Seeking feedback: design doc for `namedarray`, a lightweight array data structure with named dimensions

:wave:t5: folks, there has been growing interest in a lightweight array structure that’s in the same vein as xarray’s Variable. we’ve put together a design doc for namedarray, and we could use your feedback/input.

what is namedarray?

in essence, namedarray aims to be a lighter version of xarray’s Variable—shedding some of the heavier dependencies (e.g. Pandas) but still retaining the goodness of named dimensions.

what makes it special?

  • Array Protocol Compatibility: we are planning to make it compatible with existing array protocols and the new Python array API standard.
  • Duck-Array Objects: designed to wrap around multiple duck-array objects, like NumPy, Dask, Sparse, Pint, CuPy, and PyTorch.

why are we doing this?

the goal is to bridge the gap between power and simplicity, providing a lightweight alternative for scientific computing tasks that don’t require the full firepower of Xarray (DataArray and Dataset).

share your thoughts

We’ve put together a design doc that goes into the nitty-gritty of namedarray. your insights could be invaluable in making this initiative a success. please give it a read and share your thoughts here

cross posting from Seeking feedback: design doc for namedarