feat: author generated column change jobs

python/python/lancedb/_lancedb.pyi

@@ -373,6 +373,9 @@ class Table:
         self, column_name: str
     ) -> Literal["complete", "incomplete"]: ...
     async def _refresh_generated_column(self, column_name: str) -> Job: ...
+    async def _alter_generated_column(
+        self, column_name: str, new_call: _FunctionCall
+    ) -> Job: ...
     async def list_versions(self) -> List[Dict[str, Any]]: ...
     async def version(self) -> int: ...
     async def checkout(self, version: Union[int, str]): ...

python/python/lancedb/remote/table.py

@@ -602,6 +602,17 @@ class RemoteTable(Table):
         """
         return Job(LOOP.run(self._table.refresh_generated_column(column_name)))
 
+    def alter_generated_column(
+        self, column_name: str, new_call: "_FunctionCall"
+    ) -> Job:
+        """Alter the Function call for an existing generated column.
+
+        Returns a :class:`~lancedb.job.Job` for the change operation. Acceptance
+        of the Job does not publish the new definition; callers must wait and
+        re-read the table to observe the updated column.
+        """
+        return Job(LOOP.run(self._table.alter_generated_column(column_name, new_call)))
+
     def _is_legacy_create_index_call(
         self,
         first_arg: str,

python/python/lancedb/table.py

@@ -1036,6 +1036,15 @@ class Table(ABC):
         """
         raise NotImplementedError
 
+    def alter_generated_column(self, column_name: str, new_call: _FunctionCall) -> Job:
+        """Alter the Function call for an existing generated column.
+
+        Returns a :class:`~lancedb.job.Job` for the change operation. Acceptance
+        of the Job does not publish the new definition; callers must wait and
+        re-read the table to observe the updated column.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
     def drop_index(self, name: str) -> None:
         """
         Drop an index from the table.
@@ -2906,6 +2915,15 @@ class LanceTable(Table):
         """
         return Job(LOOP.run(self._table.refresh_generated_column(column_name)))
 
+    def alter_generated_column(self, column_name: str, new_call: _FunctionCall) -> Job:
+        """Alter the Function call for an existing generated column.
+
+        Returns a :class:`~lancedb.job.Job` for the change operation. Acceptance
+        of the Job does not publish the new definition; callers must wait and
+        re-read the table to observe the updated column.
+        """
+        return Job(LOOP.run(self._table.alter_generated_column(column_name, new_call)))
+
     def _is_legacy_create_index_call(
         self,
         first_arg: str,
@@ -5155,6 +5173,18 @@ class AsyncTable:
         job = await self._inner._refresh_generated_column(column_name)
         return AsyncJob(job)
 
+    async def alter_generated_column(
+        self, column_name: str, new_call: _FunctionCall
+    ) -> AsyncJob:
+        """Alter the Function call for an existing generated column.
+
+        Returns an :class:`~lancedb.job.AsyncJob` for the change operation.
+        Acceptance of the Job does not publish the new definition; callers must
+        wait and re-read the table to observe the updated column.
+        """
+        job = await self._inner._alter_generated_column(column_name, new_call)
+        return AsyncJob(job)
+
     async def drop_index(self, name: str) -> None:
         """
         Drop an index from the table.

python/src/function.rs

@@ -255,10 +255,13 @@ impl AuthoredFunctionCall {
     /// Resolve authoring bindings against an already-fetched binding snapshot.
     ///
     /// Field names use exact case-sensitive top-level lookup; a name containing
-    /// `.` is literal, not a nested path. Used only by [`Self::bind_to_table`]
-    /// and narrowly scoped Rust tests that need a dotted top-level name Native
-    /// Lance cannot create on a real table.
-    fn bind_against_snapshot(
+    /// `.` is literal, not a nested path. Returns that same snapshot's version
+    /// plus the validated canonical [`FunctionCall`]. Used by
+    /// [`Self::bind_to_table`], the alter generated-column PyO3 bridge (one
+    /// shared snapshot with definition load), and narrowly scoped Rust tests
+    /// that need a dotted top-level name Native Lance cannot create on a real
+    /// table.
+    pub(crate) fn bind_against_snapshot(
         &self,
         snapshot: &lancedb::function::GeneratedColumnBindingSnapshot,
     ) -> lancedb::Result<(u64, FunctionCall)> {

python/src/table.rs

@@ -1027,6 +1027,49 @@ impl Table {
         })
     }
 
+    /// Hidden bridge: one binding snapshot, bind new call, submit change.
+    ///
+    /// Private native path for Python ``table.alter_generated_column``. Rejects
+    /// an empty ``column_name`` before reading the table handle. Fetches exactly
+    /// one binding snapshot, loads the expected definition from that same
+    /// object, binds the authored call against it, and submits change. Does not
+    /// expose source version, Function handles, field IDs, epochs, specs, or
+    /// request envelope.
+    #[doc(hidden)]
+    pub fn _alter_generated_column<'a>(
+        self_: PyRef<'a, Self>,
+        column_name: String,
+        new_call: Bound<'_, crate::function::AuthoredFunctionCall>,
+    ) -> PyResult<Bound<'a, PyAny>> {
+        if column_name.is_empty() {
+            return Err(PyValueError::new_err("column_name must be non-empty"));
+        }
+        let inner = self_.inner_ref()?.clone();
+        let authored = new_call.get().clone();
+        future_into_py(self_.py(), async move {
+            let snapshot = inner
+                .generated_column_binding_snapshot()
+                .await
+                .infer_error()?;
+            let expected_definition = snapshot
+                .generated_column_definition(&column_name)
+                .infer_error()?;
+            let (source_table_version, bound_new_call) =
+                authored.bind_against_snapshot(&snapshot).infer_error()?;
+            let spec = lancedb::function::ChangeGeneratedColumnJobSpec::try_new(
+                expected_definition,
+                authored.function(),
+                bound_new_call,
+            )
+            .infer_error()?;
+            let job = inner
+                .submit_change_generated_column(source_table_version, spec)
+                .await
+                .infer_error()?;
+            Ok(crate::job::Job::new(job))
+        })
+    }
+
     pub fn drop_index(self_: PyRef<'_, Self>, index_name: String) -> PyResult<Bound<'_, PyAny>> {
         let inner = self_.inner_ref()?.clone();
         future_into_py(self_.py(), async move {