Added contact based dest

README.md

@@ -26,8 +26,11 @@ async def main():
     
     # Send a message to the first contact
     if contacts:
-        contact_key = next(iter(contacts.items()))[1]['public_key']
+        # Get the first contact
-        await meshcore.commands.send_msg(bytes.fromhex(contact_key), "Hello from Python!")
+        contact = next(iter(contacts.items()))[1]
+        
+        # Pass the contact object directly to send_msg
+        await meshcore.commands.send_msg(contact, "Hello from Python!")
     
     await meshcore.disconnect()
 
@@ -247,15 +250,31 @@ This logs detailed information about commands sent and events received.
 
 ### Sending Messages to Contacts
 
+Commands that require a destination (`send_msg`, `send_login`, `send_statusreq`, etc.) now accept either:
+- A string with the hex representation of a public key
+- A contact object with a "public_key" field
+- Bytes object (for backward compatibility)
+
 ```python
 # Get contacts and send to a specific one
 contacts = await meshcore.commands.get_contacts()
 for key, contact in contacts.items():
     if contact["adv_name"] == "Alice":
-        # Convert the hex key to bytes
+        # Option 1: Pass the contact object directly
+        await meshcore.commands.send_msg(contact, "Hello Alice!")
+        
+        # Option 2: Use the public key string
+        await meshcore.commands.send_msg(contact["public_key"], "Hello again Alice!")
+        
+        # Option 3 (backward compatible): Convert the hex key to bytes
         dst_key = bytes.fromhex(contact["public_key"])
-        await meshcore.commands.send_msg(dst_key, "Hello Alice!")
+        await meshcore.commands.send_msg(dst_key, "Hello once more Alice!")
         break
+
+# You can also directly use a contact found by name
+contact = meshcore.get_contact_by_name("Bob")
+if contact:
+    await meshcore.commands.send_msg(contact, "Hello Bob!")
 ```
 
 ### Monitoring Channel Messages

examples/serial_msg.py

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ async def main():
         # Send the message and get the MSG_SENT event
         print(f"Sending message: '{args.message}'")
         send_result = await mc.commands.send_msg(
-            bytes.fromhex(contact["public_key"])[0:6], 
+            contact, 
             args.message
         )
         

examples/serial_repeater_status.py

@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@ async def main () :
     await mc.commands.get_contacts()
     repeater = mc.get_contact_by_name(REPEATER)
     
-    await mc.commands.send_login(bytes.fromhex(repeater["public_key"]), PASSWORD)
+    if repeater is None:
+        print(f"Repeater '{REPEATER}' not found in contacts.")
+        return
+    await mc.commands.send_login(repeater, PASSWORD)
 
     print("Login sent ... awaiting")
 

examples/tcp_mchome_msg.py

@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ async def main () :
     await mc.connect()
 
     await mc.ensure_contacts()
-    await mc.commands.send_msg(bytes.fromhex(mc.get_contact_by_name(DEST)["public_key"])[0:6],MSG)
+    contact = mc.get_contact_by_name(DEST)
+    if contact is None:
+        print(f"Contact '{DEST}' not found in contacts.")
+        return
+    await mc.commands.send_msg(contact ,MSG)
 
 asyncio.run(main())

src/meshcore/commands.py

@@ -1,11 +1,50 @@
 import asyncio
 import logging
-from typing import Any, Dict
+from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
 from .events import EventType
 import random
 
+# Define types for destination parameters
+DestinationType = Union[bytes, str, Dict[str, Any]]
+            
 logger = logging.getLogger("meshcore")
 
+def _validate_destination(dst: DestinationType, prefix_length: int = 6) -> bytes:
+    """
+    Validates and converts a destination to a bytes object.
+    
+    Args:
+        dst: The destination, which can be:
+            - str: Hex string representation of a public key
+            - dict: Contact object with a "public_key" field
+        prefix_length: The length of the prefix to use (default: 6 bytes)
+            
+    Returns:
+        bytes: The destination public key as a bytes object
+        
+    Raises:
+        ValueError: If dst is invalid or doesn't contain required fields
+    """
+    if isinstance(dst, bytes):
+        # Already bytes, use directly
+        return dst[:prefix_length] 
+    elif isinstance(dst, str):
+        # Hex string, convert to bytes
+        try:
+            return bytes.fromhex(dst)[:prefix_length]
+        except ValueError:
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid public key hex string: {dst}")
+    elif isinstance(dst, dict):
+        # Contact object, extract public_key
+        if "public_key" not in dst:
+            raise ValueError("Contact object must have a 'public_key' field")
+        try:
+            return bytes.fromhex(dst["public_key"])[:prefix_length]
+        except ValueError:
+            raise ValueError(f"Invalid public_key in contact: {dst['public_key']}")
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"Destination must be a public key string or contact object, got: {type(dst)}")
+
 class CommandHandler:
     DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 5.0
     
