REST to Protocol Buffer

 

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Whether or not to convert REST API services to protobuf depends on several factors, including the specific requirements of the project, the performance needs, and the tradeoffs between ease of use and efficiency.

Protocol Buffers (protobuf) is a binary serialization format that is designed for high performance and efficient data storage and transmission. Protobufs can be smaller and faster than JSON, which is the most common format used in REST APIs.

Here are some points to consider:

1. Performance: Protobuf can be faster than JSON because it is designed to be more efficient for serialization and deserialization. It can also be more compact in terms of data size, which can reduce network bandwidth and improve performance.
2. Complexity: While Protobuf can offer better performance, it can be more complex to implement than REST APIs that use JSON. It requires a schema to be defined, and there may be additional code required to handle data serialization and deserialization.
3. Compatibility: If the API is already using JSON, changing to protobuf could impact the clients that rely on the API. Clients would need to be updated to support the new format, and there may be compatibility issues between different versions of the API.
4. Tooling: REST APIs are widely used, and there are many tools and libraries available to support their development and usage. Protobuf, while growing in popularity, may have less tooling and community support.

In summary, whether to convert REST API services to protobuf depends on the specific requirements of the project, the performance needs, and the tradeoffs between ease of use and efficiency. Protobuf can offer better performance, but it can also be more complex to implement and may impact the compatibility of existing clients.