diff --git a/generate/protocol.go b/generate/protocol.go
index 1c3ebc4..1610c86 100644
--- a/generate/protocol.go
+++ b/generate/protocol.go
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 package generate
 
+import "fmt"
+import "maps"
+import "slices"
+import "crypto/md5"
+
 type Protocol struct {
 	Messages map[uint16] Message
 	Types    map[string] Type
@@ -11,7 +16,7 @@ type Message struct {
 }
 
 type Type interface {
-	
+	fmt.Stringer
 }
 
 type TypeInt struct {
@@ -19,29 +24,84 @@ type TypeInt struct {
 	Signed bool
 }
 
+func (typ TypeInt) String() string {
+	output := ""
+	if typ.Signed {
+		output += "I"
+	} else {
+		output += "U"
+	}
+	output += fmt.Sprint(typ.Bits)
+	return output
+}
+
 type TypeFloat struct {
 	Bits int
 }
 
+func (typ TypeFloat) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("F%d", typ.Bits)
+}
+
 type TypeString struct { }
 
+func (TypeString) String() string {
+	return "String"
+}
+
 type TypeBuffer struct { }
 
+func (TypeBuffer) String() string {
+	return "Buffer"
+}
+
 type TypeArray struct {
 	Element Type
 }
 
+func (typ TypeArray) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("[]%v", typ.Element)
+}
+
 type TypeTable struct { }
 
+func (TypeTable) String() string {
+	return "Table"
+}
+
 type TypeTableDefined struct {
 	Fields map[uint16] Field
 }
 
+func (typ TypeTableDefined) String() string {
+	output := "{"
+	for _, key := range slices.Sorted(maps.Keys(typ.Fields)) {
+		output += fmt.Sprintf("%04X %v", key, typ.Fields[key])
+	}
+	output += "}"
+	return output
+}
+
 type Field struct {
 	Name string
 	Type Type
 }
 
+func (field Field) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %v", field.Name, field.Type)
+}
+
 type TypeNamed struct {
 	Name string
 }
+
+func (typ TypeNamed) String() string {
+	return typ.Name
+}
+
+func HashType(typ Type) [16]byte {
+	// TODO: if we ever want to make the compiler more efficient, this would
+	// be a good place to start, complex string concatenation in a hot path
+	// (sorta)
+	return md5.Sum([]byte(typ.String()))
+}