[Python] Infer and convert uuid.UUID objects in the python->arrow conversion layer

[rok]

Describe the enhancement requested

As per #37298 (comment) on GH-15058: [C++][Python] Native support for UUID:

As another possible follow-up, would we want to support inferring and converting uuid.UUID objects in the python->arrow conversion layer? (although not sure if that's something people would be waiting for)

Component(s)

Python

[amoeba]

Hey @rok, given the prevalence of the uuid package in Python data science, I think having a seamless conversion would be useful to a pretty broad audience. I ended up on this issue while diagnosing #44224 and I see this issue already has a few thumbs up reactions.

[rok]

Oh hey @amoeba ! :)
Yeah, I agree and I'd love to contribute a fix for this. I'm just not sure if I can make this release or the next one :).

[amoeba]

Of course, I think it can wait.

I took a shot at this today and (1) think what I came up with might be overcomplicated though I basically copied what had been done for pandas and (2) got a bit lost at the conversion step. With the code I've got, I hit this code path in the converter:

arrow/cpp/src/arrow/util/converter.h

Line 251 in f43e92d

Status Visit(const DataType& t) { return Status::NotImplemented(t.name()); }

It seems like I might be going about it wrong or that we just need to implement that, hopefully generic to the underlying storage type. I do think what I have is close to working though, even if there's a simpler approach.

[rok]

Thanks for opening a PR! I'll try to help out there!

[torchss]

It's fantastic to see work on this being started - what's necessary to merge it in?