4 Steps to Creating Apache Kafka Connectors with the Kafka Connect API

This post introduces the Kafka Connect API as a method for developing custom connectors when existing ones are insufficient. It explains the core concepts of Kafka Connect, including connectors, tasks, and configuration management. The article provides a four-step guide to developing a custom source connector, focusing on defining configuration properties using `AbstractConfig`, passing these properties to tasks via `taskConfigs`, implementing the `SourceTask` for data streaming logic, and finally, the `start` and `stop` methods for lifecycle management. It also touches upon running connectors in standalone vs. distributed modes and the role of the Kafka Connect REST API.