Convert avro serialized messages into json using python consumer

Question

from kafka import KafkaConsumer
import json
import io

if __name__ == '__main__':

  # consumer = KafkaConsumer(
  #     'ldt_lm_mytable',
  #     bootstrap_servers = 'localhost:9092',
  #     auto_offset_reset = 'earliest',
  #     group_id = 'consumer_group_a')

  KAFKA_HOSTS = ['kafka:9092']
  KAFKA_VERSION = (0, 10)
  topic = "ldt_lm_mytable"

  consumer = KafkaConsumer(topic, bootstrap_servers=KAFKA_HOSTS, api_version=KAFKA_VERSION)

  for msg in consumer:
    print('Lead = {}'.format(json.loads(msg.value)))

There is nothing printing. I am using avro converter when producing data into topic (Debezium). I've tried some converters from internet. But those are not working. One of those is like this

bytes_reader = io.BytesIO(consumer)
decoder = avro.io.BinaryDecoder(bytes_reader)
reader = avro.io.DatumReader(schema)
decoded_data = reader.read(decoder)

In this converter from where I will get that 'schema' variable's value? How do I load that 'avro' package? And that 'io.BytesIO' giving me an error like

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "consumer.py", line 19, in <module>
bytes_reader = io.BytesIO(consumer)
TypeError: a bytes-like object is required, not 'KafkaConsumer'

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Assuming the Debezium connector is using the standard io.confluent.connect.avro.AvroConverter in Kafka Connect then you need to use the Avro deserialiser that goes with the Confluent Schema Registry.

Here's an example consumer from here :

from confluent_kafka.avro import AvroConsumer
from confluent_kafka.avro.serializer import SerializerError


c = AvroConsumer({
    'bootstrap.servers': 'mybroker,mybroker2',
    'group.id': 'groupid',
    'schema.registry.url': 'http://127.0.0.1:8081'})

c.subscribe(['my_topic'])

while True:
    try:
        msg = c.poll(10)

    except SerializerError as e:
        print("Message deserialization failed for {}: {}".format(msg, e))
        break

    if msg is None:
        continue

    if msg.error():
        print("AvroConsumer error: {}".format(msg.error()))
        continue

    print(msg.value())

c.close()