Labels early access features and hides features we aren't documenting
yet.
**Early access label:** Functions (4 pages, plus the GPU refresh,
checkpointing and adaptive execution pages), Secrets (3 pages), Tiered
Index Cache, Blob V2, and merge insert, which is labelled for Enterprise
only. Two sidebar titles are shorter so the tag fits.
**Hidden:** branching, JSON columns and geospatial.
- The JSON functions page and the agent branch-experiments tutorial go
in `.mintignore`.
- `tables/branching` stays reachable but out of the nav, as #4859 left
it, because SDK error messages link to it.
- Other pages' mentions of these features become draft comments, so
they're easy to restore.
**Secrets page:** drops references to manual KMS setup, which the
control plane handles. It keeps the encryption-at-rest facts, states the
Azure value-size limit inline, and points a 501 error to support.
A broad documentation pass across the areas LanceDB Enterprise and
Embedded
diverge on most:
**Data Curation** -- GPU Function execution, Slurm scheduling (and what
Slurm is, for readers new to it), blob late materialization as its own
page, joins, aggregation/profiling, sampling, near-duplicate detection,
chunking, distributed shuffle, and IVF-partition clustering.
**Feature Engineering** -- computed columns and materialized views,
restructured to lead with the Function-based path and show the SQL form
side by side with Python throughout; a single Auto Refresh page instead
of
duplicating scheduling details on every refresh page; adaptive
execution;
checkpointing; GPU and Slurm placement for refresh workers; a Training
Cache page for the PyTorch data loader's automatic cache benefit.
**Security & Governance** -- an Audit Log reference (schema, access,
grants), Secrets promoted to an ordinary catalog object with their own
SQL
DDL and a vending/rotation guide, and privilege-table fixes verified
against the authorization source.
**Deployment & Maintenance** -- Horizontal Scaling and OpenTelemetry
moved
into a real Deployment area; Automated Cleanup folded into Intelligent
Auto-Maintenance (every other maintenance decision already lived there);
RTE Compaction and Advanced Conflict Resolution documented in depth.
**Landing page** -- the Enterprise feature comparison table reorganized
(several redundant or stale rows removed, several new areas added), and
the
"why Enterprise" bullets replaced with ones tied to a concrete page
(Performance, Scale, Fault tolerance, Multicloud deployment, Simplify
operations) instead of vague promises.
Plus a full pass addressing lancedb-gatekeeper's review: a real
test-safety
bug (a quickstart test could silently overwrite and delete a
deployment's
own `frames` table), a fabricated SQL statement with no backing
implementation, an actual dedup-guarantee bug in `take_row_ids`, and
dozens
of documentation-accuracy fixes verified against source rather than
taken
on faith -- each either fixed, or left with an explicit note on why it
needs a feature or deployment owner's sign-off instead of being guessed
at.
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
https://claude.ai/code/session_018PXMCbRH6i5w47TsjeEUMT
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
`list_functions()` promises every published immutable revision. Request
`SHOW FUNCTIONS HISTORY` so the SQL server's latest-only default does
not hide older revisions, and preserve the server's numeric revision
ordering when constructing page cursors (`1`, `2`, `10`).
```python
[(fn.name, fn.version) for fn in db.list_functions(page_limit=2)]
# [("embed", "1"), ("embed", "2"), ("embed", "10")]
```
```sql
SHOW FUNCTIONS; -- latest visible revision per name
SHOW FUNCTIONS HISTORY WITH (limit = 3, include_definition = true);
SHOW FUNCTIONS HISTORY WITH (after_name = 'embed', after_version = '2', limit = 3);
```
Each listing page uses the existing SQL query and polling transport; the
continuation token stores the last returned name/revision and remains
bound to its database and namespace. Function mutations keep their
query-backed job handles: `Job.id` is the query's ID and `job_type` is
`query`, so waiting observes that same SQL execution. No registry job or
second query ID is added.
Update the SQL and Python documentation for exact-revision drops:
sibling revisions and grants survive, and only the last visible
revision's removal releases the name and schedules object cleanup.
Extend the existing Flight SQL regression to paginate revisions `1`,
`2`, and `10` and verify the explicit history statement. Formatting and
static Python checks pass; local builds and tests were intentionally not
run.
View APIs now read the native `name`, `query`, and `schema` columns
returned by `CREATE VIEW` and `DESCRIBE VIEW`. The schema JSON carries
the defining database and namespace; the requested namespace identifies
where the view lives. The unreleased JSON-envelope response is removed
without a compatibility fallback.
