Question: How do I generate client code

[chris-kruining]

Hi,

I've just managed to get your plugin up and running as a replacement for --js-out. however I still generate client code with the grpc-web plugin, but that plugin has hardcoded to suffix all files with _pb, so that also means for the imports.

can I:
a) replace grpc-web with something else that generates my client stub?
b) convince this plugin to add the _pb suffix to imports (would require a patch I presume since replaceExtension(dependency, ""); has a hardcoded empty string)

[chris-kruining]

nvm, I am straight up an idiot. I did not realize the plugin creates the client in the same file. old habits I suppose. Sorry to bother for nothing...

[thesayyn]

Hey,

Recently I started working on #102 which will workaround grpc-web generation. currently, the clients are generated for node.

[chris-kruining]

Hey,

Recently I started working on #102 which will workaround grpc-web generation. currently, the clients are generated for node.

awesome!! need any help? recently client-to-server streaming became a reality with fetch upload streaming. Do you reckon you could implement that as well? Or could I assist by doing that myself? I also have a "feature request" of sorts that implements async generators for streaming requests in either direction :D

Again, not afraid to get my hand dirty, so just tell me if I can assist :D

[thesayyn]

I like your enthusiasm. In that PR the generation part is complete but am trying to get an e2e test running. I tend to break things without noticing.

I believe that in order to support CLIENT_STREAMING (possibly BIDI_STREAMING), you need to do some upstream work in grpc-web, tonic-web, and envoy-proxy which would be a lot of work I imagine. I would love to see this landed though.

I don't know if they would ever want to use a platform API that is not widely supported by major browser vendors.

Sometimes it is the resistance that holds you back instead of the work.

[chris-kruining]

hmm, but with a working implementation of client and bidi streaming, is grpc-web no long a thing of the past, wouldn't those 2 features make browsers compatible to the point it is just another grpc client? AFAIK that is why grpc-web exists, because the browser did not support upload streaming and is therefor incompatible with grpc.

So I would think that there is not much upstream issue as an envoy proxy for example could just speak grpc both ways instead of having to translate to grpc-web.

[thesayyn]

AFAIK that is why grpc-web exists, because the browser did not support upload streaming and is therefor incompatible with grpc.

it exists because some browsers do not support HTTP/2 specific features such as frames.

So I would think that there is not much upstream issue as an envoy proxy for example could just speak grpc both ways instead of having to translate to grpc-web.

envoy proxy could speak to the origin server any way it wants but it needs to understand what grpc-web says.

[thesayyn]

See: https://github.com/envoyproxy/envoy/blob/9dd8ae3c69a9917d97a886ed03e1c010dcd9b098/source/extensions/filters/http/grpc_web/grpc_web_filter.cc