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Streams

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May 1, 2024 Updated June 22, 2025 21 minute read

An Introduction to Streams: Navigating the Flow of Modern Data

In the vast and ever-evolving landscape of technology, "Streams" represent a fundamental concept in how we handle and process data. At a high level, a stream refers to a continuous flow of data, often generated from various sources, that needs to be processed, analyzed, and acted upon in real-time or near real-time. Think of it like a river: water (data) is constantly flowing, and we can build mechanisms to observe, divert, or utilize this flow for specific purposes. This paradigm contrasts with traditional batch processing, where data is collected over a period and processed in chunks. The ability to manage and interpret these ceaseless data currents is becoming increasingly vital across numerous sectors.

Working with streams can be an engaging and exciting endeavor for several reasons. Firstly, it places you at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, dealing with systems that power instantaneous decision-making in areas like financial trading, fraud detection, and personalized user experiences. Secondly, the challenge of designing and maintaining robust, scalable, and efficient stream processing systems offers a deeply rewarding intellectual pursuit. Finally, the skills developed in this domain are highly transferable and in growing demand, opening up diverse career pathways. For those new to technology or considering a career pivot, understanding streams can unlock a world of opportunities, though it requires dedication to grasp its complexities.

Introduction to Streams

This section will introduce the fundamental concepts of streams, their historical context, the industries that heavily rely on them, and some basic terminology to get you started. Our aim is to make these ideas accessible, even if you're new to the world of data processing.

What are Streams in Computational and Data Processing Contexts?

Path to Streams

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We've curated 24 courses to help you on your path to Streams. Use these to develop your skills, build background knowledge, and put what you learn to practice.
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Reading list

We've selected four books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Streams.
Introduces reactive programming using Kotlin, a modern programming language well-suited for stream processing. It covers the core concepts and patterns of reactive programming, with a focus on building scalable and responsive applications.
Covers the architecture, APIs, and use cases of Apache Flink, a popular distributed stream processing framework. It provides a comprehensive guide to building and deploying scalable and reliable stream processing applications with Flink.
Teaches stream processing using the Scala programming language. It covers the fundamentals of stream processing and provides practical examples of building and deploying stream processing applications in Scala.
Provides a deep dive into concurrency and parallelism, covering fundamental concepts and advanced topics. While it does not directly focus on streams, it offers valuable insights into the challenges and techniques involved in designing and implementing concurrent systems, which are essential for understanding stream processing.
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