DataStax-compatible Cassandra drivers

To develop applications with databases that are based on Apache Cassandra®, you can use Cassandra drivers to issue Cassandra Query Language (CQL) statements.

While there are many Cassandra drivers available, this guide focuses on drivers that DataStax has verified to be compatible with Astra DB, DataStax Enterprise (DSE), and Hyper-Converged Database (HCD), as well as open-source Apache Cassandra.

This documentation provides guidance on application development with DataStax-compatible drivers, including compatibility information, best practices, connection methods, statement execution, error handling, performance tuning, and DSE advanced workloads.

Specific features and capabilities vary by driver language, driver version, and database platform. DataStax recommends, whenever possible, that you use the latest version of your chosen driver to access the most recent features and improvements.

Use this documentation in conjunction with the documentation for your chosen driver and database platform.

Note on terminology: Cassandra drivers and DataStax drivers

The terms drivers for Apache Cassandra® and Cassandra drivers refer to all drivers that can be used with Cassandra-based databases.

Due to the open source nature of the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), Cassandra drivers are developed by different contributors, depending on source code ownership or primary responsibility. The majority of the drivers described in this guide are developed by either DataStax or the Apache Software Foundation.

Some drivers, such as the Java driver, originate from DataStax and are later donated to the ASF. When a donation happens, the documentation is split between the original maintainer (pre-donation versions) and the ASF (post-donation versions).

For simplicity, this guide uses the following terms to refer to all DataStax-compatible Cassandra drivers:

  • Cassandra drivers

  • DataStax-compatible drivers

  • Cassandra-compatible drivers

When referring to a specific driver version or series, the documentation may use the maintainer’s prefix for clarity, such as DataStax Java driver or Apache Cassandra Java driver. The DataStax prefix may also be used to highlight functionality that is specific to DataStax, such as DSE Graph.

Get started with DataStax-compatible drivers

DataStax considers the following drivers to be compatible with Cassandra, DSE, HCD, and Astra DB. These drivers are developed and maintained by either DataStax or the Apache Software Foundation. The following table provides links to source code, version compatibility, download links, and documentation for each DataStax-compatible driver.

Language Source code Compatibility Install Reference

C++

cpp-driver Latest cpp-driver release on GitHub

DataStax C/C++ driver for Apache Cassandra®

Install the DataStax C/C++ driver

C/C++ driver documentation

C#

csharp-driver Latest CassandraCSharpDriver release on NuGet

DataStax C# driver for Apache Cassandra®

Install the DataStax C# driver

C# driver documentation

C# DSE Graph extension documentation

Go

cassandra-gocql-driver Latest gocql release on GitHub

Go driver for Apache Cassandra®

Apache Cassandra GoCQL installation

GoCQL documentation

GoCQL Astra DB extension documentation

Java

cassandra-java-driver Latest cassandra-java-driver release on GitHub

Java driver for Apache Cassandra®

Install the Apache Cassandra Java driver (4.18 and later)

Install the DataStax Java driver (4.17 and earlier)

Java 4.18 and later (with DSE Graph extension) documentation

Java 4.17 and earlier (with DSE Graph extension) documentation

Node.js

nodejs-driver Latest nodejs-driver release on GitHub

DataStax Node.js driver for Apache Cassandra®

Install the DataStax Node.js driver

Node.js driver documentation

Node.js DSE Graph extension documentation

Python

python-driver Latest python-driver release on GitHub

DataStax Python driver for Apache Cassandra®

Install the DataStax Python driver

Python driver (with DSE Graph extension) documentation

Scala

cassandra-spark-connector Latest cassandra-spark-connector release on GitHub

Scala driver for Apache Cassandra®

Use the Apache Cassandra Spark connector

Apache Cassandra Spark connector documentation

For more information about driver compatibility and other driver downloads, see Cassandra drivers supported by DataStax.

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