[FLINK-16363] Correct the execution behavior of TableEnvironment and StreamTableEnvironment

• Type: Sub-task
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Fix Version/s: 1.11.0
• Component/s: Table SQL / API
• Labels: pull-request-available

Release Note

In previous versions, TableEnvironment.execute() and StreamExecutionEnvironment.execute() can both trigger table and DataStream programs. Since 1.11.0, table programs can only be triggered by TableEnvironment.execute(). Once table program is convereted into DataStream program (through toAppendStream() or toRetractStream() method), it can only be triggered by StreamExecutionEnvironment.execute().

• Assignee: godfrey he
• Reporter: godfrey he
• Created: 02/Mar/20 07:12
• Updated: 18/Apr/20 13:20
• Resolved: 11/Mar/20 10:27

Description

Both TableEnvironment.execute() and StreamExecutionEnvironment.execute can trigger a Flink table program execution. However if you use TableEnvironment to build a Flink table program, you must use TableEnvironment.execute() to trigger execution, because you can’t get the StreamExecutionEnvironment instance. If you use StreamTableEnvironment to build a Flink table program, you can use both to trigger execution. If you convert a table program to a DataStream program (using StreamExecutionEnvironment.toAppendStream/toRetractStream), you also can use both to trigger execution. So it’s hard to explain which `execute` method should be used.

To correct current messy trigger point, we propose that: for TableEnvironment and StreamTableEnvironment, you must use TableEnvironment.execute() to trigger table program execution, once you convert the table program to a DataStream program (through toAppendStream or toRetractStream method), you must use StreamExecutionEnvironment.execute to trigger the DataStream program.

please refer to FLIP-84 for more detail.

Issue Links

• links to: GitHub Pull Request #11296