add pipe operator on QueryBuilder (#759)

* some draft work

* add docstring

* add test

* add to docstring

* add explicit string

* add pipe section

README.rst

@@ -1368,6 +1368,58 @@ This produces:
 
     DROP INDEX IF EXISTS my_index
 
+
+Chaining Functions
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+The ``QueryBuilder.pipe`` method gives a more readable alternative while chaining functions.
+
+.. code-block:: python 
+
+    # This 
+    (
+        query
+        .pipe(func1, *args)
+        .pipe(func2, **kwargs)
+        .pipe(func3)
+    )
+
+    # Is equivalent to this
+    func3(func2(func1(query, *args), **kwargs))
+
+Or for a more concrete example:
+
+.. code-block:: python 
+
+    from pypika import Field, Query, functions as fn
+    from pypika.queries import QueryBuilder
+
+    def filter_days(query: QueryBuilder, col, num_days: int) -> QueryBuilder: 
+        if isinstance(col, str): 
+            col = Field(col)
+
+        return query.where(col > fn.Now() - num_days)
+
+    def count_groups(query: QueryBuilder, *groups) -> QueryBuilder: 
+        return query.groupby(*groups).select(*groups, fn.Count("*").as_("n_rows"))
+
+    base_query = Query.from_("table")
+
+    query = (
+        base_query
+        .pipe(filter_days, "date", num_days=7)
+        .pipe(count_groups, "col1", "col2")
+    )
+
+This produces: 
+
+.. code-block:: sql
+
+    SELECT "col1","col2",COUNT(*) n_rows 
+    FROM "table" 
+    WHERE "date">NOW()-7 
+    GROUP BY "col1","col2"
+
 .. _tutorial_end:
 
 .. _contributing_start: 

pypika/queries.py

@@ -1560,6 +1560,54 @@ def _set_sql(self, **kwargs: Any) -> str:
             )
         )
 
+    def pipe(self, func, *args, **kwargs):
+        """Call a function on the current object and return the result.
+
+        Example usage:
+
+        .. code-block:: python
+
+            from pypika import Query, functions as fn
+            from pypika.queries import QueryBuilder
+
+            def rows_by_group(query: QueryBuilder, *groups) -> QueryBuilder:
+                return (
+                    query
+                    .select(*groups, fn.Count("*").as_("n_rows"))
+                    .groupby(*groups)
+                )
+
+            base_query = Query.from_("table")
+
+            col1_agg = base_query.pipe(rows_by_group, "col1")
+            col2_agg = base_query.pipe(rows_by_group, "col2")
+            col1_col2_agg = base_query.pipe(rows_by_group, "col1", "col2")
+
+        Makes chaining functions together easier, especially when the functions are
+        defined elsewhere. For example, you could define a function that filters
+        rows by a date range and then group by a set of columns:
+
+
+        .. code-block:: python
+
+            from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+
+            from pypika import Field
+
+            def days_since(query: QueryBuilder, n_days: int) -> QueryBuilder:
+                return (
+                    query
+                    .where("date" > fn.Date(datetime.now().date() - timedelta(days=n_days)))
+                )
+
+            (
+                base_query
+                .pipe(days_since, n_days=7)
+                .pipe(rows_by_group, "col1", "col2")
+            )
+        """
+        return func(self, *args, **kwargs)
+
 
 class Joiner:
     def __init__(

pypika/tests/test_query.py

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import unittest
 
-from pypika import Case, Query, Tables, Tuple, functions
+from pypika import Case, Query, Tables, Tuple, functions, Field
 from pypika.dialects import (
     ClickHouseQuery,
     ClickHouseQueryBuilder,
@@ -204,3 +204,39 @@ def test_query_builders_have_reference_to_correct_query_class(self):
 
         with self.subTest('OracleQueryBuilder'):
             self.assertEqual(OracleQuery, OracleQueryBuilder.QUERY_CLS)
+
+    def test_pipe(self) -> None:
+        base_query = Query.from_("test")
+
+        def select(query: QueryBuilder) -> QueryBuilder:
+            return query.select("test1", "test2")
+
+        def count_group(query: QueryBuilder, *groups) -> QueryBuilder:
+            return query.groupby(*groups).select(*groups, functions.Count("*"))
+
+        for func, args, kwargs, expected_str in [
+            (select, [], {}, 'SELECT "test1","test2" FROM "test"'),
+            (
+                count_group,
+                ["test1", "test2"],
+                {},
+                'SELECT "test1","test2",COUNT(*) FROM "test" GROUP BY "test1","test2"',
+            ),
+            (count_group, ["test1"], {}, 'SELECT "test1",COUNT(*) FROM "test" GROUP BY "test1"'),
+        ]:
+            result_str = str(base_query.pipe(func, *args, **kwargs))
+            self.assertEqual(result_str, str(func(base_query, *args, **kwargs)))
+            self.assertEqual(result_str, expected_str)
+
+        def where_clause(query: QueryBuilder, num_days: int) -> QueryBuilder:
+            return query.where(Field("date") > functions.Now() - num_days)
+
+        result_str = str(base_query.pipe(select).pipe(where_clause, num_days=1))
+        self.assertEqual(
+            result_str,
+            str(select(where_clause(base_query, num_days=1))),
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            result_str,
+            'SELECT "test1","test2" FROM "test" WHERE "date">NOW()-1',
+        )