The Pinecone Python SDK provides a client for interacting with Pinecone, a managed vector database designed for AI/ML applications. It enables developers to easily integrate vector search capabilities into production systems for use cases like semantic search, recommendation engines, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), simplifying the management and querying of high-dimensional vector data.

How It Works

The SDK facilitates operations on Pinecone's vector database, supporting both serverless (auto-scaling) and pod-based (dedicated) index types. It allows for storing, querying, and managing dense vectors alongside metadata for filtering. A key feature is its integrated inference capability, allowing the SDK to handle embedding generation and optional reranking using built-in models, streamlining end-to-end search workflows. The architecture emphasizes performance through optional gRPC transport and modern Python development via full asyncio support.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Primary install / run command:
  • Base: pip3 install pinecone
  • With extras (asyncio, grpc): pip3 install "pinecone[asyncio,grpc]"
  • Also supports installation via uv and poetry.
• Non-default prerequisites and dependencies:
  • Python 3.10 or greater.
  • A Pinecone account and API key (obtainable from https://app.pinecone.io).
  • Optional: aiohttp for asyncio support, grpcio for grpc transport.
• Links:
  • API Key: https://app.pinecone.io
  • Conceptual Docs & Guides: Mentioned, but specific URL not provided.
  • Python Reference Docs: Mentioned, but specific URL not provided.

Highlighted Details

• Supports core vector operations: upsert, query, fetch, delete, with metadata filtering.
• Offers choice between serverless (auto-scaling) and pod-based (dedicated) index architectures.
• Features integrated embedding and reranking models for simplified ML workflows.
• Provides full asyncio support for asynchronous applications and optional gRPC transport for performance gains.
• Includes full type hints for enhanced developer experience and type safety.

Maintenance & Community

Issues and bugs can be reported via GitHub issues. Community support is available through the Pinecone Community Forum. A contributing guide is provided for developers interested in contributing to the SDK.

Licensing & Compatibility

The provided README snippet does not specify the license type or any compatibility notes for commercial use or closed-source linking.

Limitations & Caveats

The official SDK package was renamed from pinecone-client to pinecone starting in version 5.1.0, requiring users to update their dependencies. No other specific limitations, known bugs, or alpha status details are mentioned in the provided text.