---
title: protobuf_generator
description: Adapt an installed protoc plugin dependency for code generation.
---

# `protobuf_generator`

`protobuf_generator` combines a protoc plugin name with a dependency that installs or activates its executable. It returns a typed generator accepted by [`protobuf_generate`](protobuf_generate.md).

## Arguments

| Argument | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `name` | Yes | Plugin suffix used by protoc. `"go"` selects an executable named `protoc-gen-go` through `--go_out`. Must start with an ASCII letter and contain only ASCII letters, digits, hyphens, and underscores. Built-in and reserved protoc output names are rejected. |
| `dependency` | Yes | Dependency that makes `protoc-gen-<name>` available in `PATH`. |

Built-in generator names cannot be wrapped. Pass those names directly to `protobuf_generate`. Selecting a typed generator activates its dependency automatically.

Prefer language-specific helpers when available. Use this adapter with a generic installer or a custom build task.

## Examples

### Install a Go plugin manually

```starlark
load("@go@1.26.5", "go_install")
load("@protobuf@35.1", "protobuf_generate", "protobuf_generator")

plugin = go_install(
    package="google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go",
    version="v1.36.6",
)

protobuf_generate(
    sources=["proto/service.proto"],
    generator=protobuf_generator("go", plugin),
    output="generated/go",
    proto_paths=["proto"],
    options=["paths=source_relative"],
)
```

### Generate TypeScript with Protobuf-ES

Pin `@bufbuild/protoc-gen-es` in the project's `package.json` and lockfile:

```json
{
  "devDependencies": {
    "@bufbuild/protoc-gen-es": "2.9.0"
  }
}
```

Install project dependencies, expose npm's local executable directory, and wrap `protoc-gen-es` as generator `es`:

```starlark
load("@nodejs@22.14.0", "npm_install")
load("@os@1", "env_prepend")
load("@protobuf@35.1", "protobuf_generate", "protobuf_generator")

plugin = protobuf_generator(
    "es",
    npm_install(frozen_lockfile=True) + env_prepend("PATH", "node_modules/.bin"),
)

protobuf_generate(
    sources=["proto/service.proto"],
    generator=plugin,
    output="generated/typescript",
    proto_paths=["proto"],
    options=["target=ts"],
)
```

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