`Msg`s and `Queries` are the two primary objects handled by modules. Most of the core components defined in a module, like `Msg` services, `keeper`s and `Query` services, exist to process `message`s and `queries`. {synopsis}
`Msg`s are objects whose end-goal is to trigger state-transitions. They are wrapped in [transactions](../core/transactions.md), which may contain one or more of them.
When a transaction is relayed from the underlying consensus engine to the Cosmos SDK application, it is first decoded by [`BaseApp`](../core/baseapp.md). Then, each message contained in the transaction is extracted and routed to the appropriate module via `BaseApp`'s `MsgServiceRouter` so that it can be processed by the module's [`Msg` service](./msg-services.md). For a more detailed explanation of the lifecycle of a transaction, click [here](../basics/tx-lifecycle.md).
Starting from v0.40, defining Protobuf `Msg` services is the recommended way to handle messages. A Protobuf `Msg` service should be created for each module, typically in `tx.proto` (see more info about [conventions and naming](../core/encoding.md#faq)). It must have an RPC service method defined for each message in the module.
Each `Msg` service method must have exactly one argument, which must implement the `sdk.Msg` interface, and a Protobuf response. The naming convention is to call the RPC argument `Msg<service-rpc-name>` and the RPC response `Msg<service-rpc-name>Response`. For example:
`sdk.Msg` interface is a simplified version of the Amino `LegacyMsg` interface described [below](#legacy-amino-msgs) with only `ValidateBasic()` and `GetSigners()` methods. For backwards compatibility with [Amino `LegacyMsg`s](#legacy-amino-msgs), existing `LegacyMsg` types should be used as the request parameter for `service` RPC definitions. Newer `sdk.Msg` types, which only support `service` definitions, should use canonical `Msg...` name.
*`MsgServer` interface defines the server API for the `Msg` service and its implementation is described as part of the [`Msg` services](./msg-services.md) documentation.
* Structures are generated for all RPC request and response types.
A `RegisterMsgServer` method is also generated and should be used to register the module's `MsgServer` implementation in `RegisterServices` method from the [`AppModule` interface](./module-manager.md#appmodule).
In order for clients (CLI and grpc-gateway) to have these URLs registered, the Cosmos SDK provides the function `RegisterMsgServiceDesc(registry codectypes.InterfaceRegistry, sd *grpc.ServiceDesc)` that should be called inside module's [`RegisterInterfaces`](module-manager.md#appmodulebasic) method, using the proto-generated `&_Msg_serviceDesc` as `*grpc.ServiceDesc` argument.
Amino `LegacyMsg`s can be defined as protobuf messages. The messages definition usually includes a list of parameters needed to process the message that will be provided by end-users when they want to create a new transaction containing said message.
A `LegacyMsg` is typically accompanied by a standard constructor function, that is called from one of the [module's interface](./module-interfaces.md). `message`s also need to implement the `sdk.Msg` interface:
-`Route() string`: Name of the route for this message. Typically all `message`s in a module have the same route, which is most often the module's name.
-`Type() string`: Type of the message, used primarly in [events](../core/events.md). This should return a message-specific `string`, typically the denomination of the message itself.
-`ValidateBasic() error`: This method is called by `BaseApp` very early in the processing of the `message` (in both [`CheckTx`](../core/baseapp.md#checktx) and [`DeliverTx`](../core/baseapp.md#delivertx)), in order to discard obviously invalid messages. `ValidateBasic` should only include *stateless* checks, i.e. checks that do not require access to the state. This usually consists in checking that the message's parameters are correctly formatted and valid (i.e. that the `amount` is strictly positive for a transfer).
-`GetSigners() []AccAddress`: Return the list of signers. The Cosmos SDK will make sure that each `message` contained in a transaction is signed by all the signers listed in the list returned by this method.
A `query` is a request for information made by end-users of applications through an interface and processed by a full-node. A `query` is received by a full-node through its consensus engine and relayed to the application via the ABCI. It is then routed to the appropriate module via `BaseApp`'s `queryrouter` so that it can be processed by the module's query service (./query-services.md). For a deeper look at the lifecycle of a `query`, click [here](../basics/query-lifecycle.md).
Starting from v0.40, the prefered way to define queries is by using [Protobuf services](https://developers.google.com/protocol-buffers/docs/proto#services). A `Query` service should be created per module in `query.proto`. This service lists endpoints starting with `rpc`.
A `RegisterQueryServer` method is also generated and should be used to register the module's query server in the `RegisterServices` method from the [`AppModule` interface](./module-manager.md#appmodule).
Before the introduction of Protobuf and gRPC in the Cosmos SDK, there was usually no specific `query` object defined by module developers, contrary to `message`s. Instead, the Cosmos SDK took the simpler approach of using a simple `path` to define each `query`. The `path` contains the `query` type and all the arguments needed in order to process it. For most module queries, the `path` should look like the following:
-`queryCategory` is the category of the `query`, typically `custom` for module queries. It is used to differentiate between different kinds of queries within `BaseApp`'s [`Query` method](../core/baseapp.md#query).
-`queryRoute` is used by `BaseApp`'s [`queryRouter`](../core/baseapp.md#query-routing) to map the `query` to its module. Usually, `queryRoute` should be the name of the module.
-`queryType` is used by the module's [`querier`](./query-services.md#legacy-queriers) to map the `query` to the appropriate `querier function` within the module.
-`args` are the actual arguments needed to process the `query`. They are filled out by the end-user. Note that for bigger queries, you might prefer passing arguments in the `Data` field of the request `req` instead of the `path`.
The `path` for each `query` must be defined by the module developer in the module's [command-line interface file](./module-interfaces.md#query-commands).Overall, there are 3 mains components module developers need to implement in order to make the subset of the state defined by their module queryable:
- A [`querier`](./query-services.md#legacy-queriers), to process the `query` once it has been [routed to the module](../core/baseapp.md#query-routing).
- [Query commands](./module-interfaces.md#query-commands) in the module's CLI file, where the `path` for each `query` is specified.
-`query` return types. Typically defined in a file `types/querier.go`, they specify the result type of each of the module's `queries`. These custom types must implement the `String()` method of [`fmt.Stringer`](https://golang.org/pkg/fmt/#Stringer).
Store queries query directly for store keys. They use `clientCtx.QueryABCI(req abci.RequestQuery)` to return the full `abci.ResponseQuery` with inclusion Merkle proofs.
