Java hello world

This code sample is a "hello world" application written in Java, using the Bigtable client library for Java. The sample illustrates how to complete the following tasks:

  • Set up authentication
  • Connect to a Bigtable instance.
  • Create a new table.
  • Write data to the table.
  • Read the data back.
  • Delete the table.

Set up authentication

To use the Java samples on this page in a local development environment, install and initialize the gcloud CLI, and then set up Application Default Credentials with your user credentials.

  1. Install the Google Cloud CLI.
  2. To initialize the gcloud CLI, run the following command:

    gcloud init
  3. If you're using a local shell, then create local authentication credentials for your user account:

    gcloud auth application-default login

    You don't need to do this if you're using Cloud Shell.

For more information, see Set up authentication for a local development environment.

Running the sample

This code communicates with Bigtable using the Google Cloud Bigtable library in the Google Cloud Client Libraries for Java.

Follow the Google Cloud Platform Samples instructions on GitHub before you get started.

Using the Cloud Client Library with Bigtable

The sample application connects to Bigtable and demonstrates some simple operations.

Connecting to Bigtable

To get started, you need a data client that you use to communicate with the data API client library and a table admin client that you use to communicate with the admin API client library.

First, instantiate a BigtableDataSettings object that includes the project ID and instance ID that the hello world application will use. Then pass the settings to the BigtableDataClient.create() method to create the data client.

Similarly, for the admin client, first establish the settings by creating a BigtableTableAdminSettings object, then use the settings to create a BigtableTableAdminClient object.

As a best practice, when you use Bigtable you should always create a client once and reuse it throughout the application.

// Creates the settings to configure a bigtable data client.
BigtableDataSettings settings =
    BigtableDataSettings.newBuilder().setProjectId(projectId).setInstanceId(instanceId).build();

// Creates a bigtable data client.
dataClient = BigtableDataClient.create(settings);

// Creates the settings to configure a bigtable table admin client.
BigtableTableAdminSettings adminSettings =
    BigtableTableAdminSettings.newBuilder()
        .setProjectId(projectId)
        .setInstanceId(instanceId)
        .build();

// Creates a bigtable table admin client.
adminClient = BigtableTableAdminClient.create(adminSettings);

Creating a table

To create a table, build a CreateTableRequest object and pass it to the admin client's createTable() method.

// Checks if table exists, creates table if does not exist.
if (!adminClient.exists(tableId)) {
  System.out.println("Creating table: " + tableId);
  CreateTableRequest createTableRequest =
      CreateTableRequest.of(tableId).addFamily(COLUMN_FAMILY);
  adminClient.createTable(createTableRequest);
  System.out.printf("Table %s created successfully%n", tableId);
}

Writing rows to a table

Create a greetings[] string array containing three simple greetings, to use as a source of data to write to the table. Loop through the array. In each iteration of the loop, create a RowMutation object and use the setCell() method to add an entry to the mutation.

try {
  System.out.println("\nWriting some greetings to the table");
  String[] names = {"World", "Bigtable", "Java"};
  for (int i = 0; i < names.length; i++) {
    String greeting = "Hello " + names[i] + "!";
    RowMutation rowMutation =
        RowMutation.create(TableId.of(tableId), ROW_KEY_PREFIX + i)
            .setCell(COLUMN_FAMILY, COLUMN_QUALIFIER_NAME, names[i])
            .setCell(COLUMN_FAMILY, COLUMN_QUALIFIER_GREETING, greeting);
    dataClient.mutateRow(rowMutation);
    System.out.println(greeting);
  }
} catch (NotFoundException e) {
  System.err.println("Failed to write to non-existent table: " + e.getMessage());
}

Reading a row by its row key

Use the data client's readRow() method to read the first row that you wrote.

try {
  System.out.println("\nReading a single row by row key");
  Row row = dataClient.readRow(TableId.of(tableId), ROW_KEY_PREFIX + 0);
  System.out.println("Row: " + row.getKey().toStringUtf8());
  for (RowCell cell : row.getCells()) {
    System.out.printf(
        "Family: %s    Qualifier: %s    Value: %s%n",
        cell.getFamily(), cell.getQualifier().toStringUtf8(), cell.getValue().toStringUtf8());
  }
  return row;
} catch (NotFoundException e) {
  System.err.println("Failed to read from a non-existent table: " + e.getMessage());
  return null;
}
try {
  System.out.println("\nReading specific cells by family and qualifier");
  Row row = dataClient.readRow(TableId.of(tableId), ROW_KEY_PREFIX + 0);
  System.out.println("Row: " + row.getKey().toStringUtf8());
  List<RowCell> cells = row.getCells(COLUMN_FAMILY, COLUMN_QUALIFIER_NAME);
  for (RowCell cell : cells) {
    System.out.printf(
        "Family: %s    Qualifier: %s    Value: %s%n",
        cell.getFamily(), cell.getQualifier().toStringUtf8(), cell.getValue().toStringUtf8());
  }
  return cells;
} catch (NotFoundException e) {
  System.err.println("Failed to read from a non-existent table: " + e.getMessage());
  return null;
}

