Sharmarke Aden created AVRO-1188:
------------------------------------

             Summary: External Schema Imports via AVSC Schema
                 Key: AVRO-1188
                 URL: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/AVRO-1188
             Project: Avro
          Issue Type: New Feature
          Components: java
            Reporter: Sharmarke Aden


There is no way for ".avsc" schema files to import types (i.e records, enums, 
etc) in external schema files. There's tremendous benefit in being able to do 
this as it would all for the sharing of common types between multiple schema 
files. Here's a use case that illustrates the typical usecase of this feature 
request.


Suppose we have an enum called "Privacy" that we would like to share between 
multiple schemas:

{code}
//privacy.avsc
{ 
  "type": "enum",
  "name": "Privacy",
  "symbols" : ["Public", "Private"]
}
{code}

Now, if this feature was implemented one could import the above type into other 
schema files by doing something like this: 

{code}
//the post.avsc 
{
  "type": "record", 
  "name": "Post",
  "imports": ["privacy.avsc"] //you can import one or more schemas
  "fields": [{
              "name": "privacy", 
              "type": [ "null", "Privacy"], //use imported Privacy type
              "default": "Private"
            }
  ]
}
{code}

Here's another schema file that also has a similar privacy concern:

{code}
//the event.avsc is another schema that also imports the privacy type
{
  "type": "record", 
  "name": "Event",
  "imports": ["privacy.avsc"] //it also imports the privacy schemas
  "fields": [{
              "name": "privacy", 
              "type": [ "null", "Privacy"], //use imported Privacy type
              "default": "Public"
            }
  ]
}
{code}


IDL files are able to import external schemas and protocols and it would be 
very beneficial if schema files could import other schema files. 


--
This message is automatically generated by JIRA.
If you think it was sent incorrectly, please contact your JIRA administrators
For more information on JIRA, see: http://www.atlassian.com/software/jira

Reply via email to