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| 1 | +# Public API |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +## Overview |
| 4 | +The Public API defines the gRPC interfaces for programmatic access to Gitpod functionality. It serves as the canonical way for external integrations, automation, and third-party tools to interact with Gitpod's core services. The API is structured into two packages (stable and experimental) with different compatibility guarantees and is designed to be backward compatible, well-documented, and follow modern API design principles. |
| 5 | + |
| 6 | +## Purpose |
| 7 | +This API provides a standardized interface for: |
| 8 | +- Programmatically managing workspaces (create, start, stop, delete) |
| 9 | +- Accessing and managing user information |
| 10 | +- Working with organizations and teams |
| 11 | +- Managing projects and repositories |
| 12 | +- Integrating with source code management systems |
| 13 | +- Configuring editors and IDEs |
| 14 | +- Authenticating via OpenID Connect |
| 15 | +- Managing personal access tokens |
| 16 | +- Automating Gitpod workflows |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +## Architecture |
| 19 | +The Public API is implemented as a set of gRPC services defined in Protocol Buffer files. These definitions are used to generate client and server code in Go, TypeScript, and Java. The API is exposed on `api.gitpod.io` or `api.<domain>` for Dedicated installations. |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +The API is structured into two main packages: |
| 22 | + |
| 23 | +1. **Stable (v1)**: |
| 24 | + - Located in `gitpod/v1/` |
| 25 | + - Provides compatibility guarantees |
| 26 | + - Services, calls, types, and fields are not removed without following a deprecation policy |
| 27 | + - Services, calls, types, and fields are not renamed |
| 28 | + - Non-successful responses are described exhaustively |
| 29 | + - **Implementation**: Directly implemented in the server component using Connect |
| 30 | + |
| 31 | +2. **Experimental**: |
| 32 | + - Located in `gitpod/experimental/v1/` |
| 33 | + - Provides no compatibility guarantees |
| 34 | + - May change frequently |
| 35 | + - **Implementation**: Handled in the public-api-server component, and either: |
| 36 | + - Implemented directly in Go |
| 37 | + - Forwarded to the old websocket API in the server component |
| 38 | + |
| 39 | +## Implementation Patterns |
| 40 | + |
| 41 | +### Stable API Implementation |
| 42 | +The stable API (v1) is implemented directly in the server component using Connect. This means: |
| 43 | +- The server component handles the business logic for these API endpoints |
| 44 | +- The implementation is in TypeScript using Connect |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | +### Experimental API Implementation |
| 47 | +The experimental API is handled in the public-api-server component in two ways: |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +1. **Direct Implementation**: |
| 50 | + - Some services are implemented directly in Go within the public-api-server |
| 51 | + - These implementations handle the business logic directly |
| 52 | + - They may interact with the database or other services directly |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | +2. **Forwarded Implementation**: |
| 55 | + - Other services forward requests to the old websocket API in the server component |
| 56 | + - The public-api-server acts as a proxy, translating gRPC requests to websocket API calls |
| 57 | + - The server component handles the actual business logic |
| 58 | + - This approach is often used for functionality that already exists in the server component |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | +## Key Services |
| 61 | + |
| 62 | +### Stable API (v1) |
| 63 | +All implemented in server component using Connect: |
| 64 | +- WorkspaceService |
| 65 | +- OrganizationService |
| 66 | +- UserService |
| 67 | +- TokenService |
| 68 | +- SCMService |
| 69 | +- AuthProviderService |
| 70 | +- ConfigurationService |
| 71 | +- EnvVarService |
| 72 | +- InstallationService |
| 73 | +- PrebuildService |
| 74 | +- SSHService |
| 75 | +- VerificationService |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +### Experimental API |
| 78 | +Implemented in public-api-server: |
| 79 | +- WorkspacesService (Forwarded to server) |
| 80 | +- TeamsService (Directly implemented in Go) |
| 81 | +- ProjectsService (Forwarded to server) |
| 82 | +- EditorService (Directly implemented in Go) |
| 83 | +- IDEClientService (Directly implemented in Go) |
| 84 | +- OIDCService (Directly implemented in Go) |
| 85 | +- IdentityProviderService (Directly implemented in Go) |
| 86 | +- TokensService (Forwarded to server) |
| 87 | +- UserService (Forwarded to server) |