```python
view = db.create_view("adults", "SELECT name FROM people WHERE age >= 18")
view = db.describe_view("adults")
```
```sql
CREATE VIEW "adults" AS SELECT name FROM people WHERE age >= 18;
DESCRIBE VIEW "adults";
```
Both Python calls execute SQL through the query-backed job adapter and
wait on the resulting query. A job handle uses that query's `id` and
type `query`; reading metadata consumes its completed result rather than
resubmitting the DDL. Creation returns the definition from the creating
execution, with no extra describe request.
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()`.
Remote function registration, exact-version lookup, listing, and drop now execute SQL through the Flight client. Registration waits for the durable image build and catalog publication before yielding its typed `FunctionVersion`. SQL also covers source-inclusive description and pinned metadata updates.
Registration and drop handles use `job_type="query"`; the single `job.id` is the SQL query UUID and can be inspected with `describe_query()` on the submitting connection. Waiting drains the SQL result once and caches completion for repeated waits. The drop boolean reports catalog removal; physical cleanup continues separately. Query handles have no registry history and cannot be reopened with `open_job()`.
## Summary
Fixes the problems a page-by-page review of the docs found before
launch, after checking each one against the current source and, where
noted, the code. The matching fixes for the dataset and Geneva pages,
which live in `lancedb/docs`, are in lancedb/docs#402.
**Tables**
- `integrations/embedding/cohere`: each input-type description was split
across two table rows and wrapped in literal quotes
(`"`search_document`"`). Now one row per type.
- `integrations/embedding/gemini`: removes the same stray quotes from
the task-type table.
- `integrations/ai/langchain`: the MMR search table's `kwargs` row was
missing a cell, so its description sat under Type.
- Six reranker pages (answerdotai, cohere, colbert, jina, openai,
voyageai): closes the backtick before `_relevance_score`.
- `indexing/vector-index`: finishes a cell cut off at "with scalar".
- `sql/dql/dedupe`: labels the empty header cell in the resolution
table.
**Corrections**
- `curation/sampling`: sampling works in LanceDB Embedded through the
Python SDK, so the page is available in both, with the SQL sections
marked Enterprise.
- `feature-engineering/index`, `add-computed-column`: automatic refresh
is on by default for each computed column and takes effect once a
deployment enables its scheduler. `refresh-column` already said so;
these two implied it was off.
- `indexing/scalar-index`, `indexing/index`: `LABEL_LIST` accelerates
`array_has_all`/`array_has_any`; `array_contains_*` doesn't exist. Also
merges scalar-index's two "nested fields" sections into one.
- `integrations/embedding/ibm`: lists the four current models from
`CURRENT_MODELS` (it listed a deprecated one) and explains that the
default stays a legacy ID so existing tables reload with their model.
- `integrations/reranking/openai`: the class is `OpenaiReranker`, not
`OpenAI()`.
- `integrations/ai/synthetic-data-kit`: the CLI is `synthetic-data-kit`
throughout, each step runs one command, each step passes the file it
writes to the next, and `save-as` uses `-f`/`-o`.
- `integrations/data/dlt`: `secrets.toml` defines `api_token`, which the
pipeline reads, and the run command runs the file the page creates.
- `search/vector-search`: the multivector walkthrough connected to
Enterprise in step 1 and a local path in step 2. It now runs locally
throughout, with a note on connecting to Enterprise, and is renamed so
it doesn't read as a duplicate of the short section above.
**Structure and wording**
- `integrations/embedding/nvidia`: adds headings, and drops test-suite
details aimed at contributors.
- `integrations/ai/genkit`: makes the retrieval test a real heading and
describes the query step.
- `integrations/data/voxel51`: replaces a raw MkDocs `!!! note` with a
`<Note>`.
- `sql/ddl/table`, `sql/ddl/job`: "Errors and limits" is a real heading,
not bold text.
- `curation/windowing`: sidebar title matches the curation overview
("Rank and Deduplicate").
- `deployment/storage`, `basics/agentic-skills`: fixes a garbled
sentence and a stale reference to the quickstart.
**Checked:** no new Vale alerts on the changed pages. Assembled together
with lancedb/docs#402, the site passes `mint validate` and `mint
broken-links --check-anchors --check-redirects`. Every changed page was
reviewed in a local preview.
