title: Avro specific vs generic record types - which is best or can I convert between?
body: <p>We’re trying to decide between providing generic vs specific record formats for consumption by our clients
  with an eye to providing an online schema registry clients can access when the schemas are updated.
  We expect to send out serialized blobs prefixed with a few bytes denoting the version number so schema
  retrieval from our registry can be automated.</p>
  
  <p>Now, we’ve come across code examples illustrating the relative adaptability of the generic format for
  schema changes but we’re reluctant to give up the type safety and ease-of-use provided by the specific
  format.</p>
  
  <p>Is there a way to obtain the best of both worlds?  I.e. could we work with and manipulate the specific generated 
  classes internally and then have them converted them to generic records automatically just before serialization?<br>
  Clients would then deserialize the generic records (after looking up the schema).</p>
  
  <p>Also, could clients convert these generic records they received to specific ones at a later time?  Some small code examples would be helpful!</p>
  
  <p>Or are we looking at this all the wrong way?</p>