gRPC requests do not accept the ProtoJSON format for google.protobuf.Timestamp

[copdips]

Hi,

When sending a gRPC request containing a google.protobuf.Timestamp, Bruno rejects the standard ProtoJSON representation:

{
  "created_after": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
}

with an object expected serialization error. The request currently requires the message-shaped form instead:

{
  "created_after": {
    "seconds": 1704067200
  }
}

This message-shaped workaround works directly in Bruno, but the grpcurl command generated by Bruno cannot be used as-is because grpcurl only accepts the standard RFC3339 representation.

According to the ProtoJSON specification, Timestamp should be represented as an RFC3339 string. It looks like protobuf.js has also recently added spec-compliant ProtoJSON support.

Would Bruno consider supporting the standard RFC3339 representation for Timestamp fields in gRPC requests?

[Rohan-Bruno]

Hi @copdips, thanks for reporting this. We’re looking into the google.protobuf.Timestamp handling in gRPC requests.

To help us better understand the issue and your use case, could you please share:

• Your Bruno version and OS.
• The relevant .proto definition containing the google.protobuf.Timestamp field.
• A minimal example of the gRPC request that reproduces the issue.
• Whether using the standard RFC3339 format is required for your workflow, particularly because you need to use the generated grpcurl command.

This information will help us reproduce the behavior and discuss it with our engineering team.

[copdips]

Hi @Rohan-Bruno
Sorry for my late reply, and I need to correct that I'm using Brruno VSCode extension (v5.0.2), not the Bruno native client.

Please find hereunder the minimal repro gist in python:

https://gist.github.com/copdips/10a8d49bc7d609892f373330f99e549c

Install python packages:

<venv>/bin/pip install grpcio grpcio-tools grpcio-reflection

Run grpc server

<venv>/bin/python grpc_timestamp_demo.py

then point Bruno (or grpcurl) at localhost:50051 and follow the steps the server prints at startup.

Testing

• Working bruno payload:
  {"name":"hi","created_after":{"seconds":1704067200}}

• Bad bruno payload (RFC3339 string):
  {"name":"hi","created_after":"2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"}

• Working grpcurl payload (RFC3339 string):
  grpcurl -plaintext -d '{"name":"hi","created_after":"2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"}' localhost:50051 demo.timestamp.EchoService

• Bad grpcurl payload (message-shaped form):
  grpcurl -plaintext -d '{"name":"hi","created_after":{"seconds":1704067200}}' localhost:50051 demo.timestamp.EchoService