> So you teach grep to take an IDL file, invoke an IDL compiler and dynamically load the parser for the protocol in question. Also, if the broker were a standardized, perhaps in-kernel component (dbus, kdbus), you could attach "idlgrep" to any process to trace its calls.

So you introduce a huge load of accidental complexity because the text interface has some perceived inefficiency? I'll choose simplicity and accessibility over this mess anytime.