Code Reuse

Reusing Functions and Variables Across Files

In addition to defining helper functions within a single starlark file, protoconf also allows you to define functions and global variables in separate starlark files with the .pinc extension. You can then load these functions and variables into your other starlark files.

Here is an example:

./src/myproject/helpers.pinc:

load("//myproject/v1/server_config.proto", "ServerConfiguration")

# A global variable
default_request_timeout = Duration(seconds=10)

# A helper function
def create_default_config():
    return ServerConfiguration(
        max_connections=500,
        request_timeout=default_request_timeout,
        is_debug_enabled=True,
        server_rating=4.8,
    )

./src/myproject/server_config.pconf:

load("//myproject/helpers.pinc", "create_default_config", "default_request_timeout")

def main():
    config = create_default_config()
    config.request_timeout = Duration(seconds=5)  # Override default_request_timeout for this config
    return config

In this example, the helpers.pinc file defines a global variable default_request_timeout and a helper function create_default_config. These are then loaded into server_config.pconf using the load function, allowing you to reuse the same variable and function across multiple configuration files.

This technique can help keep your configuration code DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself), making it easier to understand and maintain.