feat: use SQL for remote view lifecycle

Stacked on #4675.

Remote view create, describe, list, and drop now execute SQL. CREATE returns the stored definition, resolution defaults, and Arrow schema from the same execution; DESCRIBE VIEW returns that metadata and SHOW VIEWS supports scoped pagination.

`drop_view_async()` returns a `job_type="query"` handle whose single `job.id` is the SQL query UUID. Waiting drains the query result once and caches completion; `describe_query(job.id)` works on the submitting connection. Completion means catalog removal, with physical cleanup continuing separately. Query handles have no registry history and cannot be reopened through `open_job()`.

python/python/lancedb/db.py

@@ -1178,10 +1178,11 @@ class DBConnection(EnforceOverrides):
     def drop_view(
         self, name: str, *, namespace_path: Optional[List[str]] = None
     ) -> None:
-        """Drop a view and wait for its definition to be deleted.
+        """Drop a view and wait for catalog removal.
 
         The tables it reads are untouched: a view holds no rows of its own. Use
-        :meth:`drop_view_async` to get the cleanup job instead of waiting on it.
+        :meth:`drop_view_async` to retain its SQL query job. Completion confirms
+        catalog removal; physical cleanup continues in the background.
         LanceDB Embedded connections raise ``NotImplementedError``.
         """
         raise NotImplementedError(
@@ -1191,12 +1192,11 @@ class DBConnection(EnforceOverrides):
     def drop_view_async(
         self, name: str, *, namespace_path: Optional[List[str]] = None
     ) -> "Job[None]":
-        """Start dropping a view and return the job deleting its definition.
+        """Drop a view and return its SQL query job.
 
-        The name is free before this returns. Call :meth:`Job.wait` to wait for
-        the definition dataset to be deleted. When nothing was bound to the
-        name, the returned job is already finished and has no id. Local
-        connections raise ``NotImplementedError``.
+        The job has type ``query`` and its ID is the SQL query UUID. Call
+        :meth:`Job.wait` to confirm catalog removal. Physical cleanup continues
+        in the background. Local connections raise ``NotImplementedError``.
         """
         raise NotImplementedError(
             "View operations are not supported for this connection type"
@@ -3549,10 +3549,11 @@ class AsyncConnection(object):
     async def drop_view(
         self, name: str, *, namespace_path: Optional[List[str]] = None
     ) -> None:
-        """Drop a view and wait for its definition to be deleted.
+        """Drop a view and wait for catalog removal.
 
         The tables it reads are untouched. Use :meth:`drop_view_async` to get
-        the cleanup job instead of waiting on it.
+        its SQL query job. Completion confirms catalog removal; physical cleanup
+        continues in the background.
         """
         await self._inner.drop_view(name, list(namespace_path or []))
 
@@ -3562,10 +3563,11 @@ class AsyncConnection(object):
         *,
         namespace_path: Optional[List[str]] = None,
     ) -> AsyncJob[None]:
-        """Start dropping a view and return the job deleting its definition.
+        """Drop a view and return its SQL query job.
 
-        The name is free before this returns. Await :meth:`AsyncJob.wait` before
-        assuming the definition dataset is gone.
+        The job has type ``query`` and its ID is the SQL query UUID. Await
+        :meth:`AsyncJob.wait` to confirm catalog removal. Physical cleanup
+        continues in the background.
         """
         if namespace_path is None:
             namespace_path = []

python/python/tests/test_listing.py

@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ async def advance(items, asynchronous):
     return await items.__anext__() if asynchronous else next(items)
 
 
-KINDS = ["views", "jobs"]
+KINDS = ["jobs"]
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio

python/python/tests/test_remote_db.py

@@ -4570,57 +4570,3 @@ def test_remote_job_handle_reports_its_own_detail():
             "limit": 500,
             "filter": "state = 'claim_complete'",
         }
-
-
-def test_view_crud_addresses_its_own_routes():
-    # The view verbs are their own routes, and the schema comes back in the
-    # namespace spec's JSON encoding, decoded into a pyarrow schema.
-    paths = []
-
-    def handler(request):
-        paths.append((request.command, request.path))
-        if request.path.endswith("/view/list"):
-            body = {"views": ["adults"]}
-        elif request.path.endswith("/drop"):
-            body = {}
-        else:
-            body = {
-                "name": "adults",
-                "namespace": ["analytics"],
-                "query": "SELECT name FROM people",
-                "default_database": "dev",
-                "default_namespace": ["analytics"],
-                "schema": {
-                    "fields": [
-                        {"name": "name", "nullable": True, "type": {"type": "utf8"}}
-                    ]
-                },
-            }
-        request.send_response(200)
-        request.send_header("Content-Type", "application/json")
-        request.end_headers()
-        request.wfile.write(json.dumps(body).encode())
-
-    with mock_lancedb_connection(handler) as db:
-        view = db.create_view(
-            "adults", "SELECT name FROM people", namespace_path=["analytics"]
-        )
-        assert view.name == "adults"
-        assert view.namespace_path == ["analytics"]
-        assert view.query == "SELECT name FROM people"
-        assert view.default_database == "dev"
-        assert view.default_namespace_path == ["analytics"]
-        assert view.schema == pa.schema([pa.field("name", pa.utf8(), nullable=True)])
-
-        described = db.describe_view("adults", namespace_path=["analytics"])
-        assert described.schema == view.schema
-
-        assert list(db.list_views(namespace_path=["analytics"])) == ["adults"]
-        db.drop_view("adults", namespace_path=["analytics"])
-
-    assert paths == [
-        ("POST", "/v1/view/analytics$adults/create"),
-        ("POST", "/v1/view/analytics$adults/describe"),
-        ("GET", "/v1/namespace/analytics/view/list"),
-        ("POST", "/v1/view/analytics$adults/drop"),
-    ]