec as current_codec,
 )
+# currently can't bc circular with `._context`
+# from ._ops import (
+#     PldRx as PldRx,
+#     _drain_to_final_msg as _drain_to_final_msg,
+# )
 
 from .types import (
     Msg as Msg,

tractor/msg/_codec.py

@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ log = get_logger(__name__)
 # TODO: unify with `MsgCodec` by making `._dec` part this?
 class MsgDec(Struct):
     '''
-    An IPC msg decoder.
+    An IPC msg (payload) decoder.
 
     Normally used to decode only a payload: `MsgType.pld:
     PayloadT` field before delivery to IPC consumer code.
@@ -87,6 +87,31 @@ class MsgDec(Struct):
     def dec(self) -> msgpack.Decoder:
         return self._dec
 
+    def __repr__(self) -> str:
+
+        speclines: str = self.spec_str
+
+        # in multi-typed spec case we stick the list
+        # all on newlines after the |__pld_spec__:,
+        # OW it's prolly single type spec-value
+        # so just leave it on same line.
+        if '\n' in speclines:
+            speclines: str = '\n' + textwrap.indent(
+                speclines,
+                prefix=' '*3,
+            )
+
+        body: str = textwrap.indent(
+            f'|_dec_hook: {self.dec.dec_hook}\n'
+            f'|__pld_spec__: {speclines}\n',
+            prefix=' '*2,
+        )
+        return (
+            f'<{type(self).__name__}(\n'
+            f'{body}'
+            ')>'
+        )
+
     # struct type unions
     # https://jcristharif.com/msgspec/structs.html#tagged-unions
     #
@@ -137,17 +162,7 @@ class MsgDec(Struct):
     # TODO: would get moved into `FieldSpec.__str__()` right?
     @property
     def spec_str(self) -> str:
-
+        return pformat_msgspec(codec=self)
-        # TODO: could also use match: instead?
-        spec: Union[Type]|Type = self.spec
-
-        # `typing.Union` case
-        if getattr(spec, '__args__', False):
-            return str(spec)
-
-        # just a single type
-        else:
-            return spec.__name__
 
     pld_spec_str = spec_str
 
@@ -168,10 +183,58 @@ def mk_dec(
 
 ) -> MsgDec:
 
-    return msgpack.Decoder(
+    return MsgDec(
+        _dec=msgpack.Decoder(
             type=spec,  # like `Msg[Any]`
             dec_hook=dec_hook,
         )
+    )
+
+
+def mk_msgspec_table(
+    dec: msgpack.Decoder,
+    msg: MsgType|None = None,
+
+) -> dict[str, MsgType]|str:
+    '''
+    Fill out a `dict` of `MsgType`s keyed by name
+    for a given input `msgspec.msgpack.Decoder`
+    as defined by its `.type: Union[Type]` setting.
+
+    If `msg` is provided, only deliver a `dict` with a single
+    entry for that type.
+
+    '''
+    msgspec: Union[Type]|Type = dec.type
+
+    if not (msgtypes := getattr(msgspec, '__args__', False)):
+        msgtypes = [msgspec]
+
+    msgt_table: dict[str, MsgType] = {
+        msgt: str(msgt)
+        for msgt in msgtypes
+    }
+    if msg:
+        msgt: MsgType = type(msg)
+        str_repr: str = msgt_table[msgt]
+        return {msgt: str_repr}
+
+    return msgt_table
+
+
+def pformat_msgspec(
+    codec: MsgCodec|MsgDec,
+    msg: MsgType|None = None,
+    join_char: str = '\n',
+
+) -> str:
+    dec: msgpack.Decoder = getattr(codec, 'dec', codec)
+    return join_char.join(
+        mk_msgspec_table(
+            dec=dec,
+            msg=msg,
+        ).values()
+    )
 
 # TODO: overall IPC msg-spec features (i.e. in this mod)!
 #
@@ -200,7 +263,7 @@ class MsgCodec(Struct):
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         speclines: str = textwrap.indent(
-            self.pformat_msg_spec(),
+            pformat_msgspec(codec=self),
             prefix=' '*3,
         )
         body: str = textwrap.indent(
@@ -244,33 +307,11 @@ class MsgCodec(Struct):
         # NOTE: defined and applied inside `mk_codec()`
         return self._dec.type
 
-    def msg_spec_items(
-        self,
-        msg: MsgType|None = None,
-
-    ) -> dict[str, MsgType]|str:
-
-        msgt_table: dict[str, MsgType] = {
-            msgt: str(msgt)
-            for msgt in self.msg_spec.__args__
-        }
-        if msg:
-            msgt: MsgType = type(msg)
-            str_repr: str = msgt_table[msgt]
-            return {msgt: str_repr}
-
-        return msgt_table
-
     # TODO: some way to make `pretty_struct.Struct` use this
     # wrapped field over the `.msg_spec` one?
-    def pformat_msg_spec(
+    @property
-        self,
+    def msg_spec_str(self) -> str:
-        msg: MsgType|None = None,
+        return pformat_msgspec(self.msg_spec)
-        join_char: str = '\n',
-    ) -> str:
-        return join_char.join(
-            self.msg_spec_items(msg=msg).values()
-        )
 
     lib: ModuleType = msgspec
 
@@ -280,16 +321,31 @@ class MsgCodec(Struct):
     def enc(self) -> msgpack.Encoder:
         return self._enc
 
+    # TODO: reusing encode buffer for perf?
+    # https://jcristharif.com/msgspec/perf-tips.html#reusing-an-output-buffer
+    _buf: bytearray = bytearray()
+
     def encode(
         self,
         py_obj: Any,
 
+        use_buf: bool = False,
+        # ^-XXX-^ uhh why am i getting this?
+        # |_BufferError: Existing exports of data: object cannot be re-sized
+
     ) -> bytes:
         '''
         Encode input python objects to `msgpack` bytes for
         transfer on a tranport protocol connection.
 
