One possibility, but I don't like it

examples/basalt.rs

@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ use tokio::sync::watch;
 use netapp::endpoint::*;
 use netapp::message::*;
 use netapp::peering::basalt::*;
-use netapp::send::*;
 use netapp::util::parse_peer_addr;
 use netapp::{NetApp, NodeID};
 
@@ -146,7 +145,7 @@ impl Example {
 				tokio::spawn(async move {
 					match self2
 						.example_endpoint
-						.call(&p, &ExampleMessage { example_field: 42 }, PRIO_NORMAL)
+						.call(&p, ExampleMessage { example_field: 42 }, PRIO_NORMAL)
 						.await
 					{
 						Ok(resp) => debug!("Got example response: {:?}", resp),
@@ -160,7 +159,7 @@ impl Example {
 
 #[async_trait]
 impl EndpointHandler<ExampleMessage> for Example {
-	async fn handle(self: &Arc<Self>, msg: &ExampleMessage, _from: NodeID) -> ExampleResponse {
+	async fn handle(self: &Arc<Self>, msg: ExampleMessage, _from: NodeID) -> ExampleResponse {
 		debug!("Got example message: {:?}, sending example response", msg);
 		ExampleResponse {
 			example_field: false,

src/client.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-use std::borrow::Borrow;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::net::SocketAddr;
 use std::sync::atomic::{self, AtomicU32};

src/endpoint.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-use std::borrow::Borrow;
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 

src/message.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-use async_trait::async_trait;
 use bytes::Bytes;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
@@ -43,6 +42,10 @@ pub trait Message: SerializeMessage + Send + Sync {
 }
 
 /// A trait for de/serializing messages, with possible associated stream.
+/// This is default-implemented by anything that can already be serialized
+/// and deserialized. Adapters are provided that implement this for 
+/// adding a body, either from a fixed Bytes buffer (which allows the thing
+/// to be Clone), or from a streaming byte stream.
 pub trait SerializeMessage: Sized {
 	type SerializableSelf: Serialize + for<'de> Deserialize<'de> + Send;
 
@@ -53,38 +56,9 @@ pub trait SerializeMessage: Sized {
 
 // ----
 
-impl<T, E> SerializeMessage for Result<T, E>
-where
-	T: SerializeMessage + Send,
-	E: Serialize + for<'de> Deserialize<'de> + Send,
-{
-	type SerializableSelf = Result<T::SerializableSelf, E>;
-
-	fn into_parts(self) -> (Self::SerializableSelf, Option<ByteStream>) {
-		match self {
-			Ok(ok) => {
-				let (msg, stream) = ok.into_parts();
-				(Ok(msg), stream)
-			}
-			Err(err) => (Err(err), None),
-		}
-	}
-
-	fn from_parts(ser_self: Self::SerializableSelf, stream: ByteStream) -> Self {
-		match ser_self {
-			Ok(ok) => Ok(T::from_parts(ok, stream)),
-			Err(err) => Err(err),
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-// ---
-
-pub trait SimpleMessage: Serialize + for<'de> Deserialize<'de> + Clone + Send + Sync {}
-
 impl<T> SerializeMessage for T
 where
-	T: SimpleMessage,
+	T: Serialize + for<'de> Deserialize<'de> + Send,
 {
 	type SerializableSelf = Self;
 	fn into_parts(self) -> (Self::SerializableSelf, Option<ByteStream>) {
@@ -97,12 +71,15 @@ where
 	}
 }
 
-impl SimpleMessage for () {}
-
-impl<T: SimpleMessage> SimpleMessage for std::sync::Arc<T> {}
-
 // ----
 
+/// An adapter that adds a body from a fixed Bytes buffer to a serializable message,
+/// implementing the SerializeMessage trait. This allows for the SerializeMessage object
+/// to be cloned, which is usefull for requests that must be sent to multiple servers.
+/// Note that cloning the body is cheap thanks to Bytes; make sure that your serializable
+/// part is also easily clonable (e.g. by wrapping it in an Arc).
+/// Note that this CANNOT be used for a response type, as it cannot be reconstructed
+/// from a remote stream.
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct WithFixedBody<T: Serialize + for<'de> Deserialize<'de> + Clone + Send + 'static>(
 	pub T,
@@ -123,11 +100,14 @@ where
 		)
 	}
 
