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refactor: remove HNSW vector index support and related code#3095

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robfrank merged 3 commits intomainfrom
feat/3094-remove-hnsw
Jan 7, 2026
Merged

refactor: remove HNSW vector index support and related code#3095
robfrank merged 3 commits intomainfrom
feat/3094-remove-hnsw

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@robfrank robfrank commented Jan 7, 2026

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Summary of Changes

Hello @robfrank, I'm Gemini Code Assist1! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request undertakes a significant refactoring effort by completely removing the HNSW vector index implementation and all its related components from the project. This strategic decision streamlines the vector search capabilities, focusing development on the more performant and integrated LSMVector index. The changes span across core engine logic, Python bindings, SQL functions, schema definitions, and associated examples and tests, ensuring a clean transition away from the deprecated HNSW support.

Highlights

  • Complete Removal of HNSW Vector Index Support: All core Java implementations, Python bindings, SQL functions, and schema definitions related to the HNSW (Hierarchical Navigable Small World) vector index have been removed from the codebase. This includes the HnswVectorIndex and HnswVectorIndexRAM classes, their associated distance functions, and the hnswlib dependency.
  • Python Bindings Refactor: The Python example 03_vector_search.py demonstrating HNSW usage has been removed. The VectorIndex class in Python bindings is now explicitly marked as deprecated, and the create_vector_index method has been removed from the Database class, guiding users towards SQL commands for LSMVector indexes.
  • Schema and SQL Function Updates: The HNSW index type has been removed from CREATE INDEX statements, and the vectorDistance SQL function, which relied on HNSW-specific distance calculations, has also been removed. Related imports and factory registrations have been cleaned up across the engine.
  • Cleanup of Importer and Test Code: HNSW-specific importer classes (TextEmbeddingsImporter and related embedding types) and unit tests (test_vector_search, SQLFunctionVectorDistanceTest) have been eliminated, streamlining the codebase and removing deprecated functionality.

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@robfrank robfrank added this to the 26.1.1 milestone Jan 7, 2026
@robfrank robfrank added the enhancement New feature or request label Jan 7, 2026
@robfrank robfrank requested a review from lvca January 7, 2026 15:33
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Code Review

This pull request is a substantial refactoring that removes the HNSW vector index support and its related code. The changes are extensive, touching the Java engine, Python bindings, examples, and build configurations. The removal of the hnswlib dependency and associated classes like HnswVectorIndex is done cleanly. The Python examples and tests for HNSW have also been correctly removed. Overall, this is a great cleanup. I have one suggestion regarding the Python bindings to remove a class that has become orphaned as a result of these changes, which would improve code clarity and maintainability.

@robfrank robfrank requested a review from gramian January 7, 2026 15:37
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lvca commented Jan 7, 2026

@gramian are there any functions you implemented on the old HNSW engine we should port to the new one?

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codacy-production bot commented Jan 7, 2026 •
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Coverage summary from Codacy

See diff coverage on Codacy

Coverage variation Diff coverage
✅ -6.39% ✅ 80.77%
Coverage variation details
Coverable lines Covered lines Coverage
Common ancestor commit (5de4add) 77411 49559 64.02%
Head commit (3276db5) 76176 (-1235) 43899 (-5660) 57.63% (-6.39%)

Coverage variation is the difference between the coverage for the head and common ancestor commits of the pull request branch: <coverage of head commit> - <coverage of common ancestor commit>

Diff coverage details
Coverable lines Covered lines Diff coverage
Pull request (#3095) 78 63 80.77%

Diff coverage is the percentage of lines that are covered by tests out of the coverable lines that the pull request added or modified: <covered lines added or modified>/<coverable lines added or modified> * 100%

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gramian commented Jan 7, 2026

No, not as far as I remember.

@robfrank robfrank merged commit 1ee88b7 into main Jan 7, 2026
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@robfrank robfrank deleted the feat/3094-remove-hnsw branch January 7, 2026 22:09
robfrank added a commit that referenced this pull request Feb 11, 2026
@robfrank
#3094 refactor: remove old HNSW vector index support and related code (…
604b7a4 
…#3095)

(cherry picked from commit 1ee88b7)
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@lvca lvca Awaiting requested review from lvca

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