[DISCUSSION] Refine WalletWire HTTP Model to Pure RPC #250
Description
Summary
@chris-4chain raised good points about WalletWire’s current HTTP design. While the use of JSON is generally liked, there’s room to improve the standard and encourage broader adoption.
Problem
Today, WalletWire mixes REST and RPC:
- Each call is routed to a named endpoint.
- The call code is not included in the payload.
This hybrid design is confusing. A pure RPC approach — a single endpoint receiving binary data with the call code in the first byte — would simplify the protocol and align better with typical RPC models.
Goal
- Discuss why the current split approach was chosen (if there was a specific reason).
- If no strong reason exists, plan a migration to the pure RPC design.
Additional Notes
Technologies like gRPC, protobuf, or ASN.1 could be considered longer-term, but adoption would require someone to own and drive the standard, plus at least one vendor willing to implement it.
- Draft a new Wire spec using a single endpoint with call code in first byte.
- Evaluate binary encoding options (raw bytes vs. gRPC vs. Protobuf vs. ASN.1).
- Collect feedback from existing/potential implementers about migration feasibility.
- Identify and nominate a standard maintainer (“owner”) if moving beyond JSON.
- Pilot a pure-RPC version in at least one WalletWire implementation.