[C++/Python] Add option to Take kernel to interpret negative indices as NULL

[asfimport]

Currently negative integers are explicitly forbidding in the Take kernel. It would be nice to have the option to treat negative integers as NULL instead.

Reporter: Uwe Korn / @xhochy

Related issues:

• [C++/Python] Support necessary functionality to have an Arrow-string type in pandas (is depended upon by)

_{Note: This issue was originally created as ARROW-9433. Please see the migration documentation for further details.}

[asfimport]

Joris Van den Bossche / @jorisvandenbossche:
This is a rather pandas-specific behaviour (given lack of proper null support). I am not fully sure this is something that belongs in Arrow? (of course, doing it on the pandas side will not be as efficient, as we first need to pre-process the integer indices to convert -1 to null)

[asfimport]

Wes McKinney / @wesm:
This might be achievable similar to ARROW-9432 by rewriting the indices (to make the negative numbers all 0 or similar) and then setting the null bitmap entries according to what's negative.

[thisisnic]

This issue hasn't had activity in a long time. If it's still being worked on, please leave a comment. Otherwise, it will be closed on 23rd June.

Labelled Status: Stale-Warning for tracking.