## handles.LanceHandle


A Lance dataset checked out at a branch (write) or tag/version (read).


Usage

``` python
handles.LanceHandle(
    key, read_only, uri, dataset, version, branch=None, tag=None
)
```


[dataset](handles.LanceHandle.md#tether.handles.LanceHandle.dataset) is a `lance.LanceDataset`; append with `lance.write_dataset(table, handle.dataset, mode="append")`.


## Parameter Attributes


`key: str`  
A short native label for display: the store's URI, path, repository, or database - or, for a branch-addressed system such as Neon, the branch the handle opens. Not an identity: two handles on one store may carry different keys, and the engine never compares handles by it. Use the typed fields ([uri](handles.FileHandle.md#tether.handles.FileHandle.uri), [path](handles.GitHandle.md#tether.handles.GitHandle.path), [branch](handles.NeonHandle.md#tether.handles.NeonHandle.branch), [snapshot_id](handles.IcebergHandle.md#tether.handles.IcebergHandle.snapshot_id), …) for anything that matters.

`read_only: bool`  
Whether writes through this handle are allowed.

`uri: str`  
Dataset location.

`dataset: Any`  
The `lance.LanceDataset`, checked out at the branch or tag.

`version: int`  
Version number (branch-scoped in Lance).

`branch: str | None = None`  
Branch the dataset is checked out on.

`tag: str | None = None`  
Tag the dataset was opened at (pinned reads).