Scanning all table rows

Next, scan the entire table. Create a Query object, pass it to the readRows() method, and assign the results to a row stream.

try {
  System.out.println("\nReading the entire table");
  Query query = Query.create(TableId.of(tableId));
  ServerStream<Row> rowStream = dataClient.readRows(query);
  List<Row> tableRows = new ArrayList<>();
  for (Row r : rowStream) {
    System.out.println("Row Key: " + r.getKey().toStringUtf8());
    tableRows.add(r);
    for (RowCell cell : r.getCells()) {
      System.out.printf(
          "Family: %s    Qualifier: %s    Value: %s%n",
          cell.getFamily(), cell.getQualifier().toStringUtf8(), cell.getValue().toStringUtf8());
    }
  }
  return tableRows;
} catch (NotFoundException e) {
  System.err.println("Failed to read a non-existent table: " + e.getMessage());
  return null;
}

Deleting a table

Finally, delete the table with the deleteTable() method.

System.out.println("\nDeleting table: " + tableId);
try {
  adminClient.deleteTable(tableId);
  System.out.printf("Table %s deleted successfully%n", tableId);
} catch (NotFoundException e) {
  System.err.println("Failed to delete a non-existent table: " + e.getMessage());
}

Putting it all together

Here is the full code sample without comments.


package com.example.bigtable;


import static com.google.cloud.bigtable.data.v2.models.Filters.FILTERS;

import com.google.api.gax.rpc.NotFoundException;
import com.google.api.gax.rpc.ServerStream;
import com.google.cloud.bigtable.admin.v2.BigtableTableAdminClient;
import com.google.cloud.bigtable.admin.v2.BigtableTableAdminSettings;
import com.google.cloud.bigtable.admin.v2.models.CreateTableRequest;
import com.google.cloud.bigtable.data.v2.BigtableDataClient;
import com.google.cloud.bigtable.data.v2.BigtableDataSettings;
import com.google.cloud.bigtable.data.v2.models.Filters.Filter;
import com.google.cloud.bigtable.data.v2.models.Query;
import com.google.cloud.bigtable.data.v2.models.Row;
import com.google.cloud.bigtable.data.v2.models.RowCell;
import com.google.cloud.bigtable.data.v2.models.RowMutation;
import com.google.cloud.bigtable.data.v2.models.TableId;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Base64;
import java.util.List;


public class HelloWorld {

  private static final String COLUMN_FAMILY = "cf1";
  private static final String COLUMN_QUALIFIER_GREETING = "greeting";
  private static final String COLUMN_QUALIFIER_NAME = "name";
  private static final String ROW_KEY_PREFIX = "rowKey";
  private final String tableId;
  private final BigtableDataClient dataClient;
  private final BigtableTableAdminClient adminClient;

  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {

    if (args.length != 2) {
      System.out.println("Missing required project id or instance id");
      return;
    }
    String projectId = args[0];
    String instanceId = args[1];

    HelloWorld helloWorld = new HelloWorld(projectId, instanceId, "test-table");
    helloWorld.run();
  }

  public HelloWorld(String projectId, String instanceId, String tableId) throws IOException {
    this.tableId = tableId;

    BigtableDataSettings settings =
        BigtableDataSettings.newBuilder().setProjectId(projectId).setInstanceId(instanceId).build();

    dataClient = BigtableDataClient.create(settings);

    BigtableTableAdminSettings adminSettings =
        BigtableTableAdminSettings.newBuilder()
            .setProjectId(projectId)
            .setInstanceId(instanceId)
            .build();

    adminClient = BigtableTableAdminClient.create(adminSettings);
  }

  public void run() throws Exception {
    createTable();
    writeToTable();
    readSingleRow();
    readSpecificCells();
    readTable();
    filterLimitCellsPerCol(tableId);
    deleteTable();
    close();
  }

  public void close() {
    dataClient.close();
    adminClient.close();
  }

  public void createTable() {
    if (!adminClient.exists(tableId)) {
      System.out.println("Creating table: " + tableId);
      CreateTableRequest createTableRequest =
          CreateTableRequest.of(tableId).addFamily(COLUMN_FAMILY);
      adminClient.createTable(createTableRequest);
      System.out.printf("Table %s created successfully%n", tableId);
    }
  }

