protocolbuffers · Logofile · Oct 4, 2024 · Oct 2, 2024
diff --git a/content/news/2024-10-01.md b/content/news/2024-10-01.md
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
++++
+title = "Changes Announced on October 1, 2024"
+linkTitle = "October 1, 2024"
+toc_hide = "true"
+description = "Changes announced for Protocol Buffers on October 1, 2024."
+type = "docs"
++++
+
+## Bazel and Proto Rules
+
+There are upcoming changes to the way that Bazel will work for protobuf builds.
+These changes require awareness in the first stage, and action by project owners
+before the second stage.
+
+### Stage 1
+
+With the release of Bazel 8, proto rules (`proto_library`, `cc_proto_library`,
+`java_proto_library`, `java_lite_proto_library`, and `py_proto_library`) will be
+removed from the Bazel project. The will be added to the Protocol Buffers
+project in v29. Bazel will be updated to automatically use the rules from the
+protobuf project, so the change is initially a no-op for project owners.
+
+After the release of Bazel 8 and before the release of Bazel 9, users will need
+to explicitly `load` the rules from the Protocol Buffers project repository. The
+automatic use of the rules is only temporary to support the migration.
+
+Users should add the following `load()` statements to any `BUILD` or `.bzl`
+files that use these proto rules. Note that these require Protobuf v29.0 or
+higher.
+
+```bazel
+load("@protobuf//bazel:proto_library.bzl", "proto_library")
+
+load("@protobuf//bazel:cc_proto_library.bzl", "cc_proto_library")
+load("@protobuf//bazel:java_proto_library.bzl", "java_proto_library")
+load("@protobuf//bazel:java_lite_proto_library.bzl", "java_lite_proto_library")
+load("@protobuf//bazel:py_proto_library.bzl", "py_proto_library")
+```
+
+### Stage 2
+
+When Bazel 9 is released, the automatic loading of the protobuf library’s rules
+will be removed. At that point, you will need to have `load` statements in your
+Bazel build files.
+
+### End Goal
+
+Once the rules are in the protobuf repo, we intend to address common user
+requests, such as using prebuilts for the proto compiler where possible.
diff --git a/content/news/2024-10-02.md b/content/news/2024-10-02.md
@@ -0,0 +1,282 @@
++++
+title = "Changes Announced on October 2, 2024"
+linkTitle = "October 2, 2024"
+toc_hide = "true"
+description = "Changes announced for Protocol Buffers on October 2, 2024."
+type = "docs"
++++
+
+The following sections cover planned breaking changes in the v30 release,
+expected in 2025 Q1. These describe changes as we anticipate them being
+implemented, but due to the flexible nature of software some of these changes
+may not land or may vary from how they are described in this topic.
+
+## Changes in C++ {#cpp}
+
+C++ will bump its major version from 5.29.x to 6.30.x.
+
+### Descriptor APIs {#descriptor-apis}
+
+v30 will update return types in descriptor (such as `full_name`) to be
+`absl::string_view`. This opens up memory savings in descriptors.
+
+v28 introduced the `PROTOBUF_FUTURE_STRING_VIEW_RETURN_TYPE` macro, which you
+can use in the meantime to enable the updated return type ahead of the breaking
+release. The v30 release will flip the default and remove the macro.
+
+### ctype Removed from FieldDescriptor Options {#ctype-removed}
+
+v30 will stop exposing the `ctype` from `FieldDescriptor` options. You can use
+the `FieldDescriptor::cpp_string_type()` API, added in the
+[v28 release](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/releases/tag/v28.0),
+in its place.
+
+### Replace CMake Submodules with Fetched Deps {#replace-cmake-submods}
+
+v30 will remove submodules and switches to upb's old CMake pattern of fetching
+dependencies.
+
+If you use installed packages, you won't be affected. It could break some CMake
+workflows.
+
+### Remove Deprecated APIs {#remove-deprecated}
+
+v30 will remove the following public runtime APIs, which have been marked
+deprecated (such as `ABSL_DEPRECATED`) for at least one minor or major release
+and that are obsolete or replaced.
