feat: Enable ingestion without timestamp by using current time

franciscojavierarceo · franciscojavierarceo · commit b58c8aebf8fe · 2025-09-21T21:02:04.000-04:00
Signed-off-by: Francisco Javier Arceo &lt;farceo@redhat.com&gt;
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -109,11 +109,26 @@ print(training_df.head())
 ```
 
 ### 6. Load feature values into your online store
+
+**Option 1: Incremental materialization (recommended)**
 ```commandline
 CURRENT_TIME=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S")
 feast materialize-incremental $CURRENT_TIME
 ```
 
+**Option 2: Full materialization with timestamps**
+```commandline
+CURRENT_TIME=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S")
+feast materialize 2021-04-12T00:00:00 $CURRENT_TIME
+```
+
+**Option 3: Simple materialization without timestamps**
+```commandline
+feast materialize --disable-event-timestamp
+```
+
+The `--disable-event-timestamp` flag allows you to materialize features using the current datetime without needing to specify start and end timestamps. This is useful for quick testing or when you want to materialize all available data up to now.
+
 ```commandline
 Materializing feature view driver_hourly_stats from 2021-04-14 to 2021-04-15 done!
 ```
diff --git a/docs/getting-started/concepts/data-ingestion.md b/docs/getting-started/concepts/data-ingestion.md
@@ -64,11 +64,17 @@ materialize_python = PythonOperator(
 
 #### How to run this in the CLI
 
+**With timestamps:**
 ```bash
 CURRENT_TIME=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S")
 feast materialize-incremental $CURRENT_TIME
 ```
 
+**Simple materialization (uses current datetime):**
+```bash
+feast materialize --disable-event-timestamp
+```
+
 #### How to run this on Airflow
 
 ```python
diff --git a/docs/getting-started/quickstart.md b/docs/getting-started/quickstart.md
@@ -499,13 +499,19 @@ print(training_df.head())
 We now serialize the latest values of features since the beginning of time to prepare for serving. Note, `materialize_incremental` serializes all new features since the last `materialize` call, or since the time provided minus the `ttl` timedelta. In this case, this will be `CURRENT_TIME - 1 day` (`ttl` was set on the `FeatureView` instances in [feature_repo/feature_repo/example_repo.py](feature_repo/feature_repo/example_repo.py)).
 
 {% tabs %}
-{% tab title="Bash" %}
+{% tab title="Bash (with timestamp)" %}
 ```bash
 CURRENT_TIME=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S")
 
 feast materialize-incremental $CURRENT_TIME
 ```
 {% endtab %}
+{% tab title="Bash (simple)" %}
+```bash
+# Alternative: Use current datetime without specifying timestamps
+feast materialize --disable-event-timestamp
+```
+{% endtab %}
 {% endtabs %}
 
 {% tabs %}
diff --git a/docs/reference/feast-cli-commands.md b/docs/reference/feast-cli-commands.md
@@ -152,18 +152,30 @@ feast init -t gcp my_feature_repo
 
 ## Materialize
 
-Load data from feature views into the online store between two dates
+Load data from feature views into the online store.
 
+**With timestamps:**
 ```bash
 feast materialize 2020-01-01T00:00:00 2022-01-01T00:00:00
 ```
 
-Load data for specific feature views into the online store between two dates
+**Without timestamps (uses current datetime):**
+```bash
+feast materialize --disable-event-timestamp
+```
+
+Load data for specific feature views:
 
 ```text
 feast materialize -v driver_hourly_stats 2020-01-01T00:00:00 2022-01-01T00:00:00
 ```
 
+```text
+feast materialize --disable-event-timestamp -v driver_hourly_stats
+```
+
+The `--disable-event-timestamp` flag is useful for quick testing or when you want to materialize all available data up to the current time.
+
 ```text
 Materializing 1 feature views from 2020-01-01 to 2022-01-01
 
diff --git a/infra/templates/README.md.jinja2 b/infra/templates/README.md.jinja2
@@ -107,11 +107,26 @@ print(training_df.head())
 ```
 
 ### 6. Load feature values into your online store
+
+**Option 1: Incremental materialization (recommended)**
 ```commandline
 CURRENT_TIME=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S")
 feast materialize-incremental $CURRENT_TIME
 ```
 
+**Option 2: Full materialization with timestamps**
+```commandline
+CURRENT_TIME=$(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S")
+feast materialize 2021-04-12T00:00:00 $CURRENT_TIME
+```
+
+**Option 3: Simple materialization without timestamps**
+```commandline
+feast materialize --disable-event-timestamp
+```
+
+The `--disable-event-timestamp` flag allows you to materialize features using the current datetime without needing to specify start and end timestamps. This is useful for quick testing or when you want to materialize all available data up to now.
+
 ```commandline
 Materializing feature view driver_hourly_stats from 2021-04-14 to 2021-04-15 done!
 ```
diff --git a/sdk/python/feast/cli/cli.py b/sdk/python/feast/cli/cli.py
@@ -303,17 +303,26 @@ def registry_dump_command(ctx: click.Context):
 
