@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 from google.cloud.aiplatform import initializer
 from google.cloud.aiplatform import utils
 from google.cloud.aiplatform.compat.types import encryption_spec as gca_encryption_spec
+from google.protobuf import json_format
 
 logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO, stream=sys.stdout)
 
@@ -607,6 +608,10 @@ def _assert_gca_resource_is_available(self) -> None:
 def __repr__(self) -> str:
 return f"{object.__repr__(self)} \nresource name: {self.resource_name}"
 
+def to_dict(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+"""Returns the resource proto as a dictionary."""
+return json_format.MessageToDict(self.gca_resource._pb)
+
 
 def optional_sync(
 construct_object_on_arg: Optional[str] = None,

@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 import proto
 from google.api_core import exceptions
 from google.auth import credentials as auth_credentials
-from google.protobuf import json_format
 
 from google.cloud.aiplatform import base, initializer
 from google.cloud.aiplatform import utils
@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ def __init__(
 
 @property
 def metadata(self) -> Dict:
-return json_format.MessageToDict(self._gca_resource._pb)["metadata"]
+return self.to_dict()["metadata"]
 
 @property
 def schema_title(self) -> str:

@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 import importlib
 
 from google import auth as google_auth
-from google.protobuf import json_format
 from google.api_core import exceptions
 from google.api_core import client_options
 
@@ -239,16 +238,15 @@ def test_create_tabular_dataset(self, dataset_gapic_client, shared_state):
 gcs_source=[_TEST_TABULAR_CLASSIFICATION_GCS_SOURCE],
 )
 
-gapic_dataset = tabular_dataset._gca_resource
 shared_state["dataset_name"] = tabular_dataset.resource_name
 
-gapic_metadata = json_format.MessageToDict(gapic_dataset._pb.metadata)
+gapic_metadata = tabular_dataset.to_dict()["metadata"]
 gcs_source_uris = gapic_metadata["inputConfig"]["gcsSource"]["uri"]
 
 assert len(gcs_source_uris) == 1
 assert _TEST_TABULAR_CLASSIFICATION_GCS_SOURCE == gcs_source_uris[0]
 assert (
-gapic_dataset.metadata_schema_uri
+tabular_dataset.metadata_schema_uri
 == aiplatform.schema.dataset.metadata.tabular
 )