create importable function for defining zlib
diff --git a/protobuf_deps.bzl b/protobuf_deps.bzl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b54f12b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/protobuf_deps.bzl
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+"""Load dependencies needed to compile the protobuf library as a 3rd-party consumer."""
+
+load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
+
+def protobuf_deps():
+ """Loads common dependencies needed to compile the protobuf library."""
+
+ native.bind(
+ name = "zlib",
+ actual = "@net_zlib//:zlib",
+ )
+
+ if "net_zlib" not in native.existing_rules():
+ http_archive(
+ name = "net_zlib",
+ build_file = "@com_google_protobuf//:third_party/zlib.BUILD",
+ sha256 = "c3e5e9fdd5004dcb542feda5ee4f0ff0744628baf8ed2dd5d66f8ca1197cb1a1",
+ strip_prefix = "zlib-1.2.11",
+ urls = ["https://zlib.net/zlib-1.2.11.tar.gz"],
+ )
