[HBASE-5357] Use builder pattern in HColumnDescriptor

• Type: Improvement
• Status: Closed
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Assignee: Mikhail Gryzykhin
• Reporter: Mikhail Gryzykhin
• Created: 08/Feb/12 23:17
• Updated: 12/Jun/22 20:18
• Resolved: 24/Feb/12 01:58

Description

We have five ways to create an HFile writer, two ways to create a StoreFile writer, and the sets of parameters keep changing, creating a lot of confusion, especially when porting patches across branches. The same thing is happening to HColumnDescriptor. I think we should move to a "builder pattern" solution, e.g.

  HFileWriter w = HFile.getWriterBuilder(conf, <some common args>)
      .setParameter1(value1)
      .setParameter2(value2)
      ...
      .build();

Each parameter setter being on its own line will make merges/cherry-pick work properly, we will not have to even mention default parameters again, and we can eliminate a dozen impossible-to-remember constructors.

This particular JIRA addresses the HColumnDescriptor refactoring. For StoreFile/HFile refactoring see HBASE-5442.