Packaging Generated Code for gRPC Services

[din...@wepay.com]

Hi,

Currently, we maintain a single repository for storing proto files for multiple microservices. And we would use these protobufs for implementing services in specific languages. I recently read this blog which mentions about packaging generated code into libraries and distributing it. I would like to know which is the best recommended option?

1. Package generated code into libraries and distribute it

2. Maintain protos in single repo and distribute it & services/clients can get the proto files and build the generated code and use it

Thanks,

Dinesh P S

[Jayant Kolhe]

If it fits within your constraints/ development workflow, (2) is recommended. 

If (2) does not work in the workflow, you can use (1).. It is higher cost to maintain, but it works.

Thanks,

 - Jayant

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[Ryan Michela]

#1 has a big drawback. Generated protobuf code is not backwards for forwards compatible between versions of gRPC and protobuf. If you distribute generated code as a library, all users of that library are locked to the same versions of gRPC and protobuf that generated it.

To make #1 work, you need to maintain generated packages for each proto version you want to support times each gRPC version you want to support. Distributing generated code is a versioning nightmare.

[Kun Zhang]

Generated protobuf code and GRPC code is forward compatible, meaning code generated by an older version of protobuf and GRPC can work with newer version of protobuf and GRPC runtimes.