feat(rust/sedona-spatial-join): Add config to disable spatial join reordering by 2010YOUY01 · Pull Request #733 · apache/sedona-db

2010YOUY01 · 2026-03-24T03:18:26Z

Motivation

Heuristics-based join reordering can fail. Providing an option to disable it allows manual control over spatial join order—the execution order will match the query order.

This configuration only affects spatial joins, not regular joins, for greater flexibility.

Demo

In sedona-cli

> explain select t1.name from '/Users/yongting/Code/sedona-db/submodules/geoarrow-data/natural-earth/files/natural-earth_cities_geo.parquet' as t1
join '/Users/yongting/Code/sedona-db/submodules/geoarrow-data/natural-earth/files/natural-earth_countries_geo.parquet' as t2
on st_intersects(t1.geometry, t2.geometry);
┌───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│   plan_type   ┆                                                                                           plan                                                                                          │
│      utf8     ┆                                                                                           utf8                                                                                          │
╞═══════════════╪═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╡
│ logical_plan  ┆ Projection: t1.name                                                                                                                                                                     │
│               ┆   SpatialJoin: join_type=Inner, filter=st_intersects(t1.geometry, t2.geometry)                                                                                                          │
│               ┆     SubqueryAlias: t1                                                                                                                                                                   │
│               ┆       TableScan: /Users/yongting/Code/sedona-db/submodules/geoarrow-data/natural-earth/files/natural-earth_cities_geo.parquet projection=[name, geometry]                               │
│               ┆     SubqueryAlias: t2                                                                                                                                                                   │
│               ┆       TableScan: /Users/yongting/Code/sedona-db/submodules/geoarrow-data/natural-earth/files/natural-earth_countries_geo.parquet projection=[geometry]                                  │
├╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌┼╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌┤
│ physical_plan ┆ SpatialJoinExec: join_type=Inner, on=ST_intersects(geometry@0, geometry@1), projection=[name@1]                                                                                         │
│               ┆   DataSourceExec: file_groups={1 group: [[Users/yongting/Code/sedona-db/submodules/geoarrow-data/natural-earth/files/natural-earth_countries_geo.parquet]]}, projection=[geometry], fil │
│               ┆ e_type=parquet                                                                                                                                                                          │
│               ┆   ProbeShuffleExec: partitioning=RoundRobinBatch(1)                                                                                                                                     │
│               ┆     DataSourceExec: file_groups={1 group: [[Users/yongting/Code/sedona-db/submodules/geoarrow-data/natural-earth/files/natural-earth_cities_geo.parquet]]}, projection=[name, geometry] │
│               ┆ , file_type=parquet                                                                                                                                                                     │
│               ┆                                                                                                                                                                                         │
└───────────────┴─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
2 row(s)/2 column(s) fetched.
Elapsed 0.005 seconds.

> SET sedona.spatial_join.spatial_join_reordering = false;

0 row(s)/0 column(s) fetched.
Elapsed 0.003 seconds.

> explain select t1.name from '/Users/yongting/Code/sedona-db/submodules/geoarrow-data/natural-earth/files/natural-earth_cities_geo.parquet' as t1
join '/Users/yongting/Code/sedona-db/submodules/geoarrow-data/natural-earth/files/natural-earth_countries_geo.parquet' as t2
on st_intersects(t1.geometry, t2.geometry);
┌───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│   plan_type   ┆                                                                                           plan                                                                                          │
│      utf8     ┆                                                                                           utf8                                                                                          │
╞═══════════════╪═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╡
│ logical_plan  ┆ Projection: t1.name                                                                                                                                                                     │
│               ┆   SpatialJoin: join_type=Inner, filter=st_intersects(t1.geometry, t2.geometry)                                                                                                          │
│               ┆     SubqueryAlias: t1                                                                                                                                                                   │
│               ┆       TableScan: /Users/yongting/Code/sedona-db/submodules/geoarrow-data/natural-earth/files/natural-earth_cities_geo.parquet projection=[name, geometry]                               │
│               ┆     SubqueryAlias: t2                                                                                                                                                                   │
│               ┆       TableScan: /Users/yongting/Code/sedona-db/submodules/geoarrow-data/natural-earth/files/natural-earth_countries_geo.parquet projection=[geometry]                                  │
├╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌┼╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌┤
│ physical_plan ┆ SpatialJoinExec: join_type=Inner, on=ST_intersects(geometry@1, geometry@0), projection=[name@0]                                                                                         │
│               ┆   DataSourceExec: file_groups={1 group: [[Users/yongting/Code/sedona-db/submodules/geoarrow-data/natural-earth/files/natural-earth_cities_geo.parquet]]}, projection=[name, geometry],  │
│               ┆ file_type=parquet                                                                                                                                                                       │
│               ┆   ProbeShuffleExec: partitioning=RoundRobinBatch(1)                                                                                                                                     │
│               ┆     DataSourceExec: file_groups={1 group: [[Users/yongting/Code/sedona-db/submodules/geoarrow-data/natural-earth/files/natural-earth_countries_geo.parquet]]}, projection=[geometry], f │
│               ┆ ile_type=parquet                                                                                                                                                                        │
│               ┆                                                                                                                                                                                         │
└───────────────┴─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
2 row(s)/2 column(s) fetched.
Elapsed 0.005 seconds.

