NVIDIA / NVIDIA/cudf

[FEA] Support compression="infer" in to_csv

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Description

**Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.**

`cudf.DataFrame.to_csv` gained ZSTD support in #21518, but the codec has to be named explicitly. `df.to_csv("out.csv.zst")` silently writes uncompressed CSV bytes under a `.zst` name, whereas pandas defaults `to_csv(compression="infer")` and compresses based on the extension. The read direction already infers: `read_csv` defaults to `compression="infer"`, which maps to `CompressionType.AUTO` and is resolved from the file extension by `infer_compression_type` in `cpp/src/io/functions.cpp`. So the two directions are asymmetric today.

**Describe the solution you'd like**

Accept `compression="infer"` in `to_csv` and resolve it from the output path's extension, matching what `read_csv` accepts and what pandas does. Only codecs the writer supports would be inferable (currently `.zst`/`.zstd`); an extension whose codec the writer does not support should raise rather than silently write plain bytes. Changing the default to `"infer"` for pandas parity is a separate, breaking decision worth discussing alongside this.

**Describe alternatives you've considered**

Doing the inference in libcudf instead, by allowing `compression_type::AUTO` in `csv_writer_options` and resolving it from `sink_info`. This is less appealing: `sink_info` is not always a filepath, and the existing `infer_compression_type` is keyed on `source_info`. Keeping inference in the Python layer, where the path is already known, is simpler.

The status quo is also an option: `to_csv` documents that the codec is not inferred and that `'infer'` is unsupported, so the behavior is at least not surprising for anyone who reads the docstring.

**Additional context**

Raised in review of #21518: https://github.com/NVIDIA/cudf/pull/21518#discussion_r3866001947

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start with the Python cuDF implementation of DataFrame.to_csv and trace how compression values reach the writer; compare that path with infer_compression_type in cpp/src/io/functions.cpp and the existing read_csv handling. Done means compression="infer" resolves supported .zst/.zstd output extensions, rejects unsupported inferred codecs, and preserves explicit compression behavior.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp, python
Domain
data
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
52/100

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