`describe_table` should describe tables outside the data source in Python

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Assessment

Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Newbie friendliness
35/100
Issue type
Feature
Clarity
Mostly clear
Activity status
Active
Tech stack
python
Domain
backend

Research direction

Start with _describe_table_text() on the Python side, which currently raises when a table is missing from source.table_ids, and read the R change in #470 to see the intended behavior. The new cases belong in tests/shared/describe-table.json so both suites check the same results. Done means tables outside the data source are described with a no-documentation note, trusted-only mode still refuses them, and alternate names like main.sales resolve to the table's label.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Description

py

Same thing as #469, but for the Python side.

In the R package, #470 lets describe_table describe any table the connection can query, not just the data source's tables, so it agrees with run_sql. Python's _describe_table_text() still raises when a table isn't in source.table_ids, so the agent can query a table it found with run_sql but can't describe it.

To match R:

  • Describe tables outside the data source, with a note that no documentation covers them. On Snowflake and Databricks, run the usual access check first.
  • Keep refusing them in trusted-only mode.
  • Resolve alternate names for data source tables (main.sales for sales) to the table's label, so its documentation still shows.

Pin these in tests/shared/describe-table.json so both suites test the same behavior.

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Python
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