fix(node): support specifying arrow field types by name (#2704)

The [`FieldLike` type in
arrow.ts](5ec12c9971/nodejs/lancedb/arrow.ts (L71-L78))
can have a `type: string` property, but before this change, actually
trying to create a table that has a schema that specifies field types by
name results in an error:

```
Error: Expected a Type but object was null/undefined
```

This change adds support for mapping some type name strings to arrow
`DataType`s, so that passing `FieldLike`s with a `type: string` property
to `sanitizeField` does not throw an error.

The type names that can be passed are upper/lowercase variations of the
keys of the `constructorsByTypeName` object. This does not support
mapping types that need parameters, such as timestamps which need
timezones.

With this, it is possible to create empty tables from `SchemaLike`
objects without instantiating arrow types, e.g.:

```
    import { SchemaLike } from "../lancedb/arrow"
    // ...
    const schemaLike = {
      fields: [
        {
          name: "id",
          type: "int64",
          nullable: true,
        },
        {
          name: "vector",
          type: "float64",
          nullable: true,
        },
      ],
    // ...
    } satisfies SchemaLike;
    const table = await con.createEmptyTable("test", schemaLike);
 ```

This change also makes `FieldLike.nullable` required since the `sanitizeField` function throws if it is undefined.

nodejs/__test__/sanitize.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright The LanceDB Authors
+
+import * as arrow from "../lancedb/arrow";
+import { sanitizeField, sanitizeType } from "../lancedb/sanitize";
+
+describe("sanitize", function () {
+  describe("sanitizeType function", function () {
+    it("should handle type objects", function () {
+      const type = new arrow.Int32();
+      const result = sanitizeType(type);
+
+      expect(result.typeId).toBe(arrow.Type.Int);
+      expect((result as arrow.Int).bitWidth).toBe(32);
+      expect((result as arrow.Int).isSigned).toBe(true);
+
+      const floatType = {
+        typeId: 3, // Type.Float = 3
+        precision: 2,
+        toString: () => "Float",
+        isFloat: true,
+        isFixedWidth: true,
+      };
+
+      const floatResult = sanitizeType(floatType);
+      expect(floatResult).toBeInstanceOf(arrow.DataType);
+      expect(floatResult.typeId).toBe(arrow.Type.Float);
+
+      const floatResult2 = sanitizeType({ ...floatType, typeId: () => 3 });
+      expect(floatResult2).toBeInstanceOf(arrow.DataType);
+      expect(floatResult2.typeId).toBe(arrow.Type.Float);
+    });
+
+    const allTypeNameTestCases = [
+      ["null", new arrow.Null()],
+      ["binary", new arrow.Binary()],
+      ["utf8", new arrow.Utf8()],
+      ["bool", new arrow.Bool()],
+      ["int8", new arrow.Int8()],
+      ["int16", new arrow.Int16()],
+      ["int32", new arrow.Int32()],
+      ["int64", new arrow.Int64()],
+      ["uint8", new arrow.Uint8()],
+      ["uint16", new arrow.Uint16()],
+      ["uint32", new arrow.Uint32()],
+      ["uint64", new arrow.Uint64()],
+      ["float16", new arrow.Float16()],
+      ["float32", new arrow.Float32()],
+      ["float64", new arrow.Float64()],
+      ["datemillisecond", new arrow.DateMillisecond()],
+      ["dateday", new arrow.DateDay()],
+      ["timenanosecond", new arrow.TimeNanosecond()],
+      ["timemicrosecond", new arrow.TimeMicrosecond()],
+      ["timemillisecond", new arrow.TimeMillisecond()],
+      ["timesecond", new arrow.TimeSecond()],
+      ["intervaldaytime", new arrow.IntervalDayTime()],
+      ["intervalyearmonth", new arrow.IntervalYearMonth()],
+      ["durationnanosecond", new arrow.DurationNanosecond()],
+      ["durationmicrosecond", new arrow.DurationMicrosecond()],
+      ["durationmillisecond", new arrow.DurationMillisecond()],
+      ["durationsecond", new arrow.DurationSecond()],
+    ] as const;
+
+    it.each(allTypeNameTestCases)(
+      'should map type name "%s" to %s',
+      function (name, expected) {
+        const result = sanitizeType(name);
+        expect(result).toBeInstanceOf(expected.constructor);
+      },
+    );
+
+    const caseVariationTestCases = [
+      ["NULL", new arrow.Null()],
+      ["Utf8", new arrow.Utf8()],
+      ["FLOAT32", new arrow.Float32()],
+      ["DaTedAy", new arrow.DateDay()],
+    ] as const;
+
+    it.each(caseVariationTestCases)(
+      'should be case insensitive for type name "%s" mapped to %s',
+      function (name, expected) {
+        const result = sanitizeType(name);
+        expect(result).toBeInstanceOf(expected.constructor);
+      },
+    );
+
+    it("should throw error for unrecognized type name", function () {
+      expect(() => sanitizeType("invalid_type")).toThrow(
+        "Unrecognized type name in schema: invalid_type",
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("sanitizeField function", function () {
+    it("should handle field with string type name", function () {
+      const field = sanitizeField({
+        name: "string_field",
+        type: "utf8",
+        nullable: true,
+        metadata: new Map([["key", "value"]]),
+      });
+
+      expect(field).toBeInstanceOf(arrow.Field);
+      expect(field.name).toBe("string_field");
+      expect(field.type).toBeInstanceOf(arrow.Utf8);
+      expect(field.nullable).toBe(true);
+      expect(field.metadata?.get("key")).toBe("value");
+    });
+
+    it("should handle field with type object", function () {
+      const floatType = {
+        typeId: 3, // Float
+        precision: 32,
+      };
+
+      const field = sanitizeField({
+        name: "float_field",
+        type: floatType,
+        nullable: false,
+      });
+
+      expect(field).toBeInstanceOf(arrow.Field);
+      expect(field.name).toBe("float_field");
+      expect(field.type).toBeInstanceOf(arrow.DataType);
+      expect(field.type.typeId).toBe(arrow.Type.Float);
+      expect((field.type as arrow.Float64).precision).toBe(32);
+      expect(field.nullable).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it("should handle field with direct Type instance", function () {
+      const field = sanitizeField({
+        name: "bool_field",
+        type: new arrow.Bool(),
+        nullable: true,
+      });
+
+      expect(field).toBeInstanceOf(arrow.Field);
+      expect(field.name).toBe("bool_field");
+      expect(field.type).toBeInstanceOf(arrow.Bool);
+      expect(field.nullable).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it("should throw error for invalid field object", function () {
+      expect(() =>
+        sanitizeField({
+          type: "int32",
+          nullable: true,
+        }),
+      ).toThrow(
+        "The field passed in is missing a `type`/`name`/`nullable` property",
+      );
+
+      // Invalid type
+      expect(() =>
+        sanitizeField({
+          name: "invalid",
+          type: { invalid: true },
+          nullable: true,
+        }),
+      ).toThrow("Expected a Type to have a typeId property");
+
+      // Invalid nullable
+      expect(() =>
+        sanitizeField({
+          name: "invalid_nullable",
+          type: "int32",
+          nullable: "not a boolean",
+        }),
+      ).toThrow("The field passed in had a non-boolean `nullable` property");
+    });
+
+    it("should report error for invalid type name", function () {
+      expect(() =>
+        sanitizeField({
+          name: "invalid_field",
+          type: "invalid_type",
+          nullable: true,
+        }),
+      ).toThrow(
+        "Unable to sanitize type for field: invalid_field due to error: Error: Unrecognized type name in schema: invalid_type",
+      );
+    });
+  });
+});

