Update config for existing subscription

I want to manage Pub/Sub subscriptions automatically using the node.js API. Unfortunately, most properties of the subscription cannot be edited after it has been created. Specifialy, I want to be able to update:

• ackDeadlineSeconds
• retryPolicy

Both of these can be updated via the console UI or via the gcloud CLI, but it is frustrating that I have to abandon the simple, type safe world of node.js just to make these simple changes.

[feywind]

@hongalex @kamalaboulhosn Maybe this is something we should add to the list of stuff to look at with future API updates across languages? I do agree setMetadata is kind of unobvious for this.

The reason there are those two updateSubscription methods, by the by, is that the SubscriberClient is the “raw” generated (gapic) library. The other one (Subscriber) is an old veneer layer (all handwritten) that was ported to the newer gapic layer. It’s also pseudo-private; the intended method would’ve been the setMetadata up top.

I do think the veneer code is due for some updating, we’re just trying to avoid causing too much disruption to everyone. There’s been talk of having a new “clean” API that is up to date and more in line with the other libraries, and then just have an “old” API that plugs into that. But that’s not work that’s been scheduled or anything yet.

Anyway, I do appreciate the feedback!

[govindrai]

@ForbesLindesay With the latest library, You can use topic(topicName).subscription(subscriptionName).setMetadata({...updates}) to update those values. Official Example here.

@feywind my 2 cents, this is poor name for a method that update a subscription. A better name would’ve been simply updateSubscription. Surprisingly there is also a Subscriber#updateSubscription and SubscriberClient#updateSubscription that accomplishes the same. Too many ways to do the same thing… very confusing docs due to too much internal api details exposed.