[AVRO-3257] IDL: add syntax to create optional fields

• Type: Improvement
• Status: Resolved
• Priority: Minor
• Resolution: Fixed
• Fix Version/s: 1.11.1
• Component/s: java, spec
• Labels: javacc pull-request-available
• Assignee: Oscar Westra van Holthe - Kind
• Reporter: Oscar Westra van Holthe - Kind
• Created: 18/Nov/21 23:06
• Updated: 08/Aug/22 15:01
• Resolved: 22/Dec/21 17:18

Description

To define optional values, Avro has the "union with the null type" construction.

In IDL, this is a rather verbose construct:

union {null, string} optionalName = null;

Wish: add Kotlin style optional types like this:

string? optionalName = null;

The resulting schema should be identical; it's only a syntax change.

Note: it would be nice (but not required) if the syntax would also work if the default value is not null:

string? optionalName = "Jane Doe";

Issue Links

• links to: GitHub Pull Request #1411