gRPC CLI unable to generate all the necessary messages

[BuddhiWathsala]

Description:
When we develop gRPC applications with google.protobuf.Any type, we have to generate records for all the messages in a specified proto directory (i.e, --proto-path or a director as an --input).

Here is an example,
proto.zip

When I generate the relevant stubs for the above proto directory as below, it won't generate the Message2 definition, which I need to pass as a google.protobuf.Any type.

$ bal grpc --input=proto/foo/bar/service.proto --output=ballerina --mode service --proto-path=proto

In addition, neither the protoc command did not generate it. The protoc command even didn't generate the Message1.

$ protoc --go_out=go --go-grpc_out=go proto/foo/bar/service.proto --proto_path=proto

AFAIU, we can generate them separately and include them in a project. But in Ballerina, we cannot do that since we only have one descriptor for a given service. And that service definition cannot include descriptors other than the ones we generated. As they have mentioned here, the protoc compiler won't handle such cases. Only the gen tools do that.

However, when I use Java io.grpc:protoc-gen-grpc-java generation tool, it generates all the necessary messages, including Message1 and Message2. That is the behaviour we should implement in Ballerina CLI.

Sample Java code

Affected Versions:

• Ballerina 2201.0.1

OS, DB, other environment details and versions:

• macOS

[BuddhiWathsala]

@shafreenAnfar @daneshk @MadhukaHarith92 @dilanSachi any input for this issue.

[dilanSachi]

Currently, When we give a directory path instead of a proto file path to the input path, it generates the stub files for all the proto files. But it does not check inside the nested directories.

[daneshk]

Shall we use solution 02 in the proposal to support nested directories, in [1]

Solution 02
Allow users to use wild cards as Go did.
bal grpc –input proto/**.proto –output ballerina-out

1. Proposal: gRPC CLI Improvements #2794 (comment)

[github-actions]

This issue is NOT closed with a proper Reason/ label. Make sure to add proper reason label before closing. Please add or leave a comment with the proper reason label now.

      - Reason/EngineeringMistake - The issue occurred due to a mistake made in the past.
      - Reason/Regression - The issue has introduced a regression.
      - Reason/MultipleComponentInteraction - Issue occured due to interactions in multiple components.
      - Reason/Complex - Issue occurred due to complex scenario.
      - Reason/Invalid - Issue is invalid.
      - Reason/Other - None of the above cases.