Add a `Catalog` trait and `RemoteCatalog` for managing databases,
exposed through Rust, synchronous/asynchronous Python, and TypeScript. A
remote catalog represents the server's root namespace, and each database
is one child namespace. Create/connect return ordinary LanceDB
connections, so existing table APIs work unchanged.
## Rust API
`Catalog` is an object-safe async trait with `create_database`,
`connect_database`, `list_databases`, and `drop_database`. Backend
create/connect methods return `Arc<dyn Database>`; the public
`CatalogConnection` wraps them as `Connection` values and shares its
embedding registry with those connections. `RemoteCatalog` implements
the trait; `connect_catalog` is the convenience builder, available with
the `remote` feature.
```rust
use lancedb::catalog::{
CreateDatabaseRequest, DropDatabaseRequest, ListDatabasesRequest,
};
let catalog = lancedb::connect_catalog("https://my-server.example")
.api_key("my-api-key")
.execute()
.await?;
let db = catalog.create_database(
CreateDatabaseRequest::new("analytics").exist_ok(true),
).await?;
let connected = catalog.connect_database("analytics").await?;
let page = catalog.list_databases(
ListDatabasesRequest::default().limit(20),
).await?;
// page.databases: Vec<String>; page.page_token: Option<String>
catalog.drop_database(
DropDatabaseRequest::new("analytics").ignore_missing(true),
).await?;
```
Create/drop also accept a plain name for default behavior, e.g.
`catalog.create_database("analytics").await?`. Existing names fail
creation unless `exist_ok` is enabled; missing names fail drop unless
`ignore_missing` is enabled. Drop always requires an empty database.
## Python API
```python
import lancedb
catalog = lancedb.connect_catalog(
"https://my-server.example", api_key="my-api-key"
)
db = catalog.create_database("analytics", exist_ok=True)
connected = catalog.connect_database("analytics")
page = catalog.list_databases(limit=20)
# page.databases: list[str]; page.page_token: Optional[str]
if page.page_token is not None:
next_page = catalog.list_databases(limit=20, page_token=page.page_token)
catalog.drop_database("analytics", ignore_missing=True)
```
`connect_catalog` returns `Catalog`; create/connect return the existing
`DBConnection` API. The async equivalent is `catalog = await
lancedb.connect_catalog_async(...)`, returning `AsyncCatalog`; await
each of the same four methods, with create/connect returning
`AsyncConnection`.
## TypeScript API
```typescript
import { connectCatalog } from "@lancedb/lancedb";
const catalog = await connectCatalog("https://my-server.example", {
apiKey: "my-api-key",
});
const db = await catalog.createDatabase("analytics", { existOk: true });
const connected = await catalog.connectDatabase("analytics");
const page = await catalog.listDatabases({ limit: 20 });
// page.databases: string[]; page.pageToken?: string
if (page.pageToken !== undefined) {
const nextPage = await catalog.listDatabases({
limit: 20, pageToken: page.pageToken,
});
}
await catalog.dropDatabase("analytics", { ignoreMissing: true });
```
Create/connect return the existing `Connection` API. All four methods
are asynchronous.
## REST mapping
All paths below are relative to the catalog endpoint. `{name}` is the
logical database name encoded as one URL path component. The default
namespace delimiter is `$`, so the root identifier is encoded as `%24`.
| Catalog operation | Existing REST route | Request |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `create_database(name)` | `POST /v1/namespace/{name}/create` |
`{"mode":"Create"}`; `exist_ok=true` sends `{"mode":"ExistOk"}` |
| `connect_database(name)` | `POST /v1/namespace/{name}/describe` |
`{}`; verifies existence before returning a scoped connection |
| `list_databases(...)` | `GET /v1/namespace/%24/list` | Optional
`limit` and `page_token` query parameters |
| `drop_database(name)` | `POST /v1/namespace/{name}/drop` |
`{"mode":"Fail","behavior":"Restrict"}`; `ignore_missing=true` changes
mode to `"Skip"` |
For example, database `team/search` uses
`/v1/namespace/team%2Fsearch/create`. A paginated root listing can use
`/v1/namespace/%24/list?limit=20&page_token=a%2Fb`. The list response
retains the existing namespace wire shape,
`{"namespaces":["analytics"],"page_token":"next"}`; the SDK exposes
`namespaces` as `databases` and preserves the opaque continuation token.
An absent or empty token ends pagination. Page limits must be between 1
and 2147483647. Create/drop accept a namespace JSON response or HTTP
204.
Catalog management requests omit both `x-lancedb-database` and
`x-lancedb-database-prefix`, including values supplied through static or
dynamic headers. Returned database connections set `x-lancedb-database`
to the exact logical name and keep independent scope. API keys, OAuth or
dynamic authentication, client settings, table read consistency
settings, and an optional SQL endpoint override carry over to those
connections. OAuth cannot be combined with an API key or a custom header
provider.
For SQL through an HTTPS catalog, configure the existing SQL endpoint
contract with Rust
`.sql_host_override("grpc+tls://sql.example.com:10026")` or Python
`sql_host_override="grpc+tls://sql.example.com:10026"`. TypeScript
catalog options expose the same setting as `sqlHostOverride`. It is
inherited by created/connected databases, retained by Python connection
serialization, and initialized lazily when SQL is executed.
