Thrift: (slightly more than) one year later

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David Reiss
•4 min read•intermediate•
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ApacheErlangGitHaskellJavaJSONOCamlPerlPHPRubyThrift

Overview

The article discusses the evolution of Thrift, an open-source software framework released by Facebook for enabling communication between different programming languages. It highlights new features, contributions from the community, and ongoing developments, including integration into the Apache Incubator.

What You'll Learn

1

How to leverage Thrift for cross-language communication in software projects

2

Why asynchronous programming can enhance server performance with Thrift

3

When to use specific Thrift protocols for optimal data encoding

Key Questions Answered

What new features were added to Thrift after its release?
Thrift gained support for additional programming languages including C#, Perl, Objective C, Erlang, Smalltalk, OCaml, and Haskell. It also introduced more idiomatic styles in Java and Ruby, two new protocols for dense encoding and JSON syntax, and significant speed improvements in Python and PHP.
How has the community contributed to Thrift's development?
Many features of Thrift were developed by external contributors, including companies like Powerset, imeem, Evernote, and Amie Street. This collaborative effort has significantly enhanced the framework beyond its initial release by Facebook.
What are the benefits of Thrift being accepted into the Apache Incubator?
Acceptance into the Apache Incubator provides Thrift with increased visibility and brand recognition, which can facilitate integration into other open-source projects, especially those under the Apache umbrella. This is seen as a strategic move for the framework's long-term growth.

Key Statistics & Figures

Serialization speed improvement
5x for serialization and 3x for deserialization
These improvements are achieved through type-annotations in the C++ API.

Technologies & Tools

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Framework
Thrift
Used for enabling communication between programs written in different programming languages.
Programming Language
C++
Used for developing a fully asynchronous client and server.
Data Format
JSON
One of the new protocols introduced for data encoding.

Key Actionable Insights

1
Consider contributing to open-source projects like Thrift to enhance your skills and network.
Engaging with community-driven projects can provide real-world experience and expose you to diverse coding practices and problem-solving approaches.
2
Utilize Thrift's asynchronous capabilities to improve the performance of your server applications.
Asynchronous programming allows handling multiple requests efficiently, which is crucial for applications requiring high scalability.
3
Explore the new Thrift protocols to optimize data serialization in your applications.
Choosing the right protocol can significantly impact the performance and efficiency of data transmission between services.

Common Pitfalls

1
Failing to leverage community contributions can limit the potential of using frameworks like Thrift.
Many enhancements come from external developers, so engaging with the community can lead to better solutions and features.