+
+#### Arena::CreateMessage
+
+**API:**
+[`Arena::CreateMessage`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/f4b57b98b08aec8bc52e6a7b762edb7a1b9e8883/src/google/protobuf/arena.h#L179)
+
+**Replacement:**
+[`Arena::Create`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/f4b57b98b08aec8bc52e6a7b762edb7a1b9e8883/src/google/protobuf/arena.h#L191)
+
+#### Arena::GetArena
+
+**API:**
+[`Arena::GetArena`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/237332ef92daf83a53e76decd6ac43c3fcee782b/src/google/protobuf/arena.h#L346)
+
+**Replacement:** `value->GetArena()`
+
+#### RepeatedPtrField::ClearedCount
+
+**API:**
+[`RepeatedPtrField::ClearedCount`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blame/f4b57b98b08aec8bc52e6a7b762edb7a1b9e8883/src/google/protobuf/repeated_ptr_field.h#L1157)
+
+**Replacement:** Migrate to Arenas
+([migration guide](https://protobuf.dev/support/migration/#cleared-elements)).
+
+#### JsonOptions
+
+**API:**
+[`JsonOptions`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/f4b57b98b08aec8bc52e6a7b762edb7a1b9e8883/src/google/protobuf/util/json_util.h#L22)
+
+**Replacement:** `JsonPrintOptions`
+
+### Dropping C++14 Support {#drop-cpp-14}
+
+This release will drop C++ 14 as the minimum supported version and raise it to
+17, as per the
+[Foundational C++ Support matrix](https://github.com/google/oss-policies-info/blob/main/foundational-cxx-support-matrix.md).
+
+Per [our policies](https://protobuf.dev/support/version-support/), we do not
+consider this to be a breaking change.
+
+## Changes in JRuby {#jruby}
+
+v30 will flip the default implementation for JRuby to FFI, which may be breaking
+for some JRuby users.
+
+Note that this change doesn't create a Ruby major version bump because JRuby is
+[not officially supported](/support/version-support/#ruby).
+
+## Changes in Python {#python}
+
+Python will bump its major version from 5.29.x to 6.30.x.
+
+### Dropping Python 3.8 Support
+
+As per our official Python support policy, we will be dropping support for
+Python 3.8 and lower. This means the minimum supported Python version is 3.9.
+
+### Remove bazel/system_python.bzl Alias {#python-remove-alias}
+
+v30 will remove the legacy `bazel/system_python.bzl` alias.
+
+Remove direct references to `system_python.bzl` in favor of using
+`protobuf_deps.bzl` instead. Use `python/dist/system_python.bzl` where it was
+moved
+[in v5.27.0](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/commit/d7f032ad1596ceeabd45ca1354516c39b97b2551)
+if you need a direct reference.
+
+### Field Setter Validation Changes {#python-setter-validation}
+
+Python's and upb's field setters will be fixed in v30 to validate closed enums
+under edition 2023. Closed enum fields updated with invalid values will generate
+errors.
+
+### Remove Deprecated APIs {#python-remove-apis}
+
+v30 will remove the following public runtime APIs, which have been marked
+deprecated for at least one minor or major release and are obsolete or replaced.
+
+#### Reflection Methods
+
+**APIs:**
+[`reflection.ParseMessage`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/7f395af40e86e00b892e812beb67a03564884756/python/google/protobuf/reflection.py#L40),
+[`reflection.MakeClass`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/7f395af40e86e00b892e812beb67a03564884756/python/google/protobuf/reflection.py#L66)
+
+**Replacement:** `message_factory.GetMessageClass()`
+
+#### RPC Service Interfaces
+
+**APIs:**
+[`service.RpcException`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/21c545c8c5cec0b052dc7715b778f0353d37d02c/python/google/protobuf/service.py#L23),
+[`service.Service`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/21c545c8c5cec0b052dc7715b778f0353d37d02c/python/google/protobuf/service.py#L28),
+[`service.RpcController`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/21c545c8c5cec0b052dc7715b778f0353d37d02c/python/google/protobuf/service.py#L97),
+and
+[`service.RpcChannel`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/21c545c8c5cec0b052dc7715b778f0353d37d02c/python/google/protobuf/service.py#L180)
+
+**Replacement:** Starting with version 2.3.0, RPC implementations should not try
+to build on these, but should instead provide code generator plugins which
+generate code specific to the particular RPC implementation.
