Python driver: Add skip_load parameter to skip LOAD 'age' statement

drivers/python/README.md

@@ -89,9 +89,25 @@ SET search_path = ag_catalog, "$user", public;
 * Make sure to give your non-superuser db account proper permissions to the graph schemas and corresponding objects
 * Make sure to initiate the Apache Age python driver with the ```load_from_plugins``` parameter. This parameter tries to
   load the Apache Age extension from the PostgreSQL plugins directory located at ```$libdir/plugins/age```. Example:
-  ```python.
+  ```python
   ag = age.connect(host='localhost', port=5432, user='dbuser', password='strong_password', 
-                   dbname=postgres, load_from_plugins=True, graph='graph_name)
+                   dbname='postgres', load_from_plugins=True, graph='graph_name')
+  ```
+
+### Managed PostgreSQL Usage (Azure, AWS RDS, etc.)
+* On managed PostgreSQL services where the AGE extension is loaded server-side via ```shared_preload_libraries```,
+  the ```LOAD 'age'``` command may fail because the binary is not at the expected file path. Use the ```skip_load```
+  parameter to skip the ```LOAD``` statement while still performing all other setup:
+  ```python
+  ag = age.connect(host='myserver.postgres.database.azure.com', port=5432,
+                   user='dbuser', password='strong_password',
+                   dbname='postgres', skip_load=True, graph='graph_name')
+  ```
+* **Connection pools:** If you manage connections externally (e.g. via ```psycopg_pool.ConnectionPool```),
+  you can call ```setUpAge()``` with ```skip_load=True``` on each pooled connection:
+  ```python
+  from age.age import setUpAge
+  setUpAge(conn, 'graph_name', skip_load=True)
   ```
 
 ### License

drivers/python/age/__init__.py

@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ def version():
 
 
 def connect(dsn=None, graph=None, connection_factory=None, cursor_factory=ClientCursor, load_from_plugins=False,
-            **kwargs):
+            skip_load=False, **kwargs):
 
     dsn = conninfo.make_conninfo('' if dsn is None else dsn, **kwargs)
 
     ag = Age()
     ag.connect(dsn=dsn, graph=graph, connection_factory=connection_factory, cursor_factory=cursor_factory,
-               load_from_plugins=load_from_plugins, **kwargs)
+               load_from_plugins=load_from_plugins, skip_load=skip_load, **kwargs)
     return ag
 
 # Dummy ResultHandler

drivers/python/age/age.py

@@ -137,12 +137,20 @@ def load(self, data: bytes | bytearray | memoryview) -> Any | None:
         return parseAgeValue(data_bytes.decode('utf-8'))
 
 
-def setUpAge(conn:psycopg.connection, graphName:str, load_from_plugins:bool=False):
+def setUpAge(conn:psycopg.connection, graphName:str, load_from_plugins:bool=False, skip_load:bool=False):
+    if skip_load and load_from_plugins:
+        raise ValueError(
+            "skip_load=True and load_from_plugins=True are contradictory. "
+            "Set skip_load=False to load the extension from the plugins path, "
+            "or remove load_from_plugins to skip loading entirely."
+        )
+
     with conn.cursor() as cursor:
-        if load_from_plugins:
-            cursor.execute("LOAD '$libdir/plugins/age';")
-        else:
-            cursor.execute("LOAD 'age';")
+        if not skip_load:
+            if load_from_plugins:
+                cursor.execute("LOAD '$libdir/plugins/age';")
+            else:
+                cursor.execute("LOAD 'age';")
 
         cursor.execute("SET search_path = ag_catalog, '$user', public;")
 
@@ -333,9 +341,9 @@ def __init__(self):
 
     # Connect to PostgreSQL Server and establish session and type extension environment.
     def connect(self, graph:str=None, dsn:str=None, connection_factory=None, cursor_factory=ClientCursor,
-                load_from_plugins:bool=False, **kwargs):
+                load_from_plugins:bool=False, skip_load:bool=False, **kwargs):
         conn = psycopg.connect(dsn, cursor_factory=cursor_factory, **kwargs)
-        setUpAge(conn, graph, load_from_plugins)
+        setUpAge(conn, graph, load_from_plugins, skip_load=skip_load)
         self.connection = conn
         self.graphName = graph
         return self

drivers/python/test_age_py.py

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 from age.models import Vertex
 import unittest
+import unittest.mock
 import decimal
 import age
 import argparse
@@ -28,6 +29,76 @@
 TEST_GRAPH_NAME = "test_graph"
 
 
+class TestSetUpAge(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Unit tests for setUpAge() skip_load parameter — no DB required."""
