docs/source/overview.rst

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===================
High-Level Overview
===================

The Apache Arrow Java modules implement various specifications including the
columnar format and IPC. Most modules are native Java implementations,
but some modules are JNI bindings to the C++ library.

.. list-table:: Arrow Java Modules
   :widths: 25 50 25
   :header-rows: 1

   * - Module
     - Description
     - Implementation
   * - arrow-format
     - Generated Java files from the IPC Flatbuffer definitions.
     - Native
   * - arrow-memory-core
     - Core off-heap memory management libraries for Arrow ValueVectors.
     - Native
   * - arrow-memory-unsafe
     - Memory management implementation based on sun.misc.Unsafe.
     - Native
   * - arrow-memory-netty
     - Memory management implementation based on Netty.
     - Native
   * - arrow-vector
     - An off-heap reference implementation for Arrow columnar data format.
     - Native
   * - arrow-vector-codegen
     - Template files for Arrow datatypes suitable for code generation.
     - Native
   * - arrow-tools
     - Java applications for working with Arrow ValueVectors.
     - Native
   * - arrow-jdbc
     - (Experimental) A library for converting JDBC data to Arrow data.
     - Native
   * - flight-core
     - An RPC mechanism for transferring ValueVectors.
     - Native
   * - flight-sql
     - Contains utility classes to expose Flight SQL semantics for clients and servers over Arrow Flight.
     - Native
   * - flight-integration-tests
     - Integration tests for Flight RPC.
     - Native
   * - arrow-performance
     - JMH benchmarks for the Arrow libraries.
     - Native
   * - arrow-algorithm
     - (Experimental) A collection of algorithms for working with ValueVectors.
     - Native
   * - arrow-avro
     - (Experimental) A library for converting Avro data to Arrow data.
     - Native
   * - arrow-compression
     - (Experimental) A library for working with compression/decompression of Arrow data.
     - Native
   * - arrow-c-data
     - Java implementation of `C Data Interface`_
     - JNI
   * - arrow-orc
     - (Experimental) A JNI wrapper for the C++ ORC reader implementation.
     - JNI
   * - arrow-gandiva
     - Java wrappers around the native Gandiva SQL expression compiler.
     - JNI
   * - arrow-dataset
     - Java bindings to the Arrow Datasets library.
     - JNI

Arrow Java modules support working with data (1) in-memory, (2) at rest, and (3) on-the-wire.

.. _`C Data Interface`: https://arrow.apache.org/docs/format/CDataInterface.html