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Apache Flink VS Eclipse RAP

Compare Apache Flink VS Eclipse RAP and see what are their differences

Apache Flink logo Apache Flink

Flink is a streaming dataflow engine that provides data distribution, communication, and fault tolerance for distributed computations.

Eclipse RAP logo Eclipse RAP

Java Web Frameworks
  • Apache Flink Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03
  • Eclipse RAP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2020-02-01

Apache Flink features and specs

  • Real-time Stream Processing
    Apache Flink is designed for real-time data streaming, offering low-latency processing capabilities that are essential for applications requiring immediate data insights.
  • Event Time Processing
    Flink supports event time processing, which allows it to handle out-of-order events effectively and provide accurate results based on the time events actually occurred rather than when they were processed.
  • State Management
    Flink provides robust state management features, making it easier to maintain and query state across distributed nodes, which is crucial for managing long-running applications.
  • Fault Tolerance
    The framework includes built-in mechanisms for fault tolerance, such as consistent checkpoints and savepoints, ensuring high reliability and data consistency even in the case of failures.
  • Scalability
    Apache Flink is highly scalable, capable of handling both batch and stream processing workloads across a distributed cluster, making it suitable for large-scale data processing tasks.
  • Rich Ecosystem
    Flink has a rich set of APIs and integrations with other big data tools, such as Apache Kafka, Apache Hadoop, and Apache Cassandra, enhancing its versatility and ease of integration into existing data pipelines.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Flink

  • Complexity
    Flink’s advanced features and capabilities come with a steep learning curve, making it more challenging to set up and use compared to simpler stream processing frameworks.
  • Resource Intensive
    The framework can be resource-intensive, requiring substantial memory and CPU resources for optimal performance, which might be a concern for smaller setups or cost-sensitive environments.
  • Community Support
    While growing, the community around Apache Flink is not as large or mature as some other big data frameworks like Apache Spark, potentially limiting the availability of community-contributed resources and support.
  • Ecosystem Maturity
    Despite its integrations, the Flink ecosystem is still maturing, and certain tools and plugins may not be as developed or stable as those available for more established frameworks.
  • Operational Overhead
    Running and maintaining a Flink cluster can involve significant operational overhead, including monitoring, scaling, and troubleshooting, which might require a dedicated team or additional expertise.

Eclipse RAP features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    Eclipse RAP allows developers to create web applications that are accessible on various platforms without changing the codebase. This is achieved by rendering the application in a web browser, enabling users on any operating system to access the application seamlessly.
  • Single Codebase
    With Eclipse RAP, developers can maintain a single codebase for both desktop and web applications. This reduces the complexity and resources needed for maintaining separate versions of an application.
  • Rich User Interface
    Eclipse RAP offers a rich set of widgets and tools for creating complex, interactive user interfaces which resemble native desktop applications, enhancing the user experience on web platforms.
  • Integration with Eclipse Ecosystem
    Being part of the Eclipse ecosystem, RAP can easily integrate with other Eclipse projects and tools, offering a robust environment for development and extending functionality.
  • Mature Framework
    As a well-established framework that's been around for many years, Eclipse RAP benefits from a wealth of documentation, community support, and continuous improvement.

Possible disadvantages of Eclipse RAP

  • Learning Curve
    For developers not familiar with the Java and SWT (Standard Widget Toolkit) frameworks, there may be a steep learning curve when adopting Eclipse RAP for the first time.
  • Performance Overheads
    When heavily loading an application with complex UI components, the performance might suffer due to the overhead of rendering traditional desktop functionalities in a web browser.
  • Limited Modern Web Features
    Eclipse RAP might lack some modern web development features or native support for technologies like HTML5 and CSS3 compared to frameworks that are specifically designed for web applications.
  • Dependency on Java
    Since Eclipse RAP is Java-based, it restricts developers to using Java technologies and may not fit into environments where other programming languages or frameworks are preferred.
  • Community Size and Resources
    While it is part of the Eclipse ecosystem, RAP may not have as large a community or as many third-party resources and plugins as other more mainstream web development frameworks.

Apache Flink videos

GOTO 2019 • Introduction to Stateful Stream Processing with Apache Flink • Robert Metzger

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Apache Flink Tutorial | Flink vs Spark | Real Time Analytics Using Flink | Apache Flink Training
  • Tutorial - How to build a modern stream processor: The science behind Apache Flink - Stefan Richter

Eclipse RAP videos

No Eclipse RAP videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Flink and Eclipse RAP)
Big Data
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
39 39%
61% 61
Stream Processing
100 100%
0% 0
Web Frameworks
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache Flink seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 41 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Flink mentions (41)

  • What is Apache Flink? Exploring Its Open Source Business Model, Funding, and Community
    Continuous Learning: Leverage online tutorials from the official Flink website and attend webinars for deeper insights. - Source: dev.to / about 5 hours ago
  • Is RisingWave the Next Apache Flink?
    Apache Flink, known initially as Stratosphere, is a distributed stream processing engine initiated by a group of researchers at TU Berlin. Since its initial release in May 2011, Flink has gained immense popularity in both academia and industry. And it is currently the most well-known streaming system globally (challenge me if you think I got it wrong!). - Source: dev.to / 13 days ago
  • Every Database Will Support Iceberg — Here's Why
    Apache Iceberg defines a table format that separates how data is stored from how data is queried. Any engine that implements the Iceberg integration — Spark, Flink, Trino, DuckDB, Snowflake, RisingWave — can read and/or write Iceberg data directly. - Source: dev.to / 18 days ago
  • RisingWave Turns Four: Our Journey Beyond Democratizing Stream Processing
    The last decade saw the rise of open-source frameworks like Apache Flink, Spark Streaming, and Apache Samza. These offered more flexibility but still demanded significant engineering muscle to run effectively at scale. Companies using them often needed specialized stream processing engineers just to manage internal state, tune performance, and handle the day-to-day operational challenges. The barrier to entry... - Source: dev.to / 23 days ago
  • Twitter's 600-Tweet Daily Limit Crisis: Soaring GCP Costs and the Open Source Fix Elon Musk Ignored
    Apache Flink: Flink is a unified streaming and batching platform developed under the Apache Foundation. It provides support for Java API and a SQL interface. Flink boasts a large ecosystem and can seamlessly integrate with various services, including Kafka, Pulsar, HDFS, Iceberg, Hudi, and other systems. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
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Eclipse RAP mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Eclipse RAP yet. Tracking of Eclipse RAP recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Flink and Eclipse RAP, you can also consider the following products

Apache Spark - Apache Spark is an engine for big data processing, with built-in modules for streaming, SQL, machine learning and graph processing.

Grails - An Open Source, full stack, web application framework for the JVM

Amazon Kinesis - Amazon Kinesis services make it easy to work with real-time streaming data in the AWS cloud.

Vaadin Framework - Vaadin is a web application framework for Rich Internet Applications (RIA).

Spring Framework - The Spring Framework provides a comprehensive programming and configuration model for modern Java-based enterprise applications - on any kind of deployment platform.

Spark Mail - Spark helps you take your inbox under control. Instantly see what’s important and quickly clean up the rest. Spark for Teams allows you to create, discuss, and share email with your colleagues