Create HTTP 409 maps to `DatabaseAlreadyExists`; connect/drop HTTP 404
maps to `DatabaseNotFound`, except that `ignore_missing` suppresses a
missing-database drop. Other server errors propagate. The server
enforces restricted deletion; the client never requests cascading
deletion.
Database names preserve literal slashes as part of one name. They must
be nonempty ASCII, with no control characters, surrounding whitespace,
or configured namespace delimiter, and cannot be `.` or `..`. Endpoints
must be HTTP(S) URLs without embedded credentials, query parameters, or
fragments.
## Scope
This PR adds the client API and reuses existing namespace endpoints.
Local catalogs, `__catalog` storage, location generation/sanitization,
and `__manifest` lifecycle support remain deferred; the Lance dependency
is unchanged.
The PR also runs macOS Node tests serially to avoid existing
resource-contention timeouts reproduced across recent main runs.
---------
Co-authored-by: Xuanwo <github@xuanwo.io>
## Summary
Align the experimental materialized-view HTTP transport with the
equivalent Table API shape and add remote materialized-view support
across Rust, Python, and TypeScript. This is an intentional breaking
change to the experimental materialized-view surface.
Materialized-view creation performs an initial refresh by default. The
create endpoint returns `202 Accepted` with `{ "job_id": "..." }`;
blocking SDK creation waits for that job before returning a populated
view. `with_no_data` / `withNoData` explicitly creates only the
definition and empty backing table.
## Route comparison
| Operation | Materialized-view API | Equivalent Table API |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Create | `POST /v1/materialized_view/{id}/create` | `POST
/v1/table/{id}/create` |
| Describe/open | `POST /v1/materialized_view/{id}/describe` | `POST
/v1/table/{id}/describe` |
| List | `GET /v1/namespace/{id}/materialized_view/list` | `GET
/v1/namespace/{id}/table/list` |
| Refresh | `POST /v1/materialized_view/{id}/refresh` | asynchronous
Table mutation pattern |
| Drop | `POST /v1/materialized_view/{id}/drop` | `POST
/v1/table/{id}/drop` |
Create, describe, refresh, and drop identify the target in the singular
item path instead of duplicating it in the request body. Create and drop
require `202 Accepted` with a valid job ID. List is a namespace-scoped
GET with opaque pagination tokens. The Rust list API now returns view
names, matching Table listing and the existing Python and TypeScript
APIs.
## Python API changes
| Operation | Synchronous API | Asynchronous API | Table/job pattern |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Create and wait | `DBConnection.create_materialized_view(...)` |
`await AsyncConnection.create_materialized_view(...)` | Returns a
materialized-view handle after its initial-population job finishes |
| Submit create | `DBConnection.create_materialized_view_async(...) ->
Job[None]` | `await AsyncConnection.create_materialized_view_async(...)
-> AsyncJob[None]` | Matches job-returning Table mutations such as
`create_index_async` |
| Open | `DBConnection.open_materialized_view(...)` | `await
AsyncConnection.open_materialized_view(...)` | Opens the backing Table
plus its definition |
| List | `DBConnection.list_materialized_views()` | `await
AsyncConnection.list_materialized_views()` | Returns names like Table
listing |
| Refresh and wait | `MaterializedView.refresh(...)` | `await
AsyncMaterializedView.refresh(...)` | Returns the typed refresh result
after the job finishes |
| Submit refresh | `MaterializedView.refresh_async(...) ->
Job[RefreshMaterializedViewResult]` | `await
AsyncMaterializedView.refresh_async(...) ->
AsyncJob[RefreshMaterializedViewResult]` | Matches
`Table.refresh_column_async`; remote job handles expose the server job
ID |
| Drop | `DBConnection.drop_materialized_view(...)` | `await
AsyncConnection.drop_materialized_view(...)` | Matches blocking
`drop_table` |
| Submit drop | `DBConnection.drop_materialized_view_async(...) ->
Job[None]` | `await AsyncConnection.drop_materialized_view_async(...) ->
AsyncJob[None]` | Matches `drop_table_async`; remote handles expose the
server cleanup job ID |
The materialized-view handle exposes its backing Table through `.table`,
so normal Table query, search, and index APIs apply. Definition lookup
and refresh are backend-aware rather than depending on local schema
metadata. TypeScript exposes the equivalent blocking/job drop pair as
`dropMaterializedView` and `dropMaterializedViewAsync`.
A 1M-row column refresh over 200 fragments produced no visible result,
and the client could only ever say `"running"`. Everything needed to
diagnose it already existed server-side — the job registry records a
`claim`/`claim_complete` pair per fragment carrying `rows_processed` —
but none of it was reachable.
## Before
Four ways to ask about a job, none of which told you much.
```python
job = table.refresh_column_async("embedding")
job.status() # "running". That was the entire debug surface.
db.get_job(job_id) # state, and a spec. No result, no progress.
db.job_history(job_id) # raw record batches, no limit, no filter
db.job(job_id) # a handle that knew nothing
```
## After
Open a job the way you open a table; the handle answers everything.
