Columnar In-Memory Data Formats

Arrow is a cross-language development platform for in-memory data. It provides a standardized, language-independent columnar memory format designed to accelerate analytical operations and improve memory efficiency on modern computing hardware. By utilizing a schema-driven approach, the framework enables the efficient organization of both flat and nested data structures. The project functions as an analytical data processing engine that facilitates high-performance computation directly on memory-resident datasets. It distinguishes itself through a zero-copy architecture, which allows multiple processes to access shared memory buffers simultaneously. This capability eliminates the performance overhead typically associated with data serialization, duplication, or transit between different system components. Beyond its core memory format, the library serves as an interoperability layer for data ingestion and export. It supports integration with common file formats, ensuring compatibility across diverse analytical tools and external storage systems. The platform includes a suite of computational kernels designed to execute vectorized operations, enabling high-speed processing of large-scale information.