.AVRO File Extension

Avro Data File

Developer	Apache Software Foundation
Popularity	Average rating 2.5 / 5. Vote count: 10
Category	Data Files
Format	.AVRO
Cross Platform	Update Soon

What is an AVRO file?

.AVRO files are a type of data serialization system developed by Apache Software Foundation. They are commonly used for efficient data exchange between programs written in different languages, as they support both serializing and deserializing complex data structures.

The name “AVRO” is derived from “avion,” meaning “bird” in Esperanto, signifying the project’s speed and agility.

More Information.

.AVRO was first released in 2009 as part of the Apache Hadoop project. Its primary purpose was to provide a data serialization system that could be used with Hadoop’s MapReduce framework for processing large datasets in parallel across a distributed cluster of computers.

Since then, .AVRO has gained widespread adoption in various big data processing systems, including Apache Spark, Apache Storm, and Apache Kafka.

Origin Of This File.

The .AVRO file format was initially developed by Doug Cutting, the creator of Apache Hadoop, and was later adopted by the Apache Software Foundation as an open-source project.

It was designed to address the need for a fast, compact, and efficient data serialization system that could handle large volumes of data in distributed computing environments.

File Structure Technical Specification.

.AVRO files are characterized by their compact binary encoding, which makes them ideal for transmitting data over networks and storing large datasets on disk.

They support a rich set of data types, including primitive types (e.g., integers, floats, strings) and complex types (e.g., records, arrays, maps).

.AVRO files include built-in support for schema evolution, allowing the structure of data to evolve without breaking compatibility with existing data.

The structure of an .AVRO file consists of a header followed by one or more data blocks. The header contains metadata about the schema used to serialize the data, while the data blocks contain the serialized records encoded using .AVRO’s binary format.

How to Convert the File?

Converting .AVRO files to other formats is achievable through Apache Avro Tools or programming libraries. Apache Avro Tools offer a command-line interface facilitating effortless conversion to JSON, CSV, and more. For instance, using avro-tools, one can convert .AVRO files to JSON with a simple command.

Programming languages like Python, Java, and Scala provide libraries such as Avro that enable programmatic conversion. In Python, for instance, one can convert .AVRO files to JSON or CSV using the Avro library, offering flexibility in the conversion process.

Whether through command-line tools or programming libraries, users have versatile options to transform.AVRO files into formats suitable for their data processing needs.

Advantages And Disadvantages.

Advantage:

Compactness: .AVRO files are highly space-efficient due to their binary encoding, making them suitable for storing large volumes of data.
Schema Evolution: .AVRO supports schema evolution, allowing the structure of data to evolve over time without breaking compatibility with existing data.
Interoperability: .AVRO files can be easily exchanged between different programming languages and platforms, making them ideal for cross-platform data exchange.

Disadvantage:

Complexity: Working with .AVRO files may require understanding of the .AVRO schema and serialization/deserialization process, which can be complex for beginners.
Limited Tool Support: While .AVRO is widely supported in the Hadoop ecosystem, support for .AVRO files in other tools and frameworks may be limited.
Performance Overhead: Serializing and deserializing .AVRO data may incur a performance overhead compared to simpler formats like JSON or CSV.

How to Open AVRO?

Open In Windows

Windows users can open .AVRO files using various third-party applications like Apache Avro Viewer, AvroView, or by installing Apache Avro command-line tools and using them via Command Prompt or PowerShell.

Open In Linux

Open In MAC

macOS users can utilize Apache Avro command-line tools or install AvroView from third-party sources to open and interact with .AVRO files.

Open In Android

Android users can explore .AVRO files using specialized file explorer apps available on the Google Play Store that support .AVRO file viewing.

Open In IOS

iOS users can use file viewer apps available on the App Store that support .AVRO file viewing to open and interact with .AVRO files on their devices.

Open in Others

For other operating systems, users can explore third-party applications or libraries that support .AVRO file viewing and manipulation, or use cross-platform solutions like Apache Avro command-line tools.