emkornfield commented on code in PR #18526:
URL: https://github.com/apache/iceberg/pull/18526#discussion_r4288610155


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format/spec.md:
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@@ -1071,6 +1077,25 @@ Inheriting sequence numbers through the metadata tree 
allows writing a new manif
 
 Inheritance does not apply to v1, which does not have inherited fields like 
sequence number. When reading v1 manifests with no sequence number column, 
sequence numbers for all files must default to 0.
 
+##### Commit Timestamp Inheritance
+
+In v4 and later, the `snapshot_timestamp` tracking field records the commit 
time (the snapshot's `timestamp-ms` converted to microseconds) of the snapshot 
that added or last modified a file's data, and is used to assign 
`_last_updated_time` for [row lineage](#row-lineage).
+
+The snapshot's `timestamp-ms` is not known until the snapshot is successfully 
committed and may change when a commit is retried, so writers set 
`snapshot_timestamp` to `null` when the value must come from the committing 
snapshot. Writers must set `snapshot_timestamp` for data file and leaf manifest 
entries as follows:
+
+* An ADDED entry must have a `null` `snapshot_timestamp`.
+* An entry MODIFIED by column files must have a `null` `snapshot_timestamp`.
+* Any other entry written to a new manifest must have its inherited or 
previously persisted `snapshot_timestamp`.
+
+When reading, a `null` commit timestamp of an ADDED or MODIFIED entry is 
inherited:
+
+* For an entry in the root manifest, from the snapshot's `timestamp-ms` 
converted to microseconds.
+* For an entry in a leaf manifest, from the inherited or persisted 
`snapshot_timestamp` of the root manifest entry that tracks the leaf manifest.

Review Comment:
   ```suggestion
   * For an entry in a leaf manifest, from the inherited or persisted 
`snapshot_timestamp` of the root manifest entry that tracks the leaf manifest 
(after inheritance rules are applied to the root manifest entry).
   ```



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