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
## Summary
- Complete the SQL reference: `ATTACH DATABASE`, the `CHANGES` clause,
and
`dedupe()`/`duplicate_pairs()` (verified against current sophon source;
these were recently renamed from
`vector_dedup`/`vector_duplicate_pairs`).
Fix the blob-column default-projection claim and add the previously
undocumented `blob_descriptor()`.
- Enrich the gated Functions draft (still `.mintignore`'d, pre-release):
chained Functions over blob outputs, GPU-produced blobs, Secrets,
multi-input/output binding, `code=[module]` packaging.
- Upgrade the materialized-view and computed-column auto-refresh drafts
with
precise, verified catch-up semantics, and add the missing `ALTER
MATERIALIZED VIEW` / `CREATE ... WITH(...)` sections (also gated — the
automatic-refresh scheduler is still dev/staging-only).
- Thread one running example (video frames → GPU extract/caption → dedup
→
auto-refreshing materialized view) through Functions, materialized
views,
and the LeRobotDataset integration guide instead of a separate tutorial.
- Rename "LanceDB OSS"/"OSS" to "LanceDB Embedded"/"Embedded" throughout
(52 files); activate the existing availability-comparison mechanism on
`basics/offerings.mdx` for a full feature-by-feature comparison table.
Add `auto_refresh_enabled` and `auto_refresh_interval_seconds` to the
Rust builder and Python sync/async add-column APIs for computed columns
and registered Function outputs.
Python users can configure refresh when declaring a column:
```python
table.add_columns(
computed={"total": "price * quantity"},
auto_refresh_enabled=True,
auto_refresh_interval_seconds=300,
)
```
Omit the interval to let the server determine when to refresh:
```python
table.add_columns(computed={"discounted_total": "total * 0.9"})
```
The async API accepts the same options:
```python
await async_table.add_columns(
computed={"total": "price * quantity"},
auto_refresh_enabled=True,
auto_refresh_interval_seconds=300,
)
```
For an existing registered `FunctionApplication`, the options also apply
to Function columns. Disabling automatic refresh still permits explicit
refresh:
```python
table.add_columns(
{"features": function_application},
auto_refresh_enabled=False,
auto_refresh_interval_seconds=300,
)
table.refresh_column("features")
```
Options apply to every output declared by a call. Automatic refresh is
enabled by default; when the interval is omitted, the server determines
when to refresh. An explicit interval sets a minimum delay after a
successful refresh. The interval does not force recomputation of
unchanged inputs. Invalid intervals and options on one-time transforms
are rejected before declaration.
Native declarations persist `computed_column.auto_refresh_enabled` and
an explicitly supplied `computed_column.auto_refresh_interval_seconds`
in each output field’s metadata in the same commit as the declaration.
An omitted interval is neither stored nor sent in remote requests.
Remote declarations forward the settings to Cloud/Enterprise servers.
Local tables store these settings; automatic execution requires a
supporting server with scheduling enabled.
Adds a user-facing realtime engine (RTE) page at
`docs/web/tables/realtime-engine.mdx`, listed under **Management** after
Branches. It is adapted from the internal WAL field guide
(lancedb/sophon#6213), with the deployment and operations material left
out.
The page covers:
- what RTE is and how it works (memtable → SSTables → compaction; reads
merge the base table with the fresh tier)
- getting started: `set_unenforced_primary_key`, indexes, `enable_rte` /
`ALTER TABLE ... SET RTE`, `merge_insert` upserts and queries, partial
updates, deletes, and `checkpoint_rte` / `disable_rte`
- performance: write throughput and shard scaling, and read latency with
and without RTE
- a note on operations not yet supported (time travel, branching,
`count_rows`, row IDs, `TABLESAMPLE`)
Also aligns related docs with current RTE naming and behavior:
- `sql/ddl/table.mdx`: `SET MEMWAL` / `UNSET MEMWAL` → `SET RTE` /
`UNSET RTE`
- `maintenance/background-jobs.mdx`: job names are `memwal_compaction`
and `memwal_catchup_<type>`
- `feature-engineering/materialized-views.mdx`: MemWAL → realtime engine
- Python `AsyncTable.enable_rte` /
`RTEWriteSpec.with_maintained_indexes` docstrings: by default, indexes
created after enabling RTE are maintained too
The examples are written directly in the page rather than generated from
`docs/web-tests`, because RTE needs an Enterprise server to run.
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 5.5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-authored-by: XY Zhan <zhaner08@hotmail.com>
The existing docs have 254 findings from our shared Vale rules.