2010YOUY01 · 2026-03-24T03:20:02Z

rust/sedona-spatial-join/src/planner/physical_planner.rs

+/// 3. Do not swap the join order if join reordering is disabled or no relevant
+///    statistics are available.
+fn should_swap_join_order(
+    spatial_join_options: &SpatialJoinOptions,


Use SpatialJoinOptions arg instead of a boolean flag, since this function will likely require additional options in the future and this approach is more extensible.

2010YOUY01 · 2026-03-24T03:23:03Z

python/sedonadb/tests/test_sjoin.py

+    return file_names[:2]
+
+
+def test_spatial_join_reordering_can_be_disabled_e2e(geoarrow_data):


One consideration is the test’s running time: the two Parquet files are around 10 KB, and this test runs in about 0.1 s on my machine.

I couldn’t find another way to perform the e2e test. The sd_random_geometry() table function does not seem to produce statistics, so spatial join reordering cannot occur.

Hope this is okay.

Definitely ok! (Parquet tests use some of the larger files to ensure everything works with realistic input)

paleolimbot

Thank you!

This is all good from my end, although I usually think of "join ordering" as involving multiple joins (this is more like choosing the indexed side of a single join). I am also not sure I have a better idea of what to call the option 🙂

paleolimbot · 2026-03-24T14:23:45Z

python/sedonadb/tests/test_sjoin.py

+    assert path_left.exists(), f"Missing test asset: {path_left}"
+    assert path_right.exists(), f"Missing test asset: {path_right}"


I believe we have sedonadb.testing.skip_if_not_exists() for this (so the tests can run without the submodule)

paleolimbot · 2026-03-24T14:29:00Z

python/sedonadb/tests/test_sjoin.py

+    return file_names[:2]
+
+
+def test_spatial_join_reordering_can_be_disabled_e2e(geoarrow_data):


Definitely ok! (Parquet tests use some of the larger files to ensure everything works with realistic input)

paleolimbot · 2026-03-24T14:39:55Z

python/sedonadb/tests/test_sjoin.py

+def _plan_text(df):
+    query_plan = df.to_pandas()
+    return "\n".join(query_plan.iloc[:, 1].astype(str).tolist())
+
+
+def _spatial_join_side_file_names(plan_text):


I opened #734 so that we can make hopefully make this easier some day.

add config to disable join reordering

9d0d185

2010YOUY01 commented Mar 24, 2026

View reviewed changes

2010YOUY01 changed the title ~~feat(rust/sedona-spatial-join): Add config to disable join reordering~~ feat(rust/sedona-spatial-join): Add config to disable spatial join reordering Mar 24, 2026

paleolimbot mentioned this pull request Mar 24, 2026

python/sedonadb: Make explain plans easier to programatically inspect #734

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feat(rust/sedona-spatial-join): Add config to disable spatial join reordering#733

feat(rust/sedona-spatial-join): Add config to disable spatial join reordering#733
2010YOUY01 wants to merge 1 commit intoapache:mainfrom
2010YOUY01:config-spatial-join-reordering

2010YOUY01 commented Mar 24, 2026

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		return file_names[:2]


		def test_spatial_join_reordering_can_be_disabled_e2e(geoarrow_data):

		assert path_left.exists(), f"Missing test asset: {path_left}"
		assert path_right.exists(), f"Missing test asset: {path_right}"

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2010YOUY01 commented Mar 24, 2026

Motivation

Demo

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