@@ -166,41 +205,44 @@ class CommandHandler:
         logger.debug("Requesting pending messages")
         return await self.send(b"\x0A", [EventType.CONTACT_MSG_RECV, EventType.CHANNEL_MSG_RECV, EventType.ERROR], timeout)
         
-    async def send_login(self, dst, pwd):
+    async def send_login(self, dst: DestinationType, pwd: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        logger.debug(f"Sending login request to: {dst.hex() if isinstance(dst, bytes) else dst}")
+        dst_bytes = _validate_destination(dst)
-        data = b"\x1a" + dst + pwd.encode("ascii")
+        logger.debug(f"Sending login request to: {dst_bytes.hex()}")
+        data = b"\x1a" + dst_bytes + pwd.encode("ascii")
         return await self.send(data, [EventType.MSG_SENT, EventType.ERROR])
         
-    async def send_logout(self, dst):
+    async def send_logout(self, dst: DestinationType) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+         dst_bytes = _validate_destination(dst)
          self.login_resp = asyncio.Future()
-         data = b"\x1d" + dst
+         data = b"\x1d" + dst_bytes
          return await self.send(data, [EventType.MSG_SENT, EventType.ERROR])
         
-    async def send_statusreq(self, dst):
+    async def send_statusreq(self, dst: DestinationType) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        logger.debug(f"Sending status request to: {dst.hex() if isinstance(dst, bytes) else dst}")
+        dst_bytes = _validate_destination(dst)
-        data = b"\x1b" + dst
+        logger.debug(f"Sending status request to: {dst_bytes.hex()}")
+        data = b"\x1b" + dst_bytes
         return await self.send(data, [EventType.MSG_SENT, EventType.ERROR])
         
-    async def send_cmd(self, dst, cmd, timestamp=None):
+    async def send_cmd(self, dst: DestinationType, cmd: str, timestamp: Optional[int] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        logger.debug(f"Sending command to {dst.hex() if isinstance(dst, bytes) else dst}: {cmd}")
+        dst_bytes = _validate_destination(dst)
+        logger.debug(f"Sending command to {dst_bytes.hex()}: {cmd}")
         
-        # Default to current time if timestamp not provided
         if timestamp is None:
             import time
-            timestamp = int(time.time()).to_bytes(4, 'little')
+            timestamp = int(time.time())
             
-        data = b"\x02\x01\x00" + timestamp + dst + cmd.encode("ascii")
+        data = b"\x02\x01\x00" + timestamp.to_bytes(4, 'little') + dst_bytes + cmd.encode("ascii")
         return await self.send(data, [EventType.OK, EventType.ERROR])
         
-    async def send_msg(self, dst, msg, timestamp=None):
+    async def send_msg(self, dst: DestinationType, msg: str, timestamp: Optional[int] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-        logger.debug(f"Sending message to {dst.hex() if isinstance(dst, bytes) else dst}: {msg}")
+        dst_bytes = _validate_destination(dst)
+        logger.debug(f"Sending message to {dst_bytes.hex()}: {msg}")
         
-        # Default to current time if timestamp not provided
         if timestamp is None:
             import time
-            timestamp = int(time.time()).to_bytes(4, 'little')
+            timestamp = int(time.time())
             
-        data = b"\x02\x00\x00" + timestamp + dst + msg.encode("ascii")
+        data = b"\x02\x00\x00" + timestamp.to_bytes(4, 'little') + dst_bytes + msg.encode("ascii")
         return await self.send(data, [EventType.MSG_SENT, EventType.ERROR])
         
     async def send_chan_msg(self, chan, msg, timestamp=None):