Apache Flink 2.1 introduces Process Table Functions (PTFs), the most robust functions for Flink SQL and Table API, allowing mapping of multiple tables to multiple rows. PTFs can implement user-defined operators that utilize Flink's managed state and services. Additionally, a new VARIANT data type is added for semi-structured data like JSON, offering storage flexibility for nested and evolving schemas. It supports ARRAY and MAP types while preserving field type information. Functions to convert JSON data to VARIANT are also included.
With the 2.1 release, Apache Flink also now supports Process Table Functions (PTFs), the most powerful kind of function for Flink SQL and Table API.
Conceptually, a PTF is a superset of all other user-defined functions, mapping zero, one, or multiple tables to zero, one, or multiple rows.
Apache Flink 2.1 also adds VARIANT as a data type for semi-structured data such as JSON, supporting any semi-structured data including ARRAY, MAP, and scalar types.
Unlike the ROW and STRUCTURED types, VARIANT provides superior flexibility for handling deeply nested and evolving schemas.
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