+        When `use_buf == True` use the output buffer optimization:
+        https://jcristharif.com/msgspec/perf-tips.html#reusing-an-output-buffer
+
         '''
+        if use_buf:
+            self._enc.encode_into(py_obj, self._buf)
+            return self._buf
+        else:
             return self._enc.encode(py_obj)
 
     @property

tractor/msg/_ops.py

@@ -146,7 +146,11 @@ class PldRx(Struct):
             # sync-rx msg from underlying IPC feeder (mem-)chan
             ctx._rx_chan.receive_nowait()
         )
-        return self.dec_msg(msg)
+        return self.dec_msg(
+            msg,
+            ctx=ctx,
+            expect_msg=expect_msg,
+        )
 
     async def recv_pld(
         self,

tractor/msg/pretty_struct.py

@@ -102,6 +102,59 @@ def iter_fields(struct: Struct) -> Iterator[
         )
 
 
+def pformat(
+    struct: Struct,
+    field_indent: int = 2,
+    indent: int = 0,
+
+) -> str:
+    '''
+    Recursion-safe `pprint.pformat()` style formatting of
+    a `msgspec.Struct` for sane reading by a human using a REPL.
+
+    '''
+    # global whitespace indent
+    ws: str = ' '*indent
+
+    # field whitespace indent
+    field_ws: str = ' '*(field_indent + indent)
+
+    # qtn: str = ws + struct.__class__.__qualname__
+    qtn: str = struct.__class__.__qualname__
+
+    obj_str: str = ''  # accumulator
+    fi: structs.FieldInfo
+    k: str
+    v: Any
+    for fi, k, v in iter_fields(struct):
+
+        # TODO: how can we prefer `Literal['option1',  'option2,
+        # ..]` over .__name__ == `Literal` but still get only the
+        # latter for simple types like `str | int | None` etc..?
+        ft: type = fi.type
+        typ_name: str = getattr(ft, '__name__', str(ft))
+
+        # recurse to get sub-struct's `.pformat()` output Bo
+        if isinstance(v, Struct):
+            val_str: str =  v.pformat(
+                indent=field_indent + indent,
+                field_indent=indent + field_indent,
+            )
+
+        else:  # the `pprint` recursion-safe format:
+            # https://docs.python.org/3.11/library/pprint.html#pprint.saferepr
+            val_str: str = saferepr(v)
+
+        # TODO: LOLOL use `textwrap.indent()` instead dawwwwwg!
+        obj_str += (field_ws + f'{k}: {typ_name} = {val_str},\n')
+
+    return (
+        f'{qtn}(\n'
+        f'{obj_str}'
+        f'{ws})'
+    )
+
+
 class Struct(
     _Struct,
 
@@ -140,65 +193,12 @@ class Struct(
 
         return sin_props
 
-    # TODO: make thisi a mod-func!
+    pformat = pformat
-    def pformat(
+    # __str__ = __repr__ = pformat
-        self,
-        field_indent: int = 2,
-        indent: int = 0,
-
-    ) -> str:
-        '''
-        Recursion-safe `pprint.pformat()` style formatting of
-        a `msgspec.Struct` for sane reading by a human using a REPL.
-
-        '''
-        # global whitespace indent
-        ws: str = ' '*indent
-
-        # field whitespace indent
-        field_ws: str = ' '*(field_indent + indent)
-
-        # qtn: str = ws + self.__class__.__qualname__
-        qtn: str = self.__class__.__qualname__
-
-        obj_str: str = ''  # accumulator
-        fi: structs.FieldInfo
-        k: str
-        v: Any
-        for fi, k, v in iter_fields(self):
-
-            # TODO: how can we prefer `Literal['option1',  'option2,
-            # ..]` over .__name__ == `Literal` but still get only the
-            # latter for simple types like `str | int | None` etc..?
-            ft: type = fi.type
-            typ_name: str = getattr(ft, '__name__', str(ft))
-
-            # recurse to get sub-struct's `.pformat()` output Bo
-            if isinstance(v, Struct):
-                val_str: str =  v.pformat(
-                    indent=field_indent + indent,
-                    field_indent=indent + field_indent,
-                )
-
-            else:  # the `pprint` recursion-safe format:
-                # https://docs.python.org/3.11/library/pprint.html#pprint.saferepr
-                val_str: str = saferepr(v)
-
-            # TODO: LOLOL use `textwrap.indent()` instead dawwwwwg!
-            obj_str += (field_ws + f'{k}: {typ_name} = {val_str},\n')
-
-        return (
-            f'{qtn}(\n'
-            f'{obj_str}'
-            f'{ws})'
-        )
-
     # TODO: use a pprint.PrettyPrinter instance around ONLY rendering
     # inside a known tty?
     # def __repr__(self) -> str:
     #     ...
-
-    # __str__ = __repr__ = pformat
     __repr__ = pformat
 
     def copy(