Learning Apache Thrift

Make applications cross-communicate using Apache Thrift!

About This Book

• Leverage Apache Thrift to enable applications written in different programming languages (Java, C++, Python, PHP, Ruby, and so on) to cross-communicate.
• Learn to make your services ready for real-world applications by using stepwise examples and modifying code from Industry giants.
• Be a crackerjack at solving Apache Thrift-related issues.

Who This Book Is For

If you have some experience of developing applications in one or more languages supported by Apache Thrift (C++, Java, PHP, Python, Ruby, and others) and want to broaden your knowledge and skills in building cross-platform, scalable applications, then this book is for you.

What You Will Learn

• Understand the need for cross-language services and the basics of Apache Thrift.
• Learn how Apache Thrift works and what problems it solves.
• Determine when to use Apache Thrift instead of other methods (REST API), and when not to use it.
• Create and run an example application using Apache Thrift.
• Use Apache Thrift in your applications written in different languages supported by Apache Thrift (PHP, Python, Ruby, Java, and C++).
• Handle exceptions and deal with errors.
• Modify code in different languages.
• Use Apache Thrift in the production environments of big applications.

In Detail

With modern software systems being increasingly complex, providing a scalable communication architecture for applications in different languages is tedious. The Apache Thrift framework is the solution to this problem! It helps build efficient and easy-to-maintain services and offers a plethora of options matching your application type by supporting several popular programming languages, including C++, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby, Erlang, Perl, Haskell, C#, Cocoa, JavaScript, Node.js, Smalltalk, OCaml, and Delphi.

This book will help you set aside the basics of service-oriented systems through your first Apache Thrift-powered app. Then, progressing to more complex examples, it will provide you with tips for running large-scale applications in production environments.

You will learn how to assess when Apache Thrift is the best tool to be used. To start with, you will run a simple example application, learning the framework’s structure along the way; you will quickly advance to more complex systems that will help you solve various real-life problems. Moreover, you will be able to add a communication layer to every application written in one of the popular programming languages, with support for various data types and error handling. Further, you will learn how pre-eminent companies use Apache Thrift in their popular applications.

This book is a great starting point if you want to use one of the best tools available to develop cross-language applications in service-oriented architectures.

Style and approach

A stepwise guide to learning Apache Thrift, with ready-to-run examples explained comprehensively. Advanced topics supply the inspiration for further work.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introducing Apache Thrift
Chapter 2: Installing and Running Apache Thrift
Chapter 3: Running Your First Apache Thrift Service and Client
Chapter 4: Understanding How Apache Thrift Works
Chapter 5: Generating and Running Code in Different Languages
Chapter 6: Handling Errors in Apache Thrift
Chapter 7: An Example Client-Server Application
Chapter 8: Advanced Usage of Apache Thrift