Document repetition / definition levels more

parquet/src/arrow/array_reader/fixed_size_list_array.rs

@@ -27,6 +27,19 @@ use arrow_data::{ArrayData, transform::MutableArrayData};
 use arrow_schema::DataType as ArrowType;
 
 /// Implementation of fixed-size list array reader.
+///
+/// Reconstructs a `FixedSizeList` from a child reader's definition and
+/// repetition levels. See [`ArrayReader`] for how the `def_level` (`D`) and
+/// `rep_level` (`R`) below are interpreted.
+///
+/// The definition-level states are the same as [`ListArrayReader`], except
+/// that:
+///
+/// 1. A *present* row (`d >= D`) contributes exactly `fixed_size` child values.
+/// 2. Empty (`d == D - 1`) and null (`d <= D - 2`) rows contribute no
+///    child values and are null-padded to `fixed_size` on output.
+///
+/// [`ListArrayReader`]: crate::arrow::array_reader::ListArrayReader
 pub struct FixedSizeListArrayReader {
     item_reader: Box<dyn ArrayReader>,
     /// The number of child items in each row of the list array

parquet/src/arrow/array_reader/list_array.rs

@@ -32,6 +32,23 @@ use std::marker::PhantomData;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 /// Implementation of list array reader.
+///
+/// Reconstructs a `List`/`LargeList` from a child reader's definition and
+/// repetition levels. See [`ArrayReader`] for how the `def_level` (`D`) and
+/// `rep_level` (`R`) below are interpreted
+///
+/// ```text
+/// list at level D     d >= D       present, ≥1 value
+///                     d == D - 1   present but empty []
+///                     d <= D - 2   null            (nullable lists only)
+/// ```
+///
+/// For example, with `D == 2` 
+/// * a column of `[10, null, 20]`
+/// * null
+/// * `[]` 
+/// 
+/// Produces child def levels `3, 2, 3`, then `0`, then `1`.
 pub struct ListArrayReader<OffsetSize: OffsetSizeTrait> {
     item_reader: Box<dyn ArrayReader>,
     data_type: ArrowType,

parquet/src/arrow/array_reader/list_view_array.rs

@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@ use std::any::Any;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 /// Implementation of list view array reader.
-/// This wraps a ListArrayReader and converts the result to ListViewArray.
+///
+/// This wraps a [`ListArrayReader`] and converts the result to a
+/// `ListView`/`LargeListView`. Definition and repetition levels are interpreted
+/// identically to [`ListArrayReader`].
 pub struct ListViewArrayReader<OffsetSize: OffsetSizeTrait> {
     inner: ListArrayReader<OffsetSize>,
     data_type: ArrowType,

parquet/src/arrow/array_reader/map_array.rs

@@ -23,6 +23,19 @@ use std::any::Any;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 /// Implementation of a map array reader.
+///
+/// A Parquet map is encoded as `List(Struct(key, value))`, so this reader is a
+/// thin wrapper around a [`ListArrayReader`] whose item is a
+/// [`StructArrayReader`]. 
+/// 
+/// See [`ArrayReader`] for how definition and repetition
+/// levels are interpreted; the map's own `def_level`/`rep_level` drive the
+/// outer list, while the key/value struct is one repetition level deeper:
+///
+/// ```text
+/// struct_rep_level = rep_level + 1
+/// struct_def_level = def_level + 1   (+2 when the map itself is nullable)
+/// ```
 pub struct MapArrayReader {
     data_type: ArrowType,
     reader: ListArrayReader<i32>,

parquet/src/arrow/array_reader/mod.rs

@@ -85,6 +85,66 @@ pub use struct_array::StructArrayReader;
 ///
 /// Data can either be read in batches using [`ArrayReader::next_batch`] or
 /// incrementally using [`ArrayReader::read_records`] and [`ArrayReader::skip_records`].
+///
+/// # Definition and repetition levels
+///
+/// Parquet encodes nesting, nulls, and empty lists using *definition* and
+/// *repetition* levels, based on the [Dremel paper]. Some example nested
+/// readers are:
+/// * [`ListArrayReader`]
+/// * [`FixedSizeListArrayReader`]
+/// * [`MapArrayReader`]
+/// * [`StructArrayReader`]
+///
+/// Each nested reader accesses the levels via [`ArrayReader::get_def_levels`]
+/// and [`ArrayReader::get_rep_levels`] and uses them to reconstruct nulls,
+/// empty lists, and list boundaries.
+///
+/// Each nested reader is built with a definition level `D` and a repetition
+/// level `R` taken from its [`ParquetField`] (see its `def_level` / `rep_level`
+/// fields). Given a child's level pair `(d, r)`, the two levels are interpreted
+/// as follows.
+///
+/// **Definition level** — how "present" the value is at this level:
+///
+/// ```text
+/// ┌───────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┐
+/// │           State           │             def level (d)          │
+/// ├───────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────┤
+/// │ present, with a value     │ d >= D                             │
+/// │ present but empty (list)  │ d == D - 1                         │
+/// │ null                      │ d <= D - 2   ← "lower still"       │
+/// └───────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────────┘
+/// ```
+///
+/// Note that not every reader uses all three states:
+/// * a non-nullable list has no `null` row — only `d >= D` (has values) vs the
+///   empty `d == D - 1`;
+/// * a [`StructArrayReader`] has no `empty` row — only present `d >= D` vs null
+///   `d < D`.
+///
+/// **Repetition level** — where a value attaches relative to this reader's list:
+///
+/// ```text
+/// ┌──────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+/// │  r vs R  │ meaning                                                    │
+/// ├──────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
+/// │  r <  R  │ start of a new row at this level (outer/record boundary)   │
+/// │  r == R  │ another element appended to the current list row           │
+/// │  r >  R  │ belongs to a more deeply nested child; already handled by  │
+/// │          │ the child reader                                           │
+/// └──────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+/// ```
+///
+/// # See Also
+///
+/// See  [`arrow_writer`] module for more details on how repetition and
+/// definition levels are produced.
+///
+/// [Dremel paper]: https://research.google/pubs/dremel-interactive-analysis-of-web-scale-datasets-2/
+/// [`arrow_writer`]: crate::arrow::arrow_writer
+/// [`ParquetField`]: crate::arrow::schema::ParquetField
+#[allow(rustdoc::private_intra_doc_links)]
 pub trait ArrayReader: Send {
     // TODO: this function is never used, and the trait is not public. Perhaps this should be
     // removed.

parquet/src/arrow/array_reader/struct_array.rs

@@ -24,6 +24,19 @@ use std::any::Any;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 /// Implementation of struct array reader.
+///
+/// Reconstructs a `Struct` from its children's definition and repetition
+/// levels. See [`ArrayReader`] for how `struct_def_level` (`D`) and
+/// `struct_rep_level` (`R`) below are interpreted. Structs only use two
+/// definition states:
+///
+/// ```text
+/// d >= D   struct row is valid
+/// d <  D   struct row is null
+/// ```
+///
+/// where `d` is the per-row minimum definition level across the children
+/// (children share the same view of the parent, so the first child suffices).
 pub struct StructArrayReader {
     children: Vec<Box<dyn ArrayReader>>,
     data_type: ArrowType,