 
 @cli.command("materialize")
-@click.argument("start_ts")
-@click.argument("end_ts")
+@click.argument("start_ts", required=False)
+@click.argument("end_ts", required=False)
 @click.option(
     "--views",
     "-v",
     help="Feature views to materialize",
     multiple=True,
 )
+@click.option(
+    "--disable-event-timestamp",
+    is_flag=True,
+    help="Use current datetime for materialization instead of requiring timestamps",
+)
 @click.pass_context
 def materialize_command(
-    ctx: click.Context, start_ts: str, end_ts: str, views: List[str]
+    ctx: click.Context,
+    start_ts: Optional[str],
+    end_ts: Optional[str],
+    views: List[str],
+    disable_event_timestamp: bool,
 ):
     """
     Run a (non-incremental) materialization job to ingest data into the online store. Feast
@@ -322,13 +331,32 @@ def materialize_command(
     Views will be materialized.
 
     START_TS and END_TS should be in ISO 8601 format, e.g. '2021-07-16T19:20:01'
+
+    If --disable-event-timestamp is used, timestamps are not required and datetime.now() will be used.
     """
     store = create_feature_store(ctx)
 
+    if disable_event_timestamp:
+        if start_ts or end_ts:
+            raise click.UsageError(
+                "Cannot specify START_TS or END_TS when --disable-event-timestamp is used"
+            )
+        now = datetime.now()
+        start_date = now
+        end_date = now
+    else:
+        if not start_ts or not end_ts:
+            raise click.UsageError(
+                "START_TS and END_TS are required unless --disable-event-timestamp is used"
+            )
+        start_date = utils.make_tzaware(parser.parse(start_ts))
+        end_date = utils.make_tzaware(parser.parse(end_ts))
+
     store.materialize(
         feature_views=None if not views else views,
-        start_date=utils.make_tzaware(parser.parse(start_ts)),
-        end_date=utils.make_tzaware(parser.parse(end_ts)),
+        start_date=start_date,
+        end_date=end_date,
+        disable_event_timestamp=disable_event_timestamp,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/sdk/python/feast/feature_store.py b/sdk/python/feast/feature_store.py
@@ -1542,6 +1542,7 @@ def materialize(
         start_date: datetime,
         end_date: datetime,
         feature_views: Optional[List[str]] = None,
+        disable_event_timestamp: bool = False,
     ) -> None:
         """
         Materialize data from the offline store into the online store.
@@ -1555,6 +1556,7 @@ def materialize(
             end_date (datetime): End date for time range of data to materialize into the online store
             feature_views (List[str]): Optional list of feature view names. If selected, will only run
                 materialization for the specified feature views.
+            disable_event_timestamp (bool): If True, uses current datetime for materialization instead of event timestamps
 
         Examples:
             Materialize all features into the online store over the interval
@@ -1609,6 +1611,7 @@ def tqdm_builder(length):
                 registry=self._registry,
                 project=self.project,
                 tqdm_builder=tqdm_builder,
+                disable_event_timestamp=disable_event_timestamp,
             )
 
             self._registry.apply_materialization(
diff --git a/sdk/python/feast/infra/common/materialization_job.py b/sdk/python/feast/infra/common/materialization_job.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class MaterializationTask:
     end_time: datetime
     only_latest: bool = True
     tqdm_builder: Union[None, Callable[[int], tqdm]] = None
+    disable_event_timestamp: bool = False
 
 
 class MaterializationJobStatus(enum.Enum):
diff --git a/sdk/python/feast/infra/passthrough_provider.py b/sdk/python/feast/infra/passthrough_provider.py
@@ -426,6 +426,7 @@ def materialize_single_feature_view(
         registry: BaseRegistry,
         project: str,
         tqdm_builder: Callable[[int], tqdm],
+        disable_event_timestamp: bool = False,
     ) -> None:
         if isinstance(feature_view, OnDemandFeatureView):
             if not feature_view.write_to_online_store:
@@ -445,6 +446,7 @@ def materialize_single_feature_view(
             start_time=start_date,
             end_time=end_date,
             tqdm_builder=tqdm_builder,
+            disable_event_timestamp=disable_event_timestamp,
         )
         jobs = self.batch_engine.materialize(registry, task)
         assert len(jobs) == 1
diff --git a/sdk/python/feast/infra/provider.py b/sdk/python/feast/infra/provider.py
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ def materialize_single_feature_view(
         registry: BaseRegistry,
         project: str,
         tqdm_builder: Callable[[int], tqdm],
+        disable_event_timestamp: bool = False,
     ) -> None:
         """
         Writes latest feature values in the specified time range to the online store.
@@ -240,6 +241,7 @@ def materialize_single_feature_view(
             registry: The registry for the current feature store.
             project: Feast project to which the objects belong.
             tqdm_builder: A function to monitor the progress of materialization.
+            disable_event_timestamp: If True, uses current datetime for materialization instead of event timestamps.
         """
         pass
 
diff --git a/sdk/python/tests/foo_provider.py b/sdk/python/tests/foo_provider.py
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ def materialize_single_feature_view(
         registry: BaseRegistry,
         project: str,
         tqdm_builder: Callable[[int], tqdm],
+        disable_event_timestamp: bool = False,
     ) -> None:
         pass
 