| 88 | +- StatsService (Directly implemented in Go) |
| 89 | + |
| 90 | +## Communication Patterns |
| 91 | +- The API uses gRPC for efficient, typed communication |
| 92 | +- Connect is used for the stable API implementation |
| 93 | +- Requests include authentication tokens for identifying the user |
| 94 | +- Pagination is supported for listing operations |
| 95 | +- Streaming is used for real-time updates (e.g., workspace status changes) |
| 96 | +- Field masks are used to specify which fields to return or update |
| 97 | + |
| 98 | +### Implementation-specific Patterns |
| 99 | +- **Stable API (v1)**: |
| 100 | + - Requests are handled by the server component using Connect |
| 101 | + - The public-api-server routes requests to the server component |
| 102 | + |
| 103 | +- **Experimental API**: |
| 104 | + - Directly implemented services handle requests in the public-api-server |
| 105 | + - Forwarded services translate gRPC requests to websocket API calls to the server component |
| 106 | + |
| 107 | +## Dependencies |
| 108 | +- **Server Component**: Implements the stable API and handles forwarded experimental API requests |
| 109 | +- **Public-api-server Component**: Implements experimental APIs directly or forwards to server |
| 110 | +- **Database**: Stores user, workspace, and organization data |
| 111 | +- **Redis**: Used for caching and session management |
| 112 | +- **gRPC and Connect**: Used for API implementation |
| 113 | +- **Protocol Buffers**: Used for API definition and code generation |
| 114 | + |
| 115 | +## Usage Examples |
| 116 | +- Creating and managing workspaces programmatically |
| 117 | +- Building custom dashboards and management tools |
| 118 | +- Integrating Gitpod with CI/CD pipelines |
| 119 | +- Automating workspace provisioning |
| 120 | +- Building IDE extensions that interact with Gitpod |
| 121 | +- Implementing custom authentication flows |
| 122 | +- Integrating with third-party services |
| 123 | + |
| 124 | +## Version Compatibility |
| 125 | +The API uses Protocol Buffers version 3 (proto3) syntax, which provides forward and backward compatibility features. |
| 126 | + |
| 127 | +### Stable API (v1) |
| 128 | +- Services, calls, types, and fields are not removed without following a deprecation policy |
| 129 | +- Services, calls, types, and fields are not renamed |
| 130 | +- Non-successful responses are described exhaustively |
| 131 | +- Changes require an API User Experience review |
| 132 | + |
| 133 | +### Experimental API |
| 134 | +- No compatibility guarantees |
| 135 | +- May change frequently |
| 136 | +- Should not be relied upon for production use |
| 137 | + |
| 138 | +## Code Generation and Building |
| 139 | + |
| 140 | +### Regenerating Code from Protobuf Definitions |
| 141 | +The Public API uses Protocol Buffers and gRPC for defining interfaces. When changes are made to the `.proto` files, the corresponding code in Go, TypeScript, and Java needs to be regenerated. |
| 142 | + |
| 143 | +To regenerate the code: |
| 144 | + |
| 145 | +1. Navigate to the public-api directory: |
| 146 | + ```bash |
| 147 | + cd components/public-api |
| 148 | + ``` |
| 149 | + |
| 150 | +2. Run the generate script: |
| 151 | + ```bash |
| 152 | + ./generate.sh |
| 153 | + ``` |
| 154 | + |
| 155 | +3. Rebuild the typescript code: |
| 156 | + ```bash |
| 157 | + cd typescript-commond && yarn build |
| 158 | + ``` |
| 159 | + |
| 160 | +This script performs the following actions: |
| 161 | +- Installs necessary dependencies |
| 162 | +- Lints the proto files using buf |
| 163 | +- Runs breaking change detection against the main branch |
| 164 | +- Removes previously generated files |
| 165 | +- Generates Go, TypeScript, and Java code using buf |
| 166 | +- Updates license headers |
| 167 | +- Runs formatting tools |
| 168 | +- Builds the TypeScript package |
| 169 | + |
| 170 | +### Building After Code Generation |
| 171 | +After regenerating the code, you may need to rebuild components that depend on the Public API. This typically involves: |
| 172 | + |
| 173 | +1. For Go components: |
| 174 | + ```bash |
| 175 | + cd <component-directory> |
| 176 | + go build ./... |
| 177 | + ``` |
| 178 | + |
| 179 | +2. For TypeScript components: |
| 180 | + ```bash |
| 181 | + cd <component-directory> |
| 182 | + yarn install |
| 183 | + yarn build |
| 184 | + ``` |
| 185 | + |
| 186 | +3. Using Leeway (for CI/CD): |
| 187 | + ```bash |
| 188 | + leeway build -D components/<component-name>:app |
| 189 | + ``` |
| 190 | + |
| 191 | +The Public API is a critical component for enabling programmatic access to Gitpod functionality. It enables third-party integrations, automation, and custom tooling to interact with Gitpod in a standardized, versioned way. |
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