RPkit implements a code generator which automatically generates a RPC-style API package for you in Go and Javascript (Browser and Nodejs compatible code), which exposes methods of an interface as RPC styled methods with associated client functions. Enabling you rapidly build and prototype your API with minimal effort.

It is heavily inspired by the work on Twirp by the TwitchTV Team. Which inspires a beautiful approach for creating RPC-APIs that work with HTTP 1.1 and uses standard request-response with method names as targets.

RPKit takes these ideas and brings it into a friendly annotation style used in Go source ocde, where there is no dependency on protobuf definitions.

go get github.com/gokit/rpkit

RPKit is a very simple CLI tool and below are the long and short version to using it:

1. Annotate all chosen interfaces with @rp or @rp(...flags).
2. Run rpkit generate within package of annotated interfaces.
3. Enjoy.

When using RPkit, you simply need to have go get the package first, then create a annotate interface within your target golang source package. e.g

package users

import "context"

type NewUser struct {
	Name string `json:"name"`
}

type User struct {
	ID   int     `json:"id"`
	Name string  `json:"name"`
	Addr string  `json:"addr"`
	Cid  float64 `json:"cid"`
}

//@rp(js:server, js:client)
//@implement
type UserService interface {
	Poke()
	PokeAgain() error
	Get(context.Context) (int, error)
	Create(context.Context, NewUser) (User, error)
	GetBy(context.Context, string) (int, error)
	CreateUser(NewUser) (User, error)
	GetUser(int) (User, error)
	GetUsers(context.Context) []User
}

If you look into the source code above, the annotation that marks the UserService interface has a target is @rp. By specifying to @rp the js:server and js:client, the annotation will generate both javascript code that can be used for both the server and client usage.

Once done, navigate to your source file directory so we could code generate the source files for both go and javascript. Opening a terminal/commandline prompt and navigating to the package source, simply run:

> rpkit generate

You should see like below, rpkit generating both the golang and javascript source files.

Creating new file "users\userservicerp\userservice.rp.go"
Creating new file "users\userservicerp\encoding.rp.go"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjsc\package.json"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjsc\.editorconfig"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjsc\.babelrc"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjsc\.eslintrc.json"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjsc\webpack.config.js"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjsc\config\webpack.config.node.js"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjsc\config\webpack.config.web.js"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjsc\config\webpack.preconfig.js"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjsc\src\app.js"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjss\package.json"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjss\.editorconfig"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjss\.babelrc"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjss\.eslintrc.json"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjss\webpack.config.js"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjss\config\webpack.config.node.js"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjss\config\webpack.config.web.js"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjss\config\webpack.preconfig.js"
Creating new file "users\userservicerpjss\src\app.js"

Thats all, and happy rpkiting.

See Examples for generated contents.

> rpkit generate

> rpkit
Usage: rpkit [flags] [command]

⡿ COMMANDS:
	⠙ generate        Generates a rpc like API for interface types.

⡿ HELP:
	Run [command] help

⡿ OTHERS:
	Run 'rpkit flags' to print all flags of all commands.

⡿ WARNING:
	Uses internal flag package so flags must precede command name.
	e.g 'rpkit -cmd.flag=4 run'

You annotate any giving interface with @rp which marks giving interface has a target for code generation.

Sample below:

// @rp
type Users interface {
	Create(NewUser) (User, error)
	UpdateEmail(SetUserEmail) error
}

RPkit supports generating either or both javascript code able to run both within the browser or nodejs with associated golang code, simply tag annotation with flags js:server and js:client to generate both server and client javascript code. You can also just supply either to generate corresponding files.

The generated javascript built by RPKit uses Webpack, which means it uses webpack's UMD format to bundle the libraries. Once your javascript has being generated, to create the final js code to be bundled, simply run in individual js directories:

Incase the commands below fail due to nodejs issues, remember to npm install in generated javascript directories to ensure npm properly generates the proper binaries for your given operation system.

To generate nodejs compatible files with all es6 features compiled to native nodejs code:

> npm run webpack:node:win

To generate nodejs compatible files with all es6 features compiled to native nodejs code:

> npm run webpack:node

Your compatible nodejs file suitable for use with a require will be found in ./dest/node.

When bundling generated files for the javascript for the client, you will need to run two commands instead of the above, see below:

To generate nodejs compatible files with all es6 features compiled to native nodejs code:

> npm run webpack:web:win

To generate nodejs compatible files with all es6 features compiled to native nodejs code:

> npm run webpack:web

Your compatible javascript file suitable for use with a script tag will be found in ./dest/web.

1. RPKit exposes a simple code generator using go's internal ast Package, but has specific requirements in the way it works with internal go package imports. Please always maintain the name of the internal go package (i.e if your code uses the context package, then using the import alias gctx "context" will cause reference errors, as rpkit does not resolve this during it's code generation). Aliasing can be done for external packages used by your code but not for internal Go packages.