Contributors would otherwise inherit these when editing the same lines.
Clean up the prose across 80 pages: correct product names and a repeated
word, simplify a few phrases, and replace dashes with punctuation that
fits each sentence. The pinned Vale scan now reports zero findings, with
no suppressions.
## What
Renames the MemWAL surface in two passes, across Rust, Python,
TypeScript, and Java, including the wire format.
### 1. MemWAL APIs drop "LSM"
The write path these APIs drive is Lance's MemWAL; "LSM" described its
shape rather than naming it. Turning it on and off now reads as enabling
a feature rather than installing a spec.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| `set_lsm_write_spec` | `enable_memwal` |
| `unset_lsm_write_spec` | `disable_memwal` |
| `get_lsm_write_spec` | `get_memwal_spec` |
| `flush_lsm` / `compact_lsm` / `checkpoint_lsm` | `flush_memwal` /
`compact_memwal` / `checkpoint_memwal` |
| `get_lsm_stats` | `get_memwal_stats` |
| `close_lsm_writers` | `close_memwal_writers` |
| `use_lsm` (query, merge insert) | `use_memwal` |
| `LsmWriteSpec` / `LsmStats` | `MemWalWriteSpec` / `MemWalStats` |
| Java `LanceDbTableLsm` | `LanceDbTableMemWal` |
TypeScript and Java use camelCase (`enableMemWal`, `getMemWalStats`,
...); the napi methods set `js_name` so the generated names keep the
`MemWal` casing. flush/compact/checkpoint keep a `_memwal` suffix so
`compact_memwal` is not confused with `compact_files` / `optimize`,
which compact the base table.
Internal names (`LsmMode`, `LsmScanner`, the `merge::lsm` / `query::lsm`
modules) are unchanged.
### 2. Stats use SSTable and table shard
Aligns the stats surface with the MemWAL naming settled upstream in
lance-format/lance#7943 and #7957, where the persisted unit became an
**SSTable**.
**Generation → SSTable.** A `GenerationStats` describes one flushed
MemTable, which is an SSTable. The generation *number* is kept — an
SSTable is identified by its generation — so only the noun moved.
**Bucket → table shard.** Each entry is one MemWAL shard. "Bucket" names
only the hash sharding *transform*, so it was already wrong for
`identity` and `year` sharding, which produce shards and no buckets at
all.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| `GenerationStats` | `SsTableStats` |
| `BucketStats` | `TableShardStats` |
| `stats.buckets` | `stats.table_shards` |
| `BucketStats.generations` | `TableShardStats.sstables` |
| `include_generation_rows` | `include_sstable_rows` |
| `newest_generation` | `newest_sstable_generation` |
| `outstanding_generations` | `outstanding_sstables` |
Docs and comments follow suit: "seal" → "freeze", "L0" / "flushed
generations" → SSTables, "bucket" (meaning a shard) → table shard.
`MemWalWriteSpec::bucket`, `num_buckets`, and the `"Sealed"` shard
status value are **unchanged** — those name the sharding transform or a
server value, not the shard.
## Compatibility
Breaking, for an experimental API. The wire format changes with the
SDKs, so this must roll out together with the matching server change:
- Routes: `/set_lsm_write_spec/` → `/enable_memwal/`,
`/unset_lsm_write_spec/` → `/disable_memwal/`, `/get_lsm_write_spec/` →
`/get_memwal_spec/`, `/flush_lsm/` → `/flush_memwal/`, `/compact_lsm/` →
`/compact_memwal/`, `/get_lsm_stats/` → `/get_memwal_stats/`
- Response keys: `lsm_write_spec` → `memwal_spec`, `lsm_stats` →
`memwal_stats`, `buckets` → `table_shards`, `generations` → `sstables`
- Request fields: `include_generation_rows` → `include_sstable_rows`;
`use_lsm` → `use_memwal` on query and merge-insert bodies
## Validation
- Rust: `cargo test --features remote -p lancedb --lib --tests` — 1467
lib tests and all integration test targets pass; `cargo clippy` clean
- Python: rebuilt the extension; `test_remote_db`, `test_memwal_spec`,
`test_merge_insert_lsm`, `test_query`, `test_permutation`, `test_table`
— 655 passed; `ruff format` / `ruff check` clean
- TypeScript: `pnpm build`; `table`, `merge`, `query` tests — 593
passed; `biome check` clean; `docs/src/js` regenerated with `npm run
docs`
- Java: `mvn test` — 37 passed (Spotless applied with JDK 11; the pinned
google-java-format does not run on JDK 21)
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
This PR is part of the documentation revamp. Once the full set of PRs is
merged, we’ll publish the combined site to staging for review before
updating docs.lancedb.com.
