optional is not working, it doesn't allow me to set a field to null

[yingshaoxo]

As I tested out, the Python, Javascript/Typescript, Rust, Dart, they all support or about to support optional filed to null.

Why Java and Cpp can't do that?

grpc/grpc-java#9868

[v-chernyshev]

I'm not a maintainer, but everything works as designed here, null values are not allowed. optional instructs the compiler to generate the has* methods for the corresponding fields.

[yingshaoxo]

Then why python,javascript,rust, they support null?

If java do not support it, then nobody would use java to communicate with python,javascript/typescript,rust,dart by using grpc

[v-chernyshev]

Null fields do not exist in protobuf. Getters, for example, should never return null, irrespective of the language. Please note that a similar question has already been asked before and the official advice is to rely on the clear* methods to get a consistent behaviour.

[yingshaoxo]

Could you guys make a simple logic check like this:

def a_set_function(value):
    if value == null:
        call clear* method, so that property won't exist in the response (return value)

And in the client side, the program will do this:

if protocol optional definition fields not exists in the return value, it sets that field to null

[esorot]

This is working as intended. Feel free to create a PR with your intended changes where we can review.

[wirekang]

This is so weird. Some language implementations treat optional as nullable but some is not.