Enable lazy loading support for DataCatalog 2.0 on Kedro-Viz

[SajidAlamQB]

Description

Related to: #2213

This PR integrates the new lazy-loading feature from Kedro’s updated DataCatalog API into Kedro-Viz.

Specifically, it checks if the project’s catalog is an instance of KedroDataCatalog. This allows Kedro-Viz to show dataset details without requiring full dataset installation. It also prevents unintended data loads if a dataset is configured to be lazy.

Development notes

• Added conditional imports for KedroDataCatalog with fallbacks
• Updated repository access methods to handle lazy datasets
• Made dataset parameters optional (Optional[AbstractDataset])
• Removed assertions that would fail with lazy datasets
• Added null-safety checks in all validators and properties
• Modified to accept both catalog implementations
• Ensured dataset fetching works consistently for both types
• Updated type annotations for better API clarity

QA notes

• Added tests that verify behavior with KedroDataCatalog
• Added tests for handling null cases in node models

Checklist

• Read the contributing guidelines
• Opened this PR as a 'Draft Pull Request' if it is work-in-progress
• Updated the documentation to reflect the code changes
• Added new entries to the RELEASE.md file
• Added tests to cover my changes

[ElenaKhaustova]

I think with the new catalog we can significantly simplify overall logic, which will be the same for default and lite modes:

1. We still need to resolve dataset factory patterns, but we do it via the catalog.config_resolver.resolve_pattern() method—it returns dataset configuration and does not require dataset initialization.
2. The above step is the only step needed to display the dataset
3. Once the user clicks on the dataset, we get it from the catalog, then call preview and process failure if something is uninstalled
4. That way, we don't really need UnavailableDataset and lite mode becomes default.

I see that the difficulty is in supporting different catalogs simultaneously and fitting different concepts together. Maybe we need to discuss how to apply the above concept to further transition to a new catalog while maintaining backward compatibility.

[rashidakanchwala]

We need to handle kedro viz --lite correctly here. I think we are breaking it. Because when I try to uninstall kedro-datasets and do kedro viz --lite it breaks. This is not supposed to happen. kedro viz --lite should work regardless if dependencies are there or not. If kedro-datasets is missing, it runs and just makes all datasets UnavailableDatasets.

[SajidAlamQB]

We need to handle kedro viz --lite correctly here. I think we are breaking it.

kedro viz --lite should be working now, we check if lite is required first and do the patching before getting the catalog.

[rashidakanchwala]

Thanks, now it makes sense.

[astrojuanlu]

I have some questions about the forward compatibility of the KedroDataCatalog kedro-org/kedro#4510 (comment) not sure they should block this PR, but I think it would be cool to sort them out ahead of the next releases.

[SajidAlamQB]

I have some questions about the forward compatibility of the KedroDataCatalog kedro-org/kedro#4510 (comment) not sure they should block this PR, but I think it would be cool to sort them out ahead of the next releases.

The current implementation should work with Kedro 0.18.x through 1.0.x (assuming KedroDataCatalog is kept as a deprecated alias in 1.0). However, it would break in Kedro 2.0 when KedroDataCatalog is completely removed.

We could add version detection logic to handle the transition to Kedro 1.0+ differently. Would you recommend implementing that now, or waiting until Kedro 1.0 is closer to release?

[rashidakanchwala]

Good question, i thought Kedro 1.0 will deprecate old DataCatalog but I just saw the notes and it says it will be deprecated in 2.0. So far the plan was for Kedro-viz to remove the old DataCatalog methods when Kedro releases 1.0.

cc- @ElenaKhaustova , @merelcht

update - Spoke to Merel, this hasn't been decided yet. Anyways Kedro-viz plan was to continue to support old DataCatalog until Kedro 1.0 is released. So I suppose that decision doesn't block this PR

[ravi-kumar-pilla]

Works well !! Thank you @SajidAlamQB