[ARROW-2341] [Python] pa.union() mode argument unintuitive

• Type: Improvement
• Status: Resolved
• Priority: Major
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 0.9.0
• Fix Version/s: 0.10.0
• Component/s: Python
• Labels: pull-request-available
• External issue URL: https://github.com/apache/arrow/issues/18290
• Assignee: Antoine Pitrou
• Reporter: Antoine Pitrou
• Created: 22/Mar/18 14:30
• Updated: 11/Jan/23 07:20
• Resolved: 22/Mar/18 17:49

Description

>>> pa.union([pa.field('x', pa.int16())], 'sparse')
UnionType(union[dense]<x: int16=0>)
>>> pa.union([pa.field('x', pa.int16())], 'dense')
UnionType(union[dense]<x: int16=0>)
>>> pa.union([pa.field('x', pa.int16())], 42)
UnionType(union[dense]<x: int16=0>)

I would suggest allowing "sparse" and "dense" strings as aliases to the internal enum values, and disallowing everything else.

Issue Links

• links to: GitHub Pull Request #1778