feat: schema evolution APIs in all SDKs (#1851)

* Support `add_columns`, `alter_columns`, `drop_columns` in Remote SDK
and async Python
* Add `data_type` parameter to node
* Docs updates

python/python/lancedb/remote/table.py

@@ -490,19 +490,13 @@ class RemoteTable(Table):
         return LOOP.run(self._table.count_rows(filter))
 
     def add_columns(self, transforms: Dict[str, str]):
-        raise NotImplementedError(
-            "add_columns() is not yet supported on the LanceDB cloud"
-        )
+        return LOOP.run(self._table.add_columns(transforms))
 
-    def alter_columns(self, alterations: Iterable[Dict[str, str]]):
-        raise NotImplementedError(
-            "alter_columns() is not yet supported on the LanceDB cloud"
-        )
+    def alter_columns(self, *alterations: Iterable[Dict[str, str]]):
+        return LOOP.run(self._table.alter_columns(*alterations))
 
     def drop_columns(self, columns: Iterable[str]):
-        raise NotImplementedError(
-            "drop_columns() is not yet supported on the LanceDB cloud"
-        )
+        return LOOP.run(self._table.drop_columns(columns))
 
 
 def add_index(tbl: pa.Table, i: int) -> pa.Table:

python/python/lancedb/table.py

@@ -967,8 +967,6 @@ class Table(ABC):
         """
         Add new columns with defined values.
 
-        This is not yet available in LanceDB Cloud.
-
         Parameters
         ----------
         transforms: Dict[str, str]
@@ -978,20 +976,21 @@ class Table(ABC):
         """
 
     @abstractmethod
-    def alter_columns(self, alterations: Iterable[Dict[str, str]]):
+    def alter_columns(self, *alterations: Iterable[Dict[str, str]]):
         """
         Alter column names and nullability.
 
-        This is not yet available in LanceDB Cloud.
-
         alterations : Iterable[Dict[str, Any]]
             A sequence of dictionaries, each with the following keys:
             - "path": str
                 The column path to alter. For a top-level column, this is the name.
                 For a nested column, this is the dot-separated path, e.g. "a.b.c".
-            - "name": str, optional
+            - "rename": str, optional
                 The new name of the column. If not specified, the column name is
                 not changed.
+            - "data_type": pyarrow.DataType, optional
+               The new data type of the column. Existing values will be casted
+               to this type. If not specified, the column data type is not changed.
             - "nullable": bool, optional
                 Whether the column should be nullable. If not specified, the column
                 nullability is not changed. Only non-nullable columns can be changed
@@ -1004,8 +1003,6 @@ class Table(ABC):
         """
         Drop columns from the table.
 
-        This is not yet available in LanceDB Cloud.
-
         Parameters
         ----------
         columns : Iterable[str]
@@ -2923,6 +2920,53 @@ class AsyncTable:
 
         return await self._inner.update(updates_sql, where)
 
+    async def add_columns(self, transforms: Dict[str, str]):
+        """
+        Add new columns with defined values.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        transforms: Dict[str, str]
+            A map of column name to a SQL expression to use to calculate the
+            value of the new column. These expressions will be evaluated for
+            each row in the table, and can reference existing columns.
+        """
+        await self._inner.add_columns(list(transforms.items()))
+
+    async def alter_columns(self, *alterations: Iterable[Dict[str, str]]):
+        """
+        Alter column names and nullability.
+
+        alterations : Iterable[Dict[str, Any]]
+            A sequence of dictionaries, each with the following keys:
+            - "path": str
+                The column path to alter. For a top-level column, this is the name.
+                For a nested column, this is the dot-separated path, e.g. "a.b.c".
+            - "rename": str, optional
+                The new name of the column. If not specified, the column name is
+                not changed.
+            - "data_type": pyarrow.DataType, optional
+               The new data type of the column. Existing values will be casted
+               to this type. If not specified, the column data type is not changed.
+            - "nullable": bool, optional
+                Whether the column should be nullable. If not specified, the column
+                nullability is not changed. Only non-nullable columns can be changed
+                to nullable. Currently, you cannot change a nullable column to
+                non-nullable.
+        """
+        await self._inner.alter_columns(alterations)
+
+    async def drop_columns(self, columns: Iterable[str]):
+        """
+        Drop columns from the table.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        columns : Iterable[str]
+            The names of the columns to drop.
+        """
+        await self._inner.drop_columns(columns)
+
     async def version(self) -> int:
         """
         Retrieve the version of the table

python/python/tests/test_table.py

@@ -1292,6 +1292,19 @@ def test_add_columns(tmp_path):
     assert table.to_arrow().column_names == ["id", "new_col"]
     assert table.to_arrow()["new_col"].to_pylist() == [2, 3]
 
+    table.add_columns({"null_int": "cast(null as bigint)"})
+    assert table.schema.field("null_int").type == pa.int64()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_add_columns_async(db_async: AsyncConnection):
+    data = pa.table({"id": [0, 1]})
+    table = await db_async.create_table("my_table", data=data)
+    await table.add_columns({"new_col": "id + 2"})
+    data = await table.to_arrow()
+    assert data.column_names == ["id", "new_col"]
+    assert data["new_col"].to_pylist() == [2, 3]
+
 
 def test_alter_columns(tmp_path):
     db = lancedb.connect(tmp_path)
@@ -1301,6 +1314,18 @@ def test_alter_columns(tmp_path):
     assert table.to_arrow().column_names == ["new_id"]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_alter_columns_async(db_async: AsyncConnection):
+    data = pa.table({"id": [0, 1]})
+    table = await db_async.create_table("my_table", data=data)
+    await table.alter_columns({"path": "id", "rename": "new_id"})
+    assert (await table.to_arrow()).column_names == ["new_id"]
+    await table.alter_columns(dict(path="new_id", data_type=pa.int16(), nullable=True))
+    data = await table.to_arrow()
+    assert data.column(0).type == pa.int16()
+    assert data.schema.field(0).nullable
+
+
 def test_drop_columns(tmp_path):
     db = lancedb.connect(tmp_path)
     data = pa.table({"id": [0, 1], "category": ["a", "b"]})
@@ -1309,6 +1334,14 @@ def test_drop_columns(tmp_path):
     assert table.to_arrow().column_names == ["id"]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_drop_columns_async(db_async: AsyncConnection):
+    data = pa.table({"id": [0, 1], "category": ["a", "b"]})
+    table = await db_async.create_table("my_table", data=data)
+    await table.drop_columns(["category"])
+    assert (await table.to_arrow()).column_names == ["id"]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_time_travel(db_async: AsyncConnection):
     # Setup