-	fn from_parts(ser_self: Self::SerializableSelf, stream: ByteStream) -> Self {
+	fn from_parts(_ser_self: Self::SerializableSelf, _stream: ByteStream) -> Self {
-		panic!("Cannot reconstruct a WithFixedBody type from parts");
+		panic!("Cannot use a WithFixedBody as a response type");
 	}
 }
 
+/// An adapter that adds a body from a ByteStream. This is usefull for receiving
+/// responses to requests that contain attached byte streams. This type is
+/// not clonable.
 pub struct WithStreamingBody<T: Serialize + for<'de> Deserialize<'de> + Send>(
 	pub T,
 	pub ByteStream,

src/netapp.rs

@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ pub(crate) struct HelloMessage {
 	pub server_port: u16,
 }
 
-impl SimpleMessage for HelloMessage {}
-
 impl Message for HelloMessage {
 	type Response = ();
 }

src/peering/basalt.rs

@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ use tokio::sync::watch;
 use crate::endpoint::*;
 use crate::message::*;
 use crate::netapp::*;
-use crate::send::*;
 use crate::NodeID;
 
 // -- Protocol messages --
@@ -332,7 +331,7 @@ impl Basalt {
 	async fn do_pull(self: Arc<Self>, peer: NodeID) {
 		match self
 			.pull_endpoint
-			.call(&peer, &PullMessage {}, PRIO_NORMAL)
+			.call(&peer, PullMessage {}, PRIO_NORMAL)
 			.await
 		{
 			Ok(resp) => {
@@ -347,7 +346,7 @@ impl Basalt {
 
 	async fn do_push(self: Arc<Self>, peer: NodeID) {
 		let push_msg = self.make_push_message();
-		match self.push_endpoint.call(&peer, &push_msg, PRIO_NORMAL).await {
+		match self.push_endpoint.call(&peer, push_msg, PRIO_NORMAL).await {
 			Ok(_) => {
 				trace!("KYEV PEXo {}", hex::encode(peer));
 			}
@@ -469,14 +468,14 @@ impl Basalt {
 
 #[async_trait]
 impl EndpointHandler<PullMessage> for Basalt {
-	async fn handle(self: &Arc<Self>, _pullmsg: &PullMessage, _from: NodeID) -> PushMessage {
+	async fn handle(self: &Arc<Self>, _pullmsg: PullMessage, _from: NodeID) -> PushMessage {
 		self.make_push_message()
 	}
 }
 
 #[async_trait]
 impl EndpointHandler<PushMessage> for Basalt {
-	async fn handle(self: &Arc<Self>, pushmsg: &PushMessage, _from: NodeID) {
+	async fn handle(self: &Arc<Self>, pushmsg: PushMessage, _from: NodeID) {
 		self.handle_peer_list(&pushmsg.peers[..]);
 	}
 }

src/peering/fullmesh.rs

@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@ impl Message for PingMessage {
 	type Response = PingMessage;
 }
 
-impl SimpleMessage for PingMessage {}
-
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Clone)]
 struct PeerListMessage {
 	pub list: Vec<(NodeID, SocketAddr)>,
@@ -51,8 +49,6 @@ impl Message for PeerListMessage {
 	type Response = PeerListMessage;
 }
 
-impl SimpleMessage for PeerListMessage {}
-
 // -- Algorithm data structures --
 
 #[derive(Debug)]

src/util.rs

@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ use serde::Serialize;
 use futures::Stream;
 use tokio::sync::watch;
 
-use crate::message::SerializeMessage;
-
 /// A node's identifier, which is also its public cryptographic key
 pub type NodeID = sodiumoxide::crypto::sign::ed25519::PublicKey;
 /// A node's secret key