+
+#### MessageFactory and SymbolDatabase Methods
+
+**APIs:**
+[`MessageFactory.GetPrototype`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/7f395af40e86e00b892e812beb67a03564884756/python/google/protobuf/message_factory.py#L145),
+[`MessageFactory.CreatePrototype`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/7f395af40e86e00b892e812beb67a03564884756/python/google/protobuf/message_factory.py#L165),
+[`MessageFactory.GetMessages`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/7f395af40e86e00b892e812beb67a03564884756/python/google/protobuf/message_factory.py#L185),
+[`SymbolDatabase.GetPrototype`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/7f395af40e86e00b892e812beb67a03564884756/python/google/protobuf/symbol_database.py#L54),
+[`SymbolDatabase.CreatePrototype`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/7f395af40e86e00b892e812beb67a03564884756/python/google/protobuf/symbol_database.py#L60),
+and
+[`SymbolDatabase.GetMessages`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/7f395af40e86e00b892e812beb67a03564884756/python/google/protobuf/symbol_database.py#L66)
+
+**Replacement:** `message_factory.GetMessageClass()` and
+`message_factory.GetMessageClassesForFiles()`.
+
+## Changes in Objective-C {#objc}
+
+**This will be the first breaking release for Objective-C**.
+
+Objective-C will bump its major version from 3.x.x to 4.30.x.
+
+### Overhaul Unknown Field Handling APIs Deprecating Most of the Existing APIs {#objc-field-handling}
+
+v30 will deprecate `GPBUnknownFieldSet` and replace it with `GPBUnknownFields`.
+The new type will preserve the ordering of unknown fields from the original
+input or API calls, to ensure any semantic meaning to the ordering is maintained
+when a message is written back out.
+
+As part of this, the `GPBUnknownField` type also has its APIs changed, with
+almost all of the existing APIs becoming deprecated and new ones added.
+
+Deprecated property APIs:
+
+*   `varintList`
+*   `fixed32List`
+*   `fixed64List`
+*   `lengthDelimitedList`
+*   `groupList`
+
+Deprecated modification APIs:
+
+*   `addVarint:`
+*   `addFixed32:`
+*   `addFixed64:`
+*   `addLengthDelimited:`
+*   `addGroup:`
+
+Deprecated initializer `initWithNumber:`.
+
+New property APIs:
+
+*   `type`
+*   `varint`
+*   `fixed32`
+*   `fixed64`
+*   `lengthDelimited`
+*   `group`
+
+This type will model a single field number in its value, rather than *grouping*
+all the values for a given field number. The APIs for creating new fields are
+the `add*` APIs on the `GPBUnknownFields` class.
+
+v30 will also deprecate `-[GPBMessage unknownFields]`. In its place, there will
+be new APIs to extract and update the unknown fields of the message.
+
+### Remove Deprecated APIs {#objc-remove-apis}
+
+v30 will remove the following public runtime APIs, which have been marked
+deprecated for at least one minor or major release and are obsolete or replaced.
+
+#### GPBFileDescriptor
+
+**API:**
+[-[`GPBFileDescriptor` syntax]](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/44bd65b2d3c0470d91a23cc14df5ffb1ab0af7cd/objectivec/GPBDescriptor.h#L118-L119)
+
+**Replacement:** Obsolete.
