[suggestion] Write path optimization

[kevinjqliu]

Feature Request / Improvement

Let's investigate the level of abstraction on the write path.

Currently, we are doing schema-compatible checks, schema coercion, bin-packing, transformation, etc at different levels of the stack. It'll be good to optimize and see which functions can be pushed up the stack.

For example, here's what the overwrite path looks like

overwrite
	_dataframe_to_data_files
		write_file
			write_parquet 

(copied over from #910 (review))

Another example #786 (comment)

More info

overwrite checks schema compatibility

iceberg-python/pyiceberg/table/__init__.py

Lines 541 to 550 in 3f44dfe

	_check_schema_compatible(
	self._table.schema(), other_schema=df.schema, downcast_ns_timestamp_to_us=downcast_ns_timestamp_to_us
	)
	self.delete(delete_filter=overwrite_filter, snapshot_properties=snapshot_properties)
	with self.update_snapshot(snapshot_properties=snapshot_properties).fast_append() as update_snapshot:
	# skip writing data files if the dataframe is empty
	if df.shape[0] > 0:
	data_files = _dataframe_to_data_files(

_dataframe_to_data_files bin-packs the pyarrow Table

iceberg-python/pyiceberg/io/pyarrow.py

Lines 2222 to 2225 in 3f44dfe

	tasks=iter([
	WriteTask(write_uuid=write_uuid, task_id=next(counter), record_batches=batches, schema=table_metadata.schema())
	for batches in bin_pack_arrow_table(df, target_file_size)
	]),

write_parquet transforms table schema

iceberg-python/pyiceberg/io/pyarrow.py

Lines 2001 to 2008 in 3f44dfe

	table_schema = task.schema
	# if schema needs to be transformed, use the transformed schema and adjust the arrow table accordingly
	# otherwise use the original schema
	if (sanitized_schema := sanitize_column_names(table_schema)) != table_schema:
	file_schema = sanitized_schema
	else:
	file_schema = table_schema

and

iceberg-python/pyiceberg/io/pyarrow.py

Lines 2011 to 2021 in 3f44dfe

	batches = [
	_to_requested_schema(
	requested_schema=file_schema,
	file_schema=table_schema,
	batch=batch,
	downcast_ns_timestamp_to_us=downcast_ns_timestamp_to_us,
	include_field_ids=True,
	)
	for batch in task.record_batches
	]
	arrow_table = pa.Table.from_batches(batches)

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[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has been open for 180 days with no activity. It will be closed in next 14 days if no further activity occurs. To permanently prevent this issue from being considered stale, add the label 'not-stale', but commenting on the issue is preferred when possible.