Protocol buffer compiler

While not mandatory, gRPC applications often leverage Protocol Buffers for service definitions and data serialization. All the services in Impulse uses version 3 of the protocol buffer language (proto3).

The protocol buffer compiler, protoc, is used to compile .proto files, which contain service and message definitions.

How to install protoc

Protocol Buffer Compiler InstallationgRPC

Mac OS

Install Protocol buffer compiler, protoc

brew install protobuf
protoc --version  # Ensure compiler version is 3+

Install Go plugins for the protocol compiler

cd ~

go install google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go@latest
go install google.golang.org/grpc/cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc@latest

Update your PATH so that the protoc compiler can find the plugins:

export PATH="$PATH:$(go env GOPATH)/bin"

Compile .proto file

Regular Microservices (Depends on the go-grpc)

When compiling .proto files from a microservice it is important to notice there is a dependency with the go-grpc module, meaning, it needs to exist.

protoc --go_out=./generated --go_opt=paths=source_relative \
    --go-grpc_out=./generated --go-grpc_opt=paths=source_relative \
    grpc/*.proto --proto_path=../go-grpc --proto_path=.

Microservices with no dependencies with the go-grpc module

protoc --go_out=./generated --go_opt=paths=source_relative \
    --go-grpc_out=./generated --go-grpc_opt=paths=source_relative \
    grpc/*.proto --proto_path=.

From the go-grpc module:

For cases where the generic gRPC messages used by all the microservices existing in the go-grpc module need to be updated.

protoc --go_out=./generated --go_opt=paths=source_relative \
    --go-grpc_out=./generated --go-grpc_opt=paths=source_relative \
    grpc/*.proto --proto_path=.