+
+    def _make_mock_conn(self):
+        mock_conn = unittest.mock.MagicMock()
+        mock_cursor = unittest.mock.MagicMock()
+        mock_conn.cursor.return_value.__enter__ = unittest.mock.Mock(return_value=mock_cursor)
+        mock_conn.cursor.return_value.__exit__ = unittest.mock.Mock(return_value=False)
+        mock_conn.adapters = unittest.mock.MagicMock()
+        mock_type_info = unittest.mock.MagicMock()
+        mock_type_info.oid = 1
+        mock_type_info.array_oid = 2
+        return mock_conn, mock_cursor, mock_type_info
+
+    def test_skip_load_true_does_not_execute_load(self):
+        """When skip_load=True, LOAD 'age' must not be executed."""
+        mock_conn, mock_cursor, mock_type_info = self._make_mock_conn()
+        with unittest.mock.patch("age.age.TypeInfo.fetch", return_value=mock_type_info), \
+             unittest.mock.patch("age.age.checkGraphCreated"):
+            age.age.setUpAge(mock_conn, "test_graph", skip_load=True)
+        mock_cursor.execute.assert_called_once_with(
+            "SET search_path = ag_catalog, '$user', public;"
+        )
+
+    def test_skip_load_false_executes_load(self):
+        """When skip_load=False (default), LOAD 'age' must be executed."""
+        mock_conn, mock_cursor, mock_type_info = self._make_mock_conn()
+        with unittest.mock.patch("age.age.TypeInfo.fetch", return_value=mock_type_info), \
+             unittest.mock.patch("age.age.checkGraphCreated"):
+            age.age.setUpAge(mock_conn, "test_graph", skip_load=False)
+        mock_cursor.execute.assert_any_call("LOAD 'age';")
+
+    def test_skip_load_with_load_from_plugins(self):
+        """When skip_load=False and load_from_plugins=True, LOAD from plugins path."""
+        mock_conn, mock_cursor, mock_type_info = self._make_mock_conn()
+        with unittest.mock.patch("age.age.TypeInfo.fetch", return_value=mock_type_info), \
+             unittest.mock.patch("age.age.checkGraphCreated"):
+            age.age.setUpAge(mock_conn, "test_graph", load_from_plugins=True, skip_load=False)
+        mock_cursor.execute.assert_any_call("LOAD '$libdir/plugins/age';")
+
+    def test_skip_load_true_still_sets_search_path(self):
+        """When skip_load=True, search_path must still be set."""
+        mock_conn, mock_cursor, mock_type_info = self._make_mock_conn()
+        with unittest.mock.patch("age.age.TypeInfo.fetch", return_value=mock_type_info), \
+             unittest.mock.patch("age.age.checkGraphCreated"):
+            age.age.setUpAge(mock_conn, "test_graph", skip_load=True)
+        mock_cursor.execute.assert_any_call(
+            "SET search_path = ag_catalog, '$user', public;"
+        )
+
+    def test_contradictory_skip_load_and_load_from_plugins_raises(self):
+        """skip_load=True + load_from_plugins=True must raise ValueError."""
+        mock_conn, _, _ = self._make_mock_conn()
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            age.age.setUpAge(mock_conn, "test_graph", load_from_plugins=True, skip_load=True)
+
+    def test_connect_forwards_skip_load_to_setup(self):
+        """age.connect(skip_load=True) must forward skip_load through the full call chain."""
+        with unittest.mock.patch("age.age.psycopg.connect") as mock_psycopg, \
+             unittest.mock.patch("age.age.setUpAge") as mock_setup:
+            mock_psycopg.return_value = unittest.mock.MagicMock()
+            age.connect(dsn="host=localhost", graph="test_graph", skip_load=True)
+        mock_setup.assert_called_once()
+        _, kwargs = mock_setup.call_args
+        self.assertTrue(
+            kwargs.get("skip_load", False),
+            "skip_load must be forwarded from age.connect() to setUpAge()"
+        )
+
+
 class TestAgeBasic(unittest.TestCase):
     ag = None
     args: argparse.Namespace = argparse.Namespace(