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Overview

Apache Arrow GLib is a wrapper library for Arrow C++ that provides C API. It supports GObject Introspection, enabling you to create language bindings at runtime or compile time automatically.

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When to Use C GLib

Choose C GLib bindings when you:
  • Need to integrate Arrow into C applications or legacy codebases
  • Want to create bindings for languages that support GObject Introspection (Ruby, Python, Lua, etc.)
  • Require a stable C API on top of Arrow C++
  • Are building GNOME or GTK applications that need Arrow functionality

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Installation

For detailed installation instructions using package managers, see the official install documentation.

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Building from Source

# Install dependencies
sudo apt install -y gtk-doc-tools libgirepository1.0-dev meson ninja-build

# Download and extract Arrow source
wget 'https://www.apache.org/dyn/closer.lua?action=download&filename=arrow/arrow-12.0.0/apache-arrow-12.0.0.tar.gz' \
    --output-document apache-arrow-12.0.0.tar.gz
tar xf apache-arrow-12.0.0.tar.gz
cd apache-arrow-12.0.0

# Build Arrow C++ first (required)
# See Arrow C++ documentation for build instructions

# Build and install Arrow GLib
meson setup c_glib.build c_glib --buildtype=release
meson compile -C c_glib.build
sudo meson install -C c_glib.build
Arrow C++ must be built and installed before building Arrow GLib. Refer to the Arrow C++ documentation for complete build instructions.

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Basic Usage

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Creating Arrays

Here’s a simple example demonstrating how to build an Int32 array: 
#include <arrow-glib/arrow-glib.h>

int main(int argc, char **argv) {
  GArrowInt32ArrayBuilder *builder;
  GArrowArray *array;
  GError *error = NULL;
  gboolean success = TRUE;

  // Create an array builder
  builder = garrow_int32_array_builder_new();

  // Append values
  success = garrow_int32_array_builder_append_value(builder, 29, &error);
  if (success) {
    success = garrow_int32_array_builder_append_value(builder, 2929, &error);
  }
  if (success) {
    success = garrow_int32_array_builder_append_value(builder, 292929, &error);
  }

  if (!success) {
    g_print("Failed to append: %s\n", error->message);
    g_error_free(error);
    g_object_unref(builder);
    return EXIT_FAILURE;
  }

  // Finish building the array
  array = garrow_array_builder_finish(GARROW_ARRAY_BUILDER(builder), &error);
  if (!array) {
    g_print("Failed to finish: %s\n", error->message);
    g_error_free(error);
    g_object_unref(builder);
    return EXIT_FAILURE;
  }

  // Access array elements
  gint64 length = garrow_array_get_length(array);
  g_print("Length: %" G_GINT64_FORMAT "\n", length);

  for (gint64 i = 0; i < length; i++) {
    gint32 value = garrow_int32_array_get_value(GARROW_INT32_ARRAY(array), i);
    g_print("array[%" G_GINT64_FORMAT "] = %d\n", i, value);
  }

  // Cleanup
  g_object_unref(array);
  g_object_unref(builder);

  return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

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Compiling C Programs

To compile programs using Arrow GLib: 
gcc example.c -o example $(pkg-config --cflags --libs arrow-glib)

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API Reference

Arrow GLib provides comprehensive API coverage:
  • Arrow GLib: Core Arrow functionality (arrays, tables, schemas)
  • Arrow CUDA GLib: CUDA/GPU integration
  • Arrow Dataset GLib: Dataset API for reading partitioned data
  • Arrow Flight GLib: Flight RPC protocol implementation
  • Arrow Flight SQL GLib: Flight SQL protocol support
  • Parquet GLib: Parquet file format support
  • Gandiva GLib: LLVM-based expression compiler
API reference documentation is typically installed at /usr/local/share/gtk-doc/html/arrow-glib/.

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Language Bindings via GObject Introspection

Arrow GLib’s GObject Introspection support enables automatic bindings for multiple languages:

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Ruby

Use the red-arrow gem: 
require "arrow"

builder = Arrow::Int32ArrayBuilder.new
builder.append(29)
builder.append(2929)
builder.append(292929)

array = builder.finish
array.each do |value|
  puts value
end

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Python

Use PyGObject (note: PyArrow is generally preferred): 
import gi
gi.require_version('Arrow', '1.0')
from gi.repository import Arrow

builder = Arrow.Int32ArrayBuilder.new()
builder.append_value(29)
builder.append_value(2929)
builder.append_value(292929)

array = builder.finish()
for i in range(array.get_length()):
    print(array.get_value(i))

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Lua

Use LGI: 
local lgi = require 'lgi'
local Arrow = lgi.Arrow

local builder = Arrow.Int32ArrayBuilder.new()
builder:append_value(29)
builder:append_value(2929)
builder:append_value(292929)

local array = builder:finish()
for i = 0, array:get_length() - 1 do
  print(array:get_value(i))
end

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Common Use Cases

File I/O

Read and write Arrow data using the IPC format for efficient serialization

Data Interchange

Exchange data between C applications and other Arrow implementations

Language Bindings

Create bindings for languages supporting GObject Introspection

Legacy Integration

Integrate Arrow into existing C codebases and GNOME applications

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Additional Resources

GitHub Repository

View source code and examples

Example Code

Browse C example programs

Install Guide

Official installation documentation

GObject Introspection

Learn about GObject Introspection

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Testing Your Installation

Arrow GLib includes unit tests to verify correct installation: 
# Install test dependencies
sudo apt install -y ruby-dev
sudo gem install bundler
cd c_glib && bundle install

# Run tests
cd c_glib.build
BUNDLE_GEMFILE=../c_glib/Gemfile bundle exec ../c_glib/test/run-test.sh

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