python-v0.12.0: Delete, Update, and Merge

What's Changed

New features

• feat: allow to set large dtypes for the schema check in write_deltalake by @ion-elgreco in #1668
• feat(python): expose delete operation by @guilhem-dvr in #1687
• feat(python): expose UPDATE operation by @ion-elgreco in #1694
• feat(python): expose MERGE operation by @ion-elgreco in #1685
• feat: add version number in .history() and display in reversed chronological order by @ion-elgreco in #1710

Bug fixes

• fix: exception string in writer.py by @sebdiem in #1665
• fix: change partitioning schema from large to normal string for pyarrow<12 by @ion-elgreco in #1671
• fix: use epoch instead of ce for date stats by @universalmind303 in #1672
• fix: unify environment variables referenced by Databricks docs by @rtyler in #1673
• fix!: ensure predicates are parsable by @Blajda in #1690
• fix: merge operation with string predicates by @Blajda in #1705
• fix: reorder encode_partition_value() checks and add tests by @ldacey in #1733

Other contributions

• perf: improve read performance by 7x with prebuffer by @ion-elgreco in #1709
• docs: small consistency update in guide and readme by @ion-elgreco in #1666
• docs: fix typo in readme by @JosiahParry in #1696
• docs: add Python API reference to mkdocs by @wjones127 in #1563
• docs(python): document the delete operation by @guilhem-dvr in #1704
• docs: add a write example to delta.rs by @r3stl355 in #1711
• chore: remove deprecated functions by @wjones127 in #1735

Breaking changes

The DeltaTable.history() method now returns transactions in reverse chronological order. This matches the Spark implementation.

DeltaTable.files_by_partitions() has been removed. It has been deprecated since 0.7.0. Use DeltaTable.file_uris() instead.

DeltaTable.pyarrow_schema() has been removed. it has been deprecated since 0.7.0. Use DeltaTable.schema().to_pyarrow() instead.

New Contributors

• @sebdiem made their first contribution in #1665
• @universalmind303 made their first contribution in #1672
• @JosiahParry made their first contribution in #1696
• @r3stl355 made their first contribution in #1711
• @ldacey made their first contribution in #1733

Full Changelog: python-v0.11.0...python-v0.12.0