[VOTE] REST Spec: Labels on the IRC read path

[Andrei Tserakhau via dev <de...@iceberg.apache.org>]

Hi everyone,

Following the discussion on IRC Labels [1
<https://github.com/apache/iceberg/issues/15521>] and the catalog syncs,
I'd like to
call a vote on the read-path spec change: an optional `labels` field on
LoadTableResult and LoadViewResult.

Labels give catalogs a standard channel to surface the enrichment they
already
hold about an object -- semantic hints, classification, cost attribution,
ownership-as-the-catalog-sees-it -- as flat key-value metadata that engines
and
other systems can read. The full motivation, scope, alternatives (including
why
this is separate from table properties), and the Kubernetes-labels precedent
are in the design doc [2
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj-6JlfBiMYEEVtNuh5WLMOrRQiMCcyYUGbouPM4hXI/edit>];
I'd encourage reading it before voting.

Scope of this vote, deliberately narrow:

  - Read path only. The write path (UpdateLabels) and any
structured/first-class
    tag entity are separate follow-up tracks, not part of this vote.
  - Flat key-value on the wire. The spec defines the envelope, not a
vocabulary
    or a key registry -- conventions emerge in the community layer.
  - Additive and backward compatible: `labels` is optional; older clients
    ignore it.

Design doc: [2
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj-6JlfBiMYEEVtNuh5WLMOrRQiMCcyYUGbouPM4hXI/edit>
]
Proposal:     [1 <https://github.com/apache/iceberg/issues/15521>]
Spec PR:     [3 <https://github.com/apache/iceberg/pull/15750>]
Prototype (Trino demo + Polaris implementation): [4
<https://github.com/laskoviymishka/irc-labels>]

Please vote within the next 72 hours:

  [ ] +1 Adopt the labels read-path spec change
  [ ] +0
  [ ] -1 Do not adopt, because ...

[1] https://github.com/apache/iceberg/issues/15521
[2]
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj-6JlfBiMYEEVtNuh5WLMOrRQiMCcyYUGbouPM4hXI/edit
[3] https://github.com/apache/iceberg/pull/15750
[4] https://github.com/laskoviymishka/irc-labels

Thanks,
Andrei

Re: [VOTE] REST Spec: Labels on the IRC read path

[Andrei Tserakhau via dev <de...@iceberg.apache.org>]

Hey everyone, I'm pulling this vote for now based on feedback that we need
to have the reference implementation ready to go, which I have but isn't
fully reviewed yet.

I'll create a new vote when that is ready

Thanks,
Andrei

On Wed, Jul 22, 2026 at 3:49 PM Andrei Tserakhau <
andrei.tserakhau@databricks.com> wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> Following the discussion on IRC Labels [1
> <https://github.com/apache/iceberg/issues/15521>] and the catalog syncs,
> I'd like to
> call a vote on the read-path spec change: an optional `labels` field on
> LoadTableResult and LoadViewResult.
>
> Labels give catalogs a standard channel to surface the enrichment they
> already
> hold about an object -- semantic hints, classification, cost attribution,
> ownership-as-the-catalog-sees-it -- as flat key-value metadata that
> engines and
> other systems can read. The full motivation, scope, alternatives
> (including why
> this is separate from table properties), and the Kubernetes-labels
> precedent
> are in the design doc [2
> <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj-6JlfBiMYEEVtNuh5WLMOrRQiMCcyYUGbouPM4hXI/edit>];
> I'd encourage reading it before voting.
>
> Scope of this vote, deliberately narrow:
>
>   - Read path only. The write path (UpdateLabels) and any
> structured/first-class
>     tag entity are separate follow-up tracks, not part of this vote.
>   - Flat key-value on the wire. The spec defines the envelope, not a
> vocabulary
>     or a key registry -- conventions emerge in the community layer.
>   - Additive and backward compatible: `labels` is optional; older clients
>     ignore it.
>
> Design doc: [2
> <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj-6JlfBiMYEEVtNuh5WLMOrRQiMCcyYUGbouPM4hXI/edit>
> ]
> Proposal:     [1 <https://github.com/apache/iceberg/issues/15521>]
> Spec PR:     [3 <https://github.com/apache/iceberg/pull/15750>]
> Prototype (Trino demo + Polaris implementation): [4
> <https://github.com/laskoviymishka/irc-labels>]
>
> Please vote within the next 72 hours:
>
>   [ ] +1 Adopt the labels read-path spec change
>   [ ] +0
>   [ ] -1 Do not adopt, because ...
>
> [1] https://github.com/apache/iceberg/issues/15521
> [2]
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aj-6JlfBiMYEEVtNuh5WLMOrRQiMCcyYUGbouPM4hXI/edit
> [3] https://github.com/apache/iceberg/pull/15750
> [4] https://github.com/laskoviymishka/irc-labels
>
> Thanks,
> Andrei
>