The curation, SQL and operations pages contain outdated claims and
examples that do not reliably work as written.
This corrects those pages against the reviewed SDK and local server
evidence, including prepared statements, background jobs, cleanup and
monitoring. Integration guides are grouped with their examples in #4533.
Function and Secret-object documentation stays unpublished until its
release. The two Function pages are listed in `.mintignore` and left out
of the navigation, and the sections about them on other pages are MDX
comments.
Stacked on #4533. Each MDX file has one PR owner. Rebase onto main after
#4533 is squash-merged.
Local assembly, Mint validation and link checks pass, and the assembled
site shows no Function or Secret-object content. A local release
rehearsal that uncomments the drafts and restores the navigation also
passes. Hold publication until this PR and lancedb/sophon#8688 are on
`main`.
Move the public website pages into `docs/web` beside the SDK, with
shared navigation and executable example sources in `docs/web-tests`.
The combined website is assembled by
[lancedb/docs#355](https://github.com/lancedb/docs/pull/355), with six
Enterprise replacements from
[lancedb/sophon#7681](https://github.com/lancedb/sophon/pull/7681).
This includes Function guidance, runnable Quickstarts, regenerated
snippets, production contact/demo fixes, the legacy SQL route, and the
LeRobot redirect. LeRobot remains attributed to Geneva; all 34 Geneva
pages remain in the docs repository until Function officially launches.
Materialized-view guidance follows the full rebuild refresh introduced
by #4373: local refresh writes the complete result, has no `full`
argument, supports `source_version`, and no longer requires stable row
IDs. Deployment SQL refresh options and stable-ID setup are qualified by
version/configuration. Function input guidance distinguishes ordinary
stored columns from computed inputs supported by newer deployments.
**Validation:** independently accepted local checks include 95 Python
tests (real Enterprise excluded), eight TypeScript tests, Rust
Quickstart, snippet parity, typos, deterministic assembly, Mint
validation and links/anchors/redirects. The combined baseline retains
all 181 production routes and 17 legacy redirects. Examples ran locally
against source-built Python SDK 0.40.0b13; existing GitHub workflows do
not run `docs/web-tests`. New main at `069b2f7d` is 0.41.0b0 and adds
computed Function inputs; that SDK was not exercised by the accepted
tests. Latest prose corrections receive focused site validation.
**Merge/rollout:** merge this and #7681 before #355's combined CI, which
reads producer `main`. This is migration infrastructure: section
overlays, source-owned skills and automatic versioned paired releases
remain follow-ups. The current manual publisher is transitional. Hosted
validation, a supported SDK/Enterprise release pair and a real
Enterprise walkthrough remain pending.
Production Mintlify watches `lancedb/docs:deploy-freeze`, directory
`docs`; preserve that source through review. The separate SDK GitHub
Pages reference workflow rebuilds on main merges.
**Updated-head CI (9a50f8db):**
[Typos](https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/actions/runs/37654185443/job/112904990558),
[PR
title](https://github.com/lancedb/lancedb/actions/runs/37654179507/job/112904974595)
and
[Aikido](https://app.aikido.dev/featurebranch/scan/215386145?groupId=74229)
pass. Critical findings in the example lockfiles were patched: all Sharp
copies use 0.35.5, protobufjs 7.6.6, tar 7.5.22, quinn-proto 0.11.19,
zerovec 0.11.8 and zerovec-derive 0.11.6. The SDK's product dependencies
are unchanged. The revised lockfiles pass eight TypeScript examples,
HuggingFace decode/resize/crop/rescale/normalize plus AVIF roundtrip,
and Rust Quickstart. Aikido passing does not mean every advisory is
cleared; npm still reports 29 high and five moderate advisories in the
example dependency graph. No scanner bypass or suppression was added.
The Function prose correction passes combined/standalone Mint,
deterministic assembly, routes and assets. The revised 325-file site
checksum is
`175bec06864abb400dd292e667ba93448c0479b8359fd7bf6146afabf9040647`. This
PR remains open for independent review; further merges are on hold.
---------
Co-authored-by: Brendan Clement <brendan.clement@lancedb.com>
Brendan ClementandClaude
Jack YeandClaude Sonnet 5
Drew
