Implement code as suggested by @jameslamb

python-package/lightgbm/basic.py

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import scipy.sparse
 
 from .compat import (
+    CFFI_INSTALLED,
     PANDAS_INSTALLED,
     PYARROW_INSTALLED,
     arrow_cffi,
@@ -1706,8 +1707,8 @@ def __pred_for_pyarrow_table(
         predict_type: int,
     ) -> Tuple[np.ndarray, int]:
         """Predict for a PyArrow table."""
-        if not PYARROW_INSTALLED:
-            raise LightGBMError("Cannot predict from Arrow without `pyarrow` installed.")
+        if not (PYARROW_INSTALLED and CFFI_INSTALLED):
+            raise LightGBMError("Cannot predict from Arrow without `pyarrow` and `cffi` installed.")
 
         # Check that the input is valid: we only handle numbers (for now)
         if not all(arrow_is_integer(t) or arrow_is_floating(t) or arrow_is_boolean(t) for t in table.schema.types):
@@ -2186,6 +2187,8 @@ def _lazy_init(
         elif isinstance(data, np.ndarray):
             self.__init_from_np2d(data, params_str, ref_dataset)
         elif _is_pyarrow_table(data):
+            if not CFFI_INSTALLED:
+                raise LightGBMError("Cannot init dataframe from Arrow without `pyarrow` and `cffi` installed.")
             self.__init_from_pyarrow_table(data, params_str, ref_dataset)
         elif isinstance(data, list) and len(data) > 0:
             if _is_list_of_numpy_arrays(data):
@@ -2459,8 +2462,8 @@ def __init_from_pyarrow_table(
         ref_dataset: Optional[_DatasetHandle],
     ) -> "Dataset":
         """Initialize data from a PyArrow table."""
-        if not PYARROW_INSTALLED:
-            raise LightGBMError("Cannot init dataframe from Arrow without `pyarrow` installed.")
+        if not (PYARROW_INSTALLED and CFFI_INSTALLED):
+            raise LightGBMError("Cannot init dataframe from Arrow without `pyarrow` and `cffi` installed.")
 
         # Check that the input is valid: we only handle numbers (for now)
         if not all(arrow_is_integer(t) or arrow_is_floating(t) or arrow_is_boolean(t) for t in table.schema.types):

python-package/lightgbm/compat.py

@@ -289,7 +289,6 @@ def __init__(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
     from pyarrow import ChunkedArray as pa_ChunkedArray
     from pyarrow import Table as pa_Table
     from pyarrow import chunked_array as pa_chunked_array
-    from pyarrow.cffi import ffi as arrow_cffi
     from pyarrow.types import is_boolean as arrow_is_boolean
     from pyarrow.types import is_floating as arrow_is_floating
     from pyarrow.types import is_integer as arrow_is_integer
@@ -316,17 +315,6 @@ class pa_Table:  # type: ignore
         def __init__(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
             pass
 
-    class arrow_cffi:  # type: ignore
-        """Dummy class for pyarrow.cffi.ffi."""
-
-        CData = None
-        addressof = None
-        cast = None
-        new = None
-
-        def __init__(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
-            pass
-
     class pa_compute:  # type: ignore
         """Dummy class for pyarrow.compute."""
 
@@ -338,6 +326,27 @@ class pa_compute:  # type: ignore
     arrow_is_integer = None
     arrow_is_floating = None
 
+
+"""cffi"""
+try:
+    from pyarrow.cffi import ffi as arrow_cffi
+
+    CFFI_INSTALLED = True
+except ImportError:
+    CFFI_INSTALLED = False
+
+    class arrow_cffi:  # type: ignore
+        """Dummy class for pyarrow.cffi.ffi."""
+
+        CData = None
+        addressof = None
+        cast = None
+        new = None
+
+    def __init__(self, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any):
+        pass
+
+
 """cpu_count()"""
 try:
     from joblib import cpu_count