Reactive Streams

Reactive Streams is a specification for asynchronous stream processing with non-blocking back pressure, designed to enable interoperability between different reactive programming libraries. It defines a standard for handling data streams in a reactive manner, ensuring that publishers and subscribers can communicate without overwhelming the system. This specification is implemented in various programming languages and frameworks to build responsive, resilient, and scalable applications.

Also known as: Reactive Streams API, Reactive Streams Spec, RS, Reactive Streams Specification, Reactive Streams Standard

Why learn Reactive Streams?

Developers should learn Reactive Streams when building high-performance, data-intensive applications that require efficient handling of asynchronous data flows, such as real-time analytics, IoT systems, or microservices architectures. It is particularly useful in scenarios where back pressure is needed to prevent resource exhaustion, ensuring that data producers do not overwhelm consumers. By adhering to this standard, developers can integrate different reactive libraries seamlessly and build more robust systems.

Learning Resources

• docs: Reactive Streams Specification
• docs: Reactive Streams in Java with Project Reactor
• tutorial: Introduction to Reactive Streams on Baeldung
• video: Reactive Programming with RxJava and Reactive Streams
• book: Reactive Streams in Practice