feat: Java-free decode via zxingcpp fallback

* feat: Java-free decode via zxingcpp fallback (Item 3)

Add zxingcpp as the preferred decode backend (no JVM required), falling back
to python-zxing for legacy environments. Normalises zxingcpp's <GS> token to
raw \x1d so GS1 group separator payloads round-trip correctly.

- decode() tries zxingcpp first (pip install 'aztec-py[decode-fast]')
- Falls back to python-zxing if zxingcpp absent
- Raises RuntimeError with install instructions if neither is present
- New decode-fast extra in pyproject.toml: zxingcpp>=2.2 + pillow
- 3 new tests covering fast path, empty result, and fallback behaviour
- All 97 tests pass, coverage 91%

* fix: update decode backend unavailability check for new error message

* fix: update conformance report backend unavailability check for new error message

---------

Co-authored-by: greyllmmoder <greyllmmoder@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: greyllmmoder

aztec_py/decode.py

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-"""Optional decode utility backed by python-zxing."""
+"""Optional decode utility — tries zxingcpp (no Java) then falls back to python-zxing."""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
@@ -8,20 +8,55 @@
 def decode(source: Any) -> Any:
     """Decode an Aztec symbol from an image path or PIL image.
 
+    Tries the ``zxingcpp`` backend first (pure C++, no Java runtime required).
+    Falls back to ``python-zxing`` (requires a JVM) if ``zxingcpp`` is absent.
+    Raises :class:`RuntimeError` with install instructions if neither is available.
+
+    Install the fast backend::
+
+        pip install "aztec-py[decode-fast]"   # zxingcpp — no Java needed
+
+    Install the legacy backend::
+
+        pip install "aztec-py[decode]"         # python-zxing — requires Java
+
     Args:
-        source: File path, file object, or PIL image supported by ``python-zxing``.
+        source: File path (``str`` / ``pathlib.Path``) or PIL ``Image`` object.
 
     Returns:
-        Decoded payload (`str` or `bytes` depending on the decoder/runtime).
+        Decoded payload string.
 
     Raises:
-        RuntimeError: If optional decode dependencies are missing or decode fails.
+        RuntimeError: If no decode backend is installed or decode fails.
     """
+    # --- fast path: zxingcpp (C++, no JVM) ---
+    try:
+        import zxingcpp  # type: ignore[import-not-found]
+
+        try:
+            import PIL.Image as _PILImage
+        except ImportError as exc:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                "zxingcpp requires Pillow: pip install 'aztec-py[decode-fast]'"
+            ) from exc
+
+        img = source if isinstance(source, _PILImage.Image) else _PILImage.open(source)
+        results = zxingcpp.read_barcodes(img)
+        if not results:
+            raise RuntimeError("Decoder returned no payload.")
+        # zxingcpp renders GS1 group separator as "<GS>"; normalise to raw byte.
+        return results[0].text.replace("<GS>", "\x1d")
+    except ImportError:
+        pass  # fall through to python-zxing
+
+    # --- legacy path: python-zxing (requires Java) ---
     try:
         import zxing  # type: ignore[import-not-found]
     except ImportError as exc:
         raise RuntimeError(
-            "Decode support requires optional dependency 'zxing' and a Java runtime."
+            "Decode support requires an optional backend.\n"
+            "  pip install \"aztec-py[decode-fast]\"  # zxingcpp — no Java needed\n"
+            "  pip install \"aztec-py[decode]\"        # python-zxing — requires Java"
         ) from exc
 
     reader = zxing.BarCodeReader()

pyproject.toml

@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ pdf = [
 decode = [
   "zxing>=1.0.4",
 ]
+decode-fast = [
+  "zxingcpp>=2.2",
+  "pillow>=8.0",
+]
 dev = [
   "pytest>=8.0",
   "pytest-cov>=5.0",

scripts/conformance_report.py

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ def _decode_backend_unavailable(message: str) -> bool:
         "optional dependency 'zxing'" in lower
         or "java runtime" in lower
         or "java" in lower and "failed to decode" in lower
+        or "optional backend" in lower  # zxingcpp-first fallback message
     )
 
 

scripts/decoder_matrix.py

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ def _decode_backend_unavailable(message: str) -> bool:
         "optional dependency 'zxing'" in lower
         or "java runtime" in lower
         or "java" in lower and "failed to decode" in lower
+        or "optional backend" in lower  # zxingcpp-first fallback message
     )
 
 

tests/test_decode.py

@@ -9,9 +9,15 @@
 from aztec_py import decode
 
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Existing tests — zxing legacy path
+# (block zxingcpp with None so import raises ImportError, fall through to zxing)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 def test_decode_requires_optional_dependency(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
-    monkeypatch.delitem(sys.modules, "zxing", raising=False)
-    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="optional dependency 'zxing'"):
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "zxingcpp", None)   # blocks re-import
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "zxing", None)       # blocks re-import
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="optional backend"):
         decode("missing.png")
 
 
@@ -26,6 +32,7 @@ def decode(self, _source):
     class ZXing:
         BarCodeReader = Reader
 
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "zxingcpp", None)   # force zxing path
     monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "zxing", ZXing())
     assert decode("any.png") == "ok"
 
@@ -38,6 +45,61 @@ def decode(self, _source):
     class ZXing:
         BarCodeReader = Reader
 
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "zxingcpp", None)   # force zxing path
     monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "zxing", ZXing())
     with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="no payload"):
         decode("any.png")
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# New tests — zxingcpp fast path
+# Pass a real in-memory PIL image so no file I/O is needed
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def test_decode_zxingcpp_fast_path(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    """zxingcpp is preferred over zxing when present; returns results[0].text."""
+    from PIL import Image
+
+    class FakeResult:
+        text = "fast-result"
+
+    class FakeZxingcpp:
+        @staticmethod
+        def read_barcodes(_img: object) -> list[FakeResult]:
+            return [FakeResult()]
+
+    img = Image.new("RGB", (15, 15))
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "zxingcpp", FakeZxingcpp())
+    assert decode(img) == "fast-result"
+
+
+def test_decode_zxingcpp_empty_payload(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    """zxingcpp returning empty list raises RuntimeError."""
+    from PIL import Image
+
+    class FakeZxingcpp:
+        @staticmethod
+        def read_barcodes(_img: object) -> list[object]:
+            return []
+
+    img = Image.new("RGB", (15, 15))
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "zxingcpp", FakeZxingcpp())
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="no payload"):
+        decode(img)
+
+
+def test_decode_zxingcpp_falls_back_to_zxing(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
+    """When zxingcpp is absent, decode falls through to python-zxing."""
+    class Result:
+        raw = "zxing-result"
+
+    class Reader:
+        def decode(self, _source: object) -> Result:
+            return Result()
+
+    class ZXing:
+        BarCodeReader = Reader
+
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "zxingcpp", None)   # block fast path
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "zxing", ZXing())
+    assert decode("any.png") == "zxing-result"