nodejs/__test__/table.test.ts

@@ -10,7 +10,13 @@ import * as arrow16 from "apache-arrow-16";
 import * as arrow17 from "apache-arrow-17";
 import * as arrow18 from "apache-arrow-18";
 
-import { MatchQuery, PhraseQuery, Table, connect } from "../lancedb";
+import {
+  Connection,
+  MatchQuery,
+  PhraseQuery,
+  Table,
+  connect,
+} from "../lancedb";
 import {
   Table as ArrowTable,
   Field,
@@ -21,6 +27,8 @@ import {
   Int64,
   List,
   Schema,
+  SchemaLike,
+  Type,
   Uint8,
   Utf8,
   makeArrowTable,
@@ -2019,3 +2027,52 @@ describe("column name options", () => {
     expect(results2.length).toBe(10);
   });
 });
+
+describe("when creating an empty table", () => {
+  let con: Connection;
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    const tmpDir = tmp.dirSync({ unsafeCleanup: true });
+    con = await connect(tmpDir.name);
+  });
+  afterEach(() => {
+    con.close();
+  });
+
+  it("can create an empty table from an arrow Schema", async () => {
+    const schema = new Schema([
+      new Field("id", new Int64()),
+      new Field("vector", new Float64()),
+    ]);
+    const table = await con.createEmptyTable("test", schema);
+    const actualSchema = await table.schema();
+    expect(actualSchema.fields[0].type.typeId).toBe(Type.Int);
+    expect((actualSchema.fields[0].type as Int64).bitWidth).toBe(64);
+    expect(actualSchema.fields[1].type.typeId).toBe(Type.Float);
+    expect((actualSchema.fields[1].type as Float64).precision).toBe(2);
+  });
+
+  it("can create an empty table from schema that specifies field types by name", async () => {
+    const schemaLike = {
+      fields: [
+        {
+          name: "id",
+          type: "int64",
+          nullable: true,
+        },
+        {
+          name: "vector",
+          type: "float64",
+          nullable: true,
+        },
+      ],
+      metadata: new Map(),
+      names: ["id", "vector"],
+    } satisfies SchemaLike;
+    const table = await con.createEmptyTable("test", schemaLike);
+    const actualSchema = await table.schema();
+    expect(actualSchema.fields[0].type.typeId).toBe(Type.Int);
+    expect((actualSchema.fields[0].type as Int64).bitWidth).toBe(64);
+    expect(actualSchema.fields[1].type.typeId).toBe(Type.Float);
+    expect((actualSchema.fields[1].type as Float64).precision).toBe(2);
+  });
+});

