SNOW-3385961: improve INFER_SCHEMA zero-row FileNotFoundError message

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #### Bug Fixes
 
 - Fixed a bug where using parameter bindings for `CALL` queries issued through `session.sql` would raise an error.
+- Improved the `FileNotFoundError` message raised when `INFER_SCHEMA` returns zero rows so it also points to file format options (`PARSE_HEADER`, `SKIP_HEADER`, `ON_ERROR=CONTINUE`) that can silently filter everything out, instead of only suggesting a missing path.
 
 ## 1.50.0 (2026-04-23)
 

src/snowflake/snowpark/dataframe_reader.py

@@ -1338,8 +1338,20 @@ def _infer_schema_for_file_format(
                     raise e
 
             if len(results) == 0:
+                # Zero rows can mean the path is empty/missing, or that file
+                # format options (PARSE_HEADER, SKIP_HEADER, ON_ERROR=CONTINUE)
+                # silently filtered everything out.
+                hints = [
+                    f"{k}={format_type_options.get(k, infer_schema_options.get(k))}"
+                    for k in ("PARSE_HEADER", "SKIP_HEADER", "ON_ERROR")
+                    if k in format_type_options or k in infer_schema_options
+                ]
+                suffix = f" Applied options: {', '.join(hints)}." if hints else ""
                 raise FileNotFoundError(
-                    f"Given path: '{path}' could not be found or is empty."
+                    f"Given path: '{path}' returned no results from INFER_SCHEMA. "
+                    "The path may be empty/missing, or file format options may "
+                    "have filtered every row/header. Check the file contents and "
+                    "file format options." + suffix
                 )
             new_schema = []
             schema_to_cast = []

tests/integ/scala/test_dataframe_reader_suite.py

@@ -2119,18 +2119,23 @@ def test_filepath_not_exist_or_empty(session):
         session.read.option("PARSE_HEADER", True).option("INFER_SCHEMA", True).csv(
             empty_file_path
         )
-    assert f"Given path: '{empty_file_path}' could not be found or is empty." in str(
-        ex_info
+    assert (
+        f"Given path: '{empty_file_path}' returned no results from INFER_SCHEMA."
+        in str(ex_info.value)
     )
+    # Message should mention file format options so users don't chase a phantom
+    # path-not-found when the real cause is PARSE_HEADER/SKIP_HEADER/ON_ERROR.
+    assert "file format options" in str(ex_info.value)
 
     with pytest.raises(FileNotFoundError) as ex_info:
         session.read.option("PARSE_HEADER", True).option("INFER_SCHEMA", True).csv(
             not_exist_file_path
         )
     assert (
-        f"Given path: '{not_exist_file_path}' could not be found or is empty."
-        in str(ex_info)
+        f"Given path: '{not_exist_file_path}' returned no results from INFER_SCHEMA."
+        in str(ex_info.value)
     )
+    assert "file format options" in str(ex_info.value)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(