reconciliation work

packages/veilid_support/lib/dht_support/src/dht_log/dht_log.dart

@@ -209,8 +209,7 @@ class DHTLog implements DHTDeleteable<DHTLog, DHTLog> {
   OwnedDHTRecordPointer get recordPointer => _spine.recordPointer;
 
   /// Runs a closure allowing read-only access to the log
-  Future<T?> operate<T>(
-      Future<T?> Function(DHTLogReadOperations) closure) async {
+  Future<T> operate<T>(Future<T> Function(DHTLogReadOperations) closure) async {
     if (!isOpen) {
       throw StateError('log is not open"');
     }

packages/veilid_support/lib/dht_support/src/dht_log/dht_log_cubit.dart

@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ class DHTLogCubit<T> extends Cubit<DHTLogBusyState<T>>
         elements: elements, tail: _tail, count: _count, follow: _follow)));
   }
 
+  // Tail is one past the last element to load
   Future<AsyncValue<IList<DHTLogElementState<T>>>> loadElements(
       int tail, int count,
       {bool forceRefresh = false}) async {
@@ -184,8 +185,7 @@ class DHTLogCubit<T> extends Cubit<DHTLogBusyState<T>>
     await super.close();
   }
 
-  Future<R?> operate<R>(
-      Future<R?> Function(DHTLogReadOperations) closure) async {
+  Future<R> operate<R>(Future<R> Function(DHTLogReadOperations) closure) async {
     await _initWait();
     return _log.operate(closure);
   }

packages/veilid_support/lib/src/table_db_array.dart

@@ -662,4 +662,46 @@ extension TableDBArrayExt on TableDBArray {
           T Function(List<int>) fromBuffer, int start, [int? end]) =>
       getRange(start, end ?? _length)
           .then((out) => out.map(fromBuffer).toList());
+
+  /// Convenience function:
+  /// Like add but for a JSON value
+  Future<void> addJson<T>(T value) async => add(jsonEncodeBytes(value));
+
+  /// Convenience function:
+  /// Like add but for a Protobuf value
+  Future<void> addProtobuf<T extends GeneratedMessage>(T value) =>
+      add(value.writeToBuffer());
+
+  /// Convenience function:
+  /// Like addAll but for a JSON value
+  Future<void> addAllJson<T>(List<T> values) async =>
+      addAll(values.map(jsonEncodeBytes).toList());
+
+  /// Convenience function:
+  /// Like addAll but for a Protobuf value
+  Future<void> addAllProtobuf<T extends GeneratedMessage>(
+          List<T> values) async =>
+      addAll(values.map((x) => x.writeToBuffer()).toList());
+
+  /// Convenience function:
+  /// Like insert but for a JSON value
+  Future<void> insertJson<T>(int pos, T value) async =>
+      insert(pos, jsonEncodeBytes(value));
+
+  /// Convenience function:
+  /// Like insert but for a Protobuf value
+  Future<void> insertProtobuf<T extends GeneratedMessage>(
+          int pos, T value) async =>
+      insert(pos, value.writeToBuffer());
+
+  /// Convenience function:
+  /// Like insertAll but for a JSON value
+  Future<void> insertAllJson<T>(int pos, List<T> values) async =>
+      insertAll(pos, values.map(jsonEncodeBytes).toList());
+
+  /// Convenience function:
+  /// Like insertAll but for a Protobuf value
+  Future<void> insertAllProtobuf<T extends GeneratedMessage>(
+          int pos, List<T> values) async =>
+      insertAll(pos, values.map((x) => x.writeToBuffer()).toList());
 }