nodejs/lancedb/arrow.ts

@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ export type FieldLike =
   | {
       type: string;
       name: string;
-      nullable?: boolean;
+      nullable: boolean;
       metadata?: Map<string, string>;
     };
 

nodejs/lancedb/sanitize.ts

@@ -326,6 +326,9 @@ export function sanitizeDictionary(typeLike: object) {
 
 // biome-ignore lint/suspicious/noExplicitAny: skip
 export function sanitizeType(typeLike: unknown): DataType<any> {
+  if (typeof typeLike === "string") {
+    return dataTypeFromName(typeLike);
+  }
   if (typeof typeLike !== "object" || typeLike === null) {
     throw Error("Expected a Type but object was null/undefined");
   }
@@ -447,7 +450,7 @@ export function sanitizeType(typeLike: unknown): DataType<any> {
     case Type.DurationSecond:
       return new DurationSecond();
     default:
-      throw new Error("Unrecoginized type id in schema: " + typeId);
+      throw new Error("Unrecognized type id in schema: " + typeId);
   }
 }
 
@@ -467,7 +470,15 @@ export function sanitizeField(fieldLike: unknown): Field {
       "The field passed in is missing a `type`/`name`/`nullable` property",
     );
   }
-  const type = sanitizeType(fieldLike.type);
+  let type: DataType;
+  try {
+    type = sanitizeType(fieldLike.type);
+  } catch (error: unknown) {
+    throw Error(
+      `Unable to sanitize type for field: ${fieldLike.name} due to error: ${error}`,
+      { cause: error },
+    );
+  }
   const name = fieldLike.name;
   if (!(typeof name === "string")) {
     throw Error("The field passed in had a non-string `name` property");
@@ -581,3 +592,46 @@ function sanitizeData(
     },
   );
 }
+
+const constructorsByTypeName = {
+  null: () => new Null(),
+  binary: () => new Binary(),
+  utf8: () => new Utf8(),
+  bool: () => new Bool(),
+  int8: () => new Int8(),
+  int16: () => new Int16(),
+  int32: () => new Int32(),
+  int64: () => new Int64(),
+  uint8: () => new Uint8(),
+  uint16: () => new Uint16(),
+  uint32: () => new Uint32(),
+  uint64: () => new Uint64(),
+  float16: () => new Float16(),
+  float32: () => new Float32(),
+  float64: () => new Float64(),
+  datemillisecond: () => new DateMillisecond(),
+  dateday: () => new DateDay(),
+  timenanosecond: () => new TimeNanosecond(),
+  timemicrosecond: () => new TimeMicrosecond(),
+  timemillisecond: () => new TimeMillisecond(),
+  timesecond: () => new TimeSecond(),
+  intervaldaytime: () => new IntervalDayTime(),
+  intervalyearmonth: () => new IntervalYearMonth(),
+  durationnanosecond: () => new DurationNanosecond(),
+  durationmicrosecond: () => new DurationMicrosecond(),
+  durationmillisecond: () => new DurationMillisecond(),
+  durationsecond: () => new DurationSecond(),
+} as const;
+
+type MappableTypeName = keyof typeof constructorsByTypeName;
+
+export function dataTypeFromName(typeName: string): DataType {
+  const normalizedTypeName = typeName.toLowerCase() as MappableTypeName;
+  const _constructor = constructorsByTypeName[normalizedTypeName];
+
+  if (!_constructor) {
+    throw new Error("Unrecognized type name in schema: " + typeName);
+  }
+
+  return _constructor();
+}