  public void writeToTable() {
    try {
      System.out.println("\nWriting some greetings to the table");
      String[] names = {"World", "Bigtable", "Java"};
      for (int i = 0; i < names.length; i++) {
        String greeting = "Hello " + names[i] + "!";
        RowMutation rowMutation =
            RowMutation.create(TableId.of(tableId), ROW_KEY_PREFIX + i)
                .setCell(COLUMN_FAMILY, COLUMN_QUALIFIER_NAME, names[i])
                .setCell(COLUMN_FAMILY, COLUMN_QUALIFIER_GREETING, greeting);
        dataClient.mutateRow(rowMutation);
        System.out.println(greeting);
      }
    } catch (NotFoundException e) {
      System.err.println("Failed to write to non-existent table: " + e.getMessage());
    }
  }

  public Row readSingleRow() {
    try {
      System.out.println("\nReading a single row by row key");
      Row row = dataClient.readRow(TableId.of(tableId), ROW_KEY_PREFIX + 0);
      System.out.println("Row: " + row.getKey().toStringUtf8());
      for (RowCell cell : row.getCells()) {
        System.out.printf(
            "Family: %s    Qualifier: %s    Value: %s%n",
            cell.getFamily(), cell.getQualifier().toStringUtf8(), cell.getValue().toStringUtf8());
      }
      return row;
    } catch (NotFoundException e) {
      System.err.println("Failed to read from a non-existent table: " + e.getMessage());
      return null;
    }
  }

  public List<RowCell> readSpecificCells() {
    try {
      System.out.println("\nReading specific cells by family and qualifier");
      Row row = dataClient.readRow(TableId.of(tableId), ROW_KEY_PREFIX + 0);
      System.out.println("Row: " + row.getKey().toStringUtf8());
      List<RowCell> cells = row.getCells(COLUMN_FAMILY, COLUMN_QUALIFIER_NAME);
      for (RowCell cell : cells) {
        System.out.printf(
            "Family: %s    Qualifier: %s    Value: %s%n",
            cell.getFamily(), cell.getQualifier().toStringUtf8(), cell.getValue().toStringUtf8());
      }
      return cells;
    } catch (NotFoundException e) {
      System.err.println("Failed to read from a non-existent table: " + e.getMessage());
      return null;
    }
  }

  public List<Row> readTable() {
    try {
      System.out.println("\nReading the entire table");
      Query query = Query.create(TableId.of(tableId));
      ServerStream<Row> rowStream = dataClient.readRows(query);
      List<Row> tableRows = new ArrayList<>();
      for (Row r : rowStream) {
        System.out.println("Row Key: " + r.getKey().toStringUtf8());
        tableRows.add(r);
        for (RowCell cell : r.getCells()) {
          System.out.printf(
              "Family: %s    Qualifier: %s    Value: %s%n",
              cell.getFamily(), cell.getQualifier().toStringUtf8(), cell.getValue().toStringUtf8());
        }
      }
      return tableRows;
    } catch (NotFoundException e) {
      System.err.println("Failed to read a non-existent table: " + e.getMessage());
      return null;
    }
  }

  public void filterLimitCellsPerCol(String tableId) {
    Filter filter = FILTERS.limit().cellsPerColumn(1);
    readRowFilter(tableId, filter);
    readFilter(tableId, filter);
  }

  private void readRowFilter(String tableId, Filter filter) {
    String rowKey =
        Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString("greeting0".getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
    Row row = dataClient.readRow(TableId.of(tableId), rowKey, filter);
    printRow(row);
    System.out.println("Row filter completed.");
  }

  private void readFilter(String tableId, Filter filter) {
    Query query = Query.create(TableId.of(tableId)).filter(filter);
    ServerStream<Row> rows = dataClient.readRows(query);
    for (Row row : rows) {
      printRow(row);
    }
    System.out.println("Table filter completed.");
  }

  public void deleteTable() {
    System.out.println("\nDeleting table: " + tableId);
    try {
      adminClient.deleteTable(tableId);
      System.out.printf("Table %s deleted successfully%n", tableId);
    } catch (NotFoundException e) {
      System.err.println("Failed to delete a non-existent table: " + e.getMessage());
    }
  }

  private static void printRow(Row row) {
    if (row == null) {
      return;
    }
    System.out.printf("Reading data for %s%n", row.getKey().toStringUtf8());
    String colFamily = "";
    for (RowCell cell : row.getCells()) {
      if (!cell.getFamily().equals(colFamily)) {
        colFamily = cell.getFamily();
        System.out.printf("Column Family %s%n", colFamily);
      }
      String labels =
          cell.getLabels().size() == 0 ? "" : " [" + String.join(",", cell.getLabels()) + "]";
      System.out.printf(
          "\t%s: %s @%s%s%n",
          cell.getQualifier().toStringUtf8(),
          cell.getValue().toStringUtf8(),
          cell.getTimestamp(),
          labels);
    }
    System.out.println();
  }
}