The Apache Thrift software framework, for scalable cross-language services development, combines a software stack with a code generation engine to build services that work efficiently and seamlessly between C++, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby, Erlang, Perl, Haskell, C#, Cocoa, JavaScript, Node.js, Smalltalk, OCaml and Delphi and other languages.
To get started, download a copy of Thrift.
You will then need to build the Apache Thrift compiler and install it. See the installing Thrift guide for any help with this step.
After the Thrift compiler is installed you will need to create a thrift file. This file is an interface definition made up of thrift types and Services. The services you define in this file are implemented by the server and are called by any clients. The Thrift compiler is used to generate your Thrift File into source code which is used by the different client libraries and the server you write. To generate the source from a thrift file run
thrift --gen <language> <Thrift filename>
The sample tutorial.thrift file used for all the client and server tutorials can be found here.
To learn more about Apache Thrift Read the Whitepaper
Apache Thrift allows you to define data types and service interfaces in a simple definition file. Taking that file as input, the compiler generates code to be used to easily build RPC clients and servers that communicate seamlessly across programming languages. Instead of writing a load of boilerplate code to serialize and transport your objects and invoke remote methods, you can get right down to business.
The following example is a simple service to store user objects for a web front end.
service Calculator extends shared.SharedService {
/**
* A method definition looks like C code. It has a return type, arguments,
* and optionally a list of exceptions that it may throw. Note that argument
* lists and exception lists are specified using the exact same syntax as
* field lists in struct or exception definitions.
*/
void ping(),
i32 add(1:i32 num1, 2:i32 num2),
i32 calculate(1:i32 logid, 2:Work w) throws (1:InvalidOperation ouch),
/**
* This method has a oneway modifier. That means the client only makes
* a request and does not listen for any response at all. Oneway methods
* must be void.
*/
oneway void zip()
} # Make socket
transport = TSocket.TSocket('localhost', 9090)
# Buffering is critical. Raw sockets are very slow
transport = TTransport.TBufferedTransport(transport)
# Wrap in a protocol
protocol = TBinaryProtocol.TBinaryProtocol(transport)
# Create a client to use the protocol encoder
client = Calculator.Client(protocol)
# Connect!
transport.open()
client.ping()
print 'ping()'
sum = client.add(1,1)
print '1+1=%d' % (sum) try {
TServerTransport serverTransport = new TServerSocket(9090);
TServer server = new TSimpleServer(new Args(serverTransport).processor(processor));
// Use this for a multithreaded server
// TServer server = new TThreadPoolServer(new TThreadPoolServer.Args(serverTransport).processor(processor));
System.out.println("Starting the simple server...");
server.serve();
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}