gRPC proposal is a repository for managing design proposals for substantial feature changes across the gRPC ecosystem.
The repository addresses the need for structured upfront design discussion on changes that are too large or complex for traditional issue or pull request workflows. It establishes a formal process where proposals are submitted as markdown documents following a standard template, assigned category prefixes based on scope (affecting all languages, processes, language-specific features, or protocol-level changes), and subjected to a minimum ten business day community comment period. An assigned approver from the gRPC team reviews feedback, facilitates consensus-building, and determines whether to merge the proposal as approved.
Teams should use this process for features requiring implementation across multiple runtimes and languages, process changes affecting how gRPC is implemented, or breaking changes to public APIs. The repository is designed for the gRPC organization's governance model and assumes familiarity with the community contribution guidelines. This approach suits organizations building substantial changes that need visibility and buy-in from multiple language implementation teams before development begins.
The project maintains a structured review workflow with consistent naming conventions and category definitions that have evolved over time. Proposals receive dedicated approver assignment and community notification through established channels. The repository serves as a permanent record of design decisions and their rationale, with merged proposals considered approved and ready for implementation.
