Airlift
A Java framework for building production-ready REST services with built-in configuration, metrics, logging, and dependency injection.
What is Airlift?
Airlift is a Java framework for building REST services that pulls together stable, mature libraries from the Java ecosystem into a simple, light-weight package. It includes built-in support for configuration, metrics, logging, dependency injection, and more, enabling developers to ship production-quality web services quickly. The framework is designed as the foundation for distributed systems like Trino (formerly PrestoSQL).
Java developers and teams building production-ready REST services or distributed systems who want a lightweight, integrated framework without the overhead of large proprietary solutions.
Developers choose Airlift because it combines best-of-breed Java libraries into a cohesive, lightweight framework that accelerates development of production-quality services, with built-in essentials like configuration, metrics, and dependency injection, based on years of real-world experience in high-performance Java services.
Overview
Airlift framework for building REST services
Use Cases
Best For
- Building high-performance REST services in Java
- Developing distributed systems foundations
- Teams needing integrated configuration and metrics
- Projects requiring lightweight dependency injection
- Shipping production-quality web services quickly
- Java developers avoiding large proprietary frameworks
Not Ideal For
- Projects requiring extensive database ORM and connection pooling out-of-the-box
- Teams seeking a framework with a large ecosystem and frequent community updates
- Applications needing built-in UI components or server-side templating
Pros & Cons
Pros
Includes built-in support for configuration, metrics, and logging, reducing the need for external dependencies and boilerplate code, as explicitly stated in the README's key features.
Pulls together stable, best-of-breed Java libraries into a simple package, avoiding the bloat of proprietary frameworks, based on years of experience from high-performance systems like Trino.
Designed as the foundation for distributed systems like Trino, ensuring reliability and performance for shipping production-quality web services quickly, as highlighted in the value proposition.
Facilitates modular architecture and testability with built-in dependency injection, supported by recipes for conditional binding based on config values, enhancing code maintainability.
Cons
Multiple reference sections are marked as TBD in the README, including logging, tracing, and database pooling, which can create barriers for developers implementing or troubleshooting these features.
Primarily used within Trino's ecosystem, resulting in a smaller community and fewer third-party integrations compared to mainstream frameworks like Spring Boot, limiting resource availability.
Lacks built-in support for advanced areas such as events or discovery, as indicated by TBD entries, requiring additional setup and integration efforts from developers.
Frequently Asked Questions
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