+
+#### GPBMessage mergeFrom:extensionRegistry
+
+**API:**
+[-[`GPBMessage mergeFrom:extensionRegistry:`]](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/44bd65b2d3c0470d91a23cc14df5ffb1ab0af7cd/objectivec/GPBMessage.h#L258-L261)
+
+**Replacement:**
+[-[`GPBMessage mergeFrom:extensionRegistry:error:`]](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/44bd65b2d3c0470d91a23cc14df5ffb1ab0af7cd/objectivec/GPBMessage.h#L275-L277)
+
+#### GPBDuration timeIntervalSince1970
+
+**API:**
+[-[`GPBDuration timeIntervalSince1970`]](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/29fca8a64b62491fb0a2ce61878e70eda88dde98/objectivec/GPBWellKnownTypes.h#L95-L100)
+
+**Replacement:**
+[-[`GPBDuration timeInterval`]](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/29fca8a64b62491fb0a2ce61878e70eda88dde98/objectivec/GPBWellKnownTypes.h#L74-L89)
+
+#### GPBTextFormatForUnknownFieldSet
+
+**API:**
+[`GPBTextFormatForUnknownFieldSet()`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/29fca8a64b62491fb0a2ce61878e70eda88dde98/objectivec/GPBUtilities.h#L32-L43)
+
+**Replacement:** Obsolete - Use
+[`GPBTextFormatForMessage()`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/29fca8a64b62491fb0a2ce61878e70eda88dde98/objectivec/GPBUtilities.h#L20-L30),
+which includes any unknown fields.
+
+#### GPBUnknownFieldSet
+
+**API:**
+[`GPBUnknownFieldSet`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/224573d66a0cc958c76cb43d8b2eb3aa7cdb89f2/objectivec/GPBUnknownFieldSet.h)
+
+**Replacement:**
+[`GPBUnknownFields`](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/224573d66a0cc958c76cb43d8b2eb3aa7cdb89f2/objectivec/GPBUnknownFields.h)
+
+#### GPBMessage unknownFields
+
+**API:**
+[`GPBMessage unknownFields` property](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/224573d66a0cc958c76cb43d8b2eb3aa7cdb89f2/objectivec/GPBMessage.h#L73-L76)
+
+**Replacement:**
+[-[`GPBUnknownFields initFromMessage:`]](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/224573d66a0cc958c76cb43d8b2eb3aa7cdb89f2/objectivec/GPBUnknownFields.h#L30-L38),
+[-[`GPBMessage mergeUnknownFields:extensionRegistry:error:`]](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/f26bdff7cc0bb7e8ed88253ba16f81614a26cf16/objectivec/GPBMessage.h#L506-L528),
+and
+[-[`GPBMessage clearUnknownFields`]](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/224573d66a0cc958c76cb43d8b2eb3aa7cdb89f2/objectivec/GPBMessage.h#L497-L504C9)
+
+## Other Changes {#non-breaking}
+
+In addition to those breaking changes are some other changes worth noting. While
+the following are not considered breaking changes, they may still impact users.
+
+### Poison Pill Warnings {#poison}
+
+v30 will update poison pills to emit warnings for old gencode + new runtime
+combinations that work under the new rolling upgrade policy, but will break in
+the *next* major bump. For example, Java 4.x.x gencode should work against 5.x.x
+runtime but warn of upcoming breakage against 6.x.x runtime.
+
+### Changes to UTF-8 Enforcement in C# and Ruby {#utf-8-enforcement}
+
+v30 will includes a fix to make UTF-8 enforcement consistent across languages.
+Users with bad non-UTF8 data in string fields may see surfaced UTF-8 enforcement
+errors earlier.
diff --git a/content/news/_index.md b/content/news/_index.md
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ New news topics will also be published to the
 The following news topics provide information in the reverse order in which it
 was released.
 
+*   [October 2, 2024](/news/2024-10-02) - Breaking
+    changes in the upcoming 30.x release
+*   [October 1, 2024](/news/2024-10-01) - Changes to
+    Bazel builds
 *   [June 26, 2024](/news/2024-06-26) - Dropping support
     for building Protobuf Java from source with Maven
 *   [February 27, 2024](/news/2024-02-27) - Dropping
@@ -80,6 +84,7 @@ release notes will be more complete. Also, not everything from the chronological
 listing will be in these topics, as some content is not specific to a particular
 release.
 
+*   [Version 29.x](/news/v29)
 *   [Version 26.x](/news/v26)
 *   [Version 25.x](/news/v25)
 *   [Version 24.x](/news/v24)