Why no bulk Arrow→Parquet write API in Java? How to avoid row-by-row RecordConsumer + optimize?
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Description
### Describe the usage question you have. Please include as many useful details as possible.
I have ~ 20KB objects that I need to write to Parquet efficiently from Java.
In C++, C#, and Python there's a direct/bulk Arrow-Parquet write (e.g. WriteTable / write_table) that avoids row-by-row iteration, but in Java I only see row-by-row paths via RecordConsumer or internal/unstable column writers.
Questions:
1. Is there a supported bulk/columnar Arrow-Parquet write API in Java (e.g, VectorSchemaRoot
→ Parquet) that avoids row-by-row calls?
2. If not, why is Java limited to row-by-row writes today? Any roadmap for feature parity with C++/Python/C#?
3. For now, what's the recommended optimization path to write 20KB objects at high throughput from Java (without JNI), or is JNI/Dataset the recommended route?
4. Any best practices (batch sizing, encodings, writer settings) to mitigate the row-by-row overhead?
Thanks
### Component(s)
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Research direction
Start by reviewing the Java write paths named in the issue, especially RecordConsumer, internal column writers, and VectorSchemaRoot, then compare them with the bulk APIs described for C++, C#, and Python. Done means documenting whether a supported bulk Java path exists, explaining the current limitation or roadmap, and identifying the recommended optimization route without JNI.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- java
- Domain
- data-engineering
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Needs clarification
- Newbie friendliness
- 25/100