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feat: expose lambda and higher-order array functions#1561

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timsaucer:feat/lambda-support
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feat: expose lambda and higher-order array functions#1561
timsaucer wants to merge 5 commits into
apache:mainfrom
timsaucer:feat/lambda-support

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@timsaucer timsaucer commented May 26, 2026

Which issue does this PR close?

Closes #811

Rationale for this change

DataFusion gained lambda expressions and higher-order array functions (apache/datafusion#21172). The Python binding already had the read-only Lambda, HigherOrderFunction, and LambdaVariable wrapper classes, but offered no way to construct a lambda or call the higher-order functions. This PR adds a Pythonic API for both.

What changes are included in this PR?

Adds the following:

  • Functions array_transform and array_any_match that accept either a Python callable or an explicit lambda built with lambda_ / lambda_var
  • Unit tests
  • Functions to create lambda expressions or variables
  • Documentation

Are there any user-facing changes?

There are new APIs but they are all new additions.

timsaucer and others added 2 commits May 26, 2026 15:04
Add a Pythonic API for DataFusion's higher-order array functions and the
lambda expressions they consume.

- Rust: lambda_, lambda_var, array_transform, and array_any_match pyfunctions,
  plus a ResolveLambdaVariables analyzer rule so expression-builder plans
  (which emit unresolved lambda variables) resolve before optimization.
- Python: array_transform / array_any_match (with list_transform, any_match,
  list_any_match aliases) accept either a Python callable or an explicit
  lambda built with lambda_ / lambda_var. Callables are introspected so their
  parameter names become the lambda parameters.
- Tests and docs (expressions guide + agent skill), noting v1 limits: lambda
  expressions are not serializable, and SQL arrow syntax needs the DuckDB
  dialect.
Combine the eight higher-order function result tests into a single
parametrized test_higher_order_function_results, and the two to_lambda
rejection tests into test_to_lambda_rejects_invalid_arg. Each case keeps
a readable id via pytest.param.

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
@timsaucer timsaucer marked this pull request as draft May 27, 2026 15:58
timsaucer and others added 3 commits May 27, 2026 13:23
Add array_filter, the remaining lambda-based higher-order array function
in DataFusion (alongside the already-exposed array_transform and
array_any_match). Includes the list_filter alias matching upstream, tests,
and documentation in the expressions guide and skill.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Lead user-facing array-lambda docs with "lambda function" instead of
"higher-order function," which is less recognizable to users. Drop the
alias list, serialization caveat, and DuckDB-dialect note from the skill
to keep it lean; those details already live in the docstrings.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
@timsaucer timsaucer marked this pull request as ready for review May 27, 2026 19:17
@timsaucer timsaucer mentioned this pull request May 27, 2026
11 tasks
Comment on lines +189 to +191
contains a lambda raises ``Lambda not implemented``. SQL lambda syntax
(``x -> x * 2``) is only parsed by dialects that support lambdas; set
``datafusion.sql_parser.dialect`` to ``DuckDB`` to use it. The Python
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DuckDB will remove this syntax in v2.1. Perhaps add other dialects that support this syntax (spark, databricks, clickhouse, snowflake), and/or add the new duckdb syntax (``lambda x: x *2`) ?

duckdb#17235
duckdb#22682

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Add functions.transform

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