```python
job = db.open_job(job_id) # raises JobNotFoundError if there is no such job
```
```python
>>> print(job)
Job(
id='job-1',
state='failed',
job_type='refresh_column',
creation_ms=1757000000000,
spec={
"column": "embedding",
"num_workers": 4
},
failure=JobFailureInfo(phase='execute', message='worker died', retryable=True),
)
```
Individual fields are there too — `job.state`, `job.job_type`,
`job.creation_ms`, `job.spec`, `job.result`, `job.failure` — and
`job.result` carries `rows_assigned` / `rows_failed` as soon as the job
succeeds, with no `wait()` required.
Per-fragment progress *while it is still running*:
```python
done = job.events(filter="state = 'claim_complete'", limit=10_000)
done.column("rows_processed").to_pylist() # [5000, 5000, ...]
```
The handle an async action returns is the same object, one `refresh()`
away:
```python
job = table.refresh_column_async("embedding")
job.refresh()
job.state, job.result
```
TypeScript is the same experience, down to `console.log`:
```ts
const job = await db.openJob(jobId); // rejects if there is no such job
console.log(job); // same multi-line layout
job.state; job.jobType; job.spec; job.result; job.failure;
const done = await job.events({ filter: "state = 'claim_complete'", limit: 10_000 });
```
## Why each piece matters
- **A result without waiting.** `rows_assigned` / `rows_failed` used to
live only on the terminal result, so a job that never terminated
reported nothing at all.
- **`limit`.** The server caps event rows at 1000 and truncates without
saying so, which silently hid most of a 200-fragment job's history.
- **`filter`.** `claim_complete` rows carry per-claim `rows_processed` —
the only progress signal that exists mid-flight.
- **Events outlive the worker.** They live in the job registry, not in
pod logs that vanish with the pod.
- **One place to ask.** `open_job` replaces `describe_job`,
`query_job_events` and `job`, so a question about a job has one answer
instead of one per calling location.
- **A missing job is an error, not a `None`.** The common case is a job
id copied out of a log, where absence is the surprise worth raising —
and it matches `open_table`.
- **Printing is the debug surface.** Every field on its own line, JSON
payloads keeping their structure. An unrefreshed handle stays on one
line, because there is nothing to lay out.
- **In-process jobs say so.** A local refresh reports `state` and leaves
the rest null rather than inventing fields it has no record for.
`list_jobs` and `cancel_job` stay as they were: one lists, the other is
a one-shot action that should not need a describe first.
## Breaking
All shipped in 0.38.0. No deprecated aliases.
| Was | Now |
| --- | --- |
| `Connection.get_job` → `describe_job` | `Connection.open_job` returns
a populated `Job`, or raises |
| `Connection.job_history` → `query_job_events` | `job.events(...)` |
| `Connection.job` | `Connection.open_job` |
| Python events → `List[pa.RecordBatch]` | `pa.Table` |
| `JobDescription.spec_json` / `.result_json` | internal; use `job.spec`
/ `job.result` |
Node's `Job` is now a TypeScript class wrapping the native handle, so it
returns an Arrow table and parsed values like Python does. New
`Error::JobNotFound` / `JobNotFoundError`; the three job exceptions are
now in the Python API reference.
IndexBuilder::execute now returns a Job with wait and cancel methods.
Local tables build the index synchronously and return an already-done
job. Remote tables read the job id the server returns from create_index
and track it through the /v1/jobs API: wait polls describe until the job
reaches a terminal state and cancel posts a cancellation. Servers that
return no job id yield a done job, so behavior against older servers is
unchanged. The job id is not exposed on the handle.
The Python and TypeScript bindings keep their current signatures and
discard the handle; exposing Job there is left to follow-ups.
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This PR migrates all Rust crates in the workspace to Rust 2024 edition
and addresses the resulting compatibility updates. It also fixes all
clippy warnings surfaced by the workspace checks so the codebase remains
warning-free under the current lint configuration.
Context:
- Scope: workspace edition bump (`2021` -> `2024`) plus follow-up
refactors required by new edition and clippy rules.
- Validation: `cargo fmt --all` and `cargo clippy --quiet --features
remote --tests --examples -- -D warnings` both pass.
* Adds nicer errors to remote SDK, that expose useful properties like
`request_id` and `status_code`.
* Makes sure the Python tracebacks print nicely by mapping the `source`
field from a Rust error to the `__cause__` field.
The fact that we convert errors to strings makes them really hard to
work with. For example, in SaaS we want to know whether the underlying
`lance::Error` was the `InvalidInput` variant, so we can return a 400
instead of a 500.
This changes `lancedb` from a "pure python" setuptools project to a
maturin project and adds a rust lancedb dependency.
The async python client is extremely minimal (only `connect` and
`Connection.table_names` are supported). The purpose of this PR is to
get the infrastructure in place for building out the rest of the async
client.
Although this is not technically a breaking change (no APIs are
changing) it is still a considerable change in the way the wheels are
built because they now include the native shared library.
Jack YeandXuanwo
Wyatt AltandClaude Fable 5
Weston Pace
