[ARROW-8368] [Format] In C interface, clarify resource management for consumers needing only a subset of child fields in ArrowArray

• Type: Improvement
• Status: Resolved
• Priority: Blocker
• Resolution: Fixed
• Fix Version/s: 0.17.0
• Component/s: C++, Format
• Labels: pull-request-available
• External issue URL: https://github.com/apache/arrow/issues/24552
• Assignee: Antoine Pitrou
• Reporter: Wes McKinney
• Created: 07/Apr/20 21:48
• Updated: 11/Jan/23 07:59
• Resolved: 15/Apr/20 00:22

Description

The current implication of the C Interface is that only moving a single child out of an ArrowArray is allowed.

Questions:

• Should it be allowed to move multiple children, as long as they are moved at the same time, and the parent is released after?
• In the event that children have disjoint internal resources, should there be a clarification around moved children having their resources released independently?

See mailing list discussion https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r92b77e0fa7bed384daa377e2178bc8e8ca46103928598050341e40b1%40%3Cdev.arrow.apache.org%3E

Issue Links

• links to: GitHub Pull Request #6874