fix: return empty file metadata tables for snapshots without manifests

pyiceberg/table/inspect.py

@@ -885,6 +885,8 @@ def _files(self, snapshot_id: int | None = None, data_file_filter: set[DataFileC
                 lambda manifest_list: self._get_files_from_manifest(manifest_list, data_file_filter), snapshot.manifests(io)
             )
         )
+        if not results:
+            return self._get_files_schema().empty_table()
         return pa.concat_tables(results)
 
     def files(self, snapshot_id: int | None = None) -> pa.Table:
@@ -965,14 +967,12 @@ def _all_files(self, data_file_filter: set[DataFileContent] | None = None) -> pa
         """
         import pyarrow as pa
 
-        snapshots = self.tbl.snapshots()
-        if not snapshots:
-            return pa.Table.from_pylist([], schema=self._get_files_schema())
-
         executor = ExecutorFactory.get_or_create()
-        manifest_lists = executor.map(lambda snapshot: snapshot.manifests(self.tbl.io), snapshots)
+        manifest_lists = executor.map(lambda snapshot: snapshot.manifests(self.tbl.io), self.tbl.snapshots())
 
         unique_manifests = {(manifest.manifest_path, manifest) for manifest_list in manifest_lists for manifest in manifest_list}
+        if not unique_manifests:
+            return self._get_files_schema().empty_table()
 
         file_lists = executor.map(
             lambda args: self._get_files_from_manifest(*args), [(manifest, data_file_filter) for _, manifest in unique_manifests]

tests/table/test_inspect.py

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 from pyiceberg.table.snapshots import Snapshot
 from pyiceberg.transforms import IdentityTransform
 from pyiceberg.typedef import Record
-from pyiceberg.types import NestedField, StringType
+from pyiceberg.types import LongType, NestedField, StringType
 from tests.catalog.test_base import InMemoryCatalog
 
 
@@ -76,6 +76,23 @@ def test_inspect_entries_and_files_render_null_bound(catalog: InMemoryCatalog) -
     assert files_metrics["upper_bound"] is None
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("method", ["files", "data_files", "delete_files", "all_files", "all_data_files", "all_delete_files"])
+def test_inspect_files_of_snapshot_without_manifests(catalog: InMemoryCatalog, method: str) -> None:
+    tbl = catalog.create_table("default.no_manifests", Schema(NestedField(1, "x", LongType(), required=False)))
+    tbl.append(pa.table({"x": pa.array([], pa.int64())}))
+
+    assert getattr(tbl.inspect, method)() == tbl.inspect._get_files_schema().empty_table()
+
+
+def test_inspect_all_files_keeps_history_when_current_snapshot_has_no_manifests(catalog: InMemoryCatalog) -> None:
+    tbl = catalog.create_table("default.overwritten_with_empty", Schema(NestedField(1, "x", LongType(), required=False)))
+    tbl.append(pa.table({"x": pa.array([1], pa.int64())}))
+    tbl.overwrite(pa.table({"x": pa.array([], pa.int64())}))
+
+    assert tbl.inspect.files().num_rows == 0
+    assert tbl.inspect.all_files().num_rows == 1
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("newest_first", [False, True])
 def test_partitions_last_updated_uses_latest_snapshot_regardless_of_order(newest_first: bool) -> None:
     # Manifest entries are visited in manifest order, which is not chronological, so the