Apache Thrift vs JSON

Overview

Apache Thrift

Stacks193

Followers245

Votes0

GitHub Stars10.8K

Forks4.1K

JSON

Stacks2.0K

Followers1.6K

Votes9

Apache Thrift vs JSON: What are the differences?

Introduction

Apache Thrift and JSON are both popular data serialization formats used in web development. However, they have several key differences that differentiate them in terms of features and usage.

Schema Definition: Apache Thrift requires a separate schema definition language to define the structure of the data being serialized and deserialized. This schema definition is used to generate code in various programming languages for data serialization and deserialization. On the other hand, JSON does not require a separate schema definition and can be used directly as a lightweight data interchange format.
Data Types: Apache Thrift provides a wider range of primitive data types compared to JSON. It includes basic types like integers, floats, and booleans, as well as more complex types like enums, lists, and maps. JSON, on the other hand, supports only a limited set of data types including strings, numbers, booleans, arrays, and objects.
Binary Protocol: Apache Thrift supports a binary protocol, which is a compact and efficient way of serializing data. This binary protocol reduces the size of the data being transmitted over the network and provides better performance compared to JSON. JSON, on the other hand, uses a plain-text format, which is less compact and efficient compared to the binary protocol.
Code Generation: Apache Thrift generates code in multiple programming languages based on the provided schema definition. This generated code can be used to serialize and deserialize data in a language-specific manner. JSON, on the other hand, does not require any code generation as it can be directly parsed and serialized using built-in language features.
Compatibility: Apache Thrift provides language-specific libraries for various programming languages, ensuring compatibility and seamless integration with different systems. JSON, on the other hand, has native support in almost all modern programming languages, making it highly compatible and widely used.
Extensibility: Apache Thrift allows developers to define custom data types and functions as extensions to the core protocol. This extensibility feature provides flexibility in handling complex data structures and protocols. JSON, on the other hand, does not have a built-in extensibility mechanism and relies on external conventions or standards for handling complex data structures.

In summary, Apache Thrift offers a powerful and efficient data serialization framework with a separate schema definition language, binary protocol support, and code generation capabilities. JSON, on the other hand, is a lightweight and widely supported data interchange format that does not require a separate schema definition and can be used with minimal overhead.

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Advice on Apache Thrift, JSON

Dhinesh

architect

Jun 16, 2020

Needs adviceon

JSON

Python

Hi. Currently, I have a requirement where I have to create a new JSON file based on the input CSV file, validate the generated JSON file, and upload the JSON file into the application (which runs in AWS) using API. Kindly suggest the best language that can meet the above requirement. I feel Python will be better, but I am not sure with the justification of why python. Can you provide your views on this?

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Comments

Detailed Comparison

Apache Thrift	JSON
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.	JavaScript Object Notation is a lightweight data-interchange format. It is easy for humans to read and write. It is easy for machines to parse and generate. It is based on a subset of the JavaScript Programming Language.
Statistics
GitHub Stars 10.8K	GitHub Stars -
GitHub Forks 4.1K	GitHub Forks -
Stacks 193	Stacks 2.0K
Followers 245	Followers 1.6K
Votes 0	Votes 9
Pros & Cons
No community feedback yet	Pros 5 Simple 4 Widely supported
Integrations
No integrations available	MongoDB PostgreSQL MySQL JavaScript JSON Server JSONlite

What are some alternatives to Apache Thrift, JSON?

JavaScript

JavaScript is most known as the scripting language for Web pages, but used in many non-browser environments as well such as node.js or Apache CouchDB. It is a prototype-based, multi-paradigm scripting language that is dynamic,and supports object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles.

Python

Python is a general purpose programming language created by Guido Van Rossum. Python is most praised for its elegant syntax and readable code, if you are just beginning your programming career python suits you best.

PHP

Fast, flexible and pragmatic, PHP powers everything from your blog to the most popular websites in the world.

Ruby

Ruby is a language of careful balance. Its creator, Yukihiro “Matz” Matsumoto, blended parts of his favorite languages (Perl, Smalltalk, Eiffel, Ada, and Lisp) to form a new language that balanced functional programming with imperative programming.

Java

Java is a programming language and computing platform first released by Sun Microsystems in 1995. There are lots of applications and websites that will not work unless you have Java installed, and more are created every day. Java is fast, secure, and reliable. From laptops to datacenters, game consoles to scientific supercomputers, cell phones to the Internet, Java is everywhere!

Golang

Go is expressive, concise, clean, and efficient. Its concurrency mechanisms make it easy to write programs that get the most out of multicore and networked machines, while its novel type system enables flexible and modular program construction. Go compiles quickly to machine code yet has the convenience of garbage collection and the power of run-time reflection. It's a fast, statically typed, compiled language that feels like a dynamically typed, interpreted language.

HTML5

HTML5 is a core technology markup language of the Internet used for structuring and presenting content for the World Wide Web. As of October 2014 this is the final and complete fifth revision of the HTML standard of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The previous version, HTML 4, was standardised in 1997.

C#

C# (pronounced "See Sharp") is a simple, modern, object-oriented, and type-safe programming language. C# has its roots in the C family of languages and will be immediately familiar to C, C++, Java, and JavaScript programmers.

Scala

Scala is an acronym for “Scalable Language”. This means that Scala grows with you. You can play with it by typing one-line expressions and observing the results. But you can also rely on it for large mission critical systems, as many companies, including Twitter, LinkedIn, or Intel do. To some, Scala feels like a scripting language. Its syntax is concise and low ceremony; its types get out of the way because the compiler can infer them.

Elixir

Elixir leverages the Erlang VM, known for running low-latency, distributed and fault-tolerant systems, while also being successfully used in web development and the embedded software domain.

Related Comparisons

Apache Thrift vs JSON: What are the differences?

Introduction

Apache Thrift and JSON are both popular data serialization formats used in web development. However, they have several key differences that differentiate them in terms of features and usage.

Schema Definition: Apache Thrift requires a separate schema definition language to define the structure of the data being serialized and deserialized. This schema definition is used to generate code in various programming languages for data serialization and deserialization. On the other hand, JSON does not require a separate schema definition and can be used directly as a lightweight data interchange format.
Data Types: Apache Thrift provides a wider range of primitive data types compared to JSON. It includes basic types like integers, floats, and booleans, as well as more complex types like enums, lists, and maps. JSON, on the other hand, supports only a limited set of data types including strings, numbers, booleans, arrays, and objects.
Binary Protocol: Apache Thrift supports a binary protocol, which is a compact and efficient way of serializing data. This binary protocol reduces the size of the data being transmitted over the network and provides better performance compared to JSON. JSON, on the other hand, uses a plain-text format, which is less compact and efficient compared to the binary protocol.
Code Generation: Apache Thrift generates code in multiple programming languages based on the provided schema definition. This generated code can be used to serialize and deserialize data in a language-specific manner. JSON, on the other hand, does not require any code generation as it can be directly parsed and serialized using built-in language features.
Compatibility: Apache Thrift provides language-specific libraries for various programming languages, ensuring compatibility and seamless integration with different systems. JSON, on the other hand, has native support in almost all modern programming languages, making it highly compatible and widely used.
Extensibility: Apache Thrift allows developers to define custom data types and functions as extensions to the core protocol. This extensibility feature provides flexibility in handling complex data structures and protocols. JSON, on the other hand, does not have a built-in extensibility mechanism and relies on external conventions or standards for handling complex data structures.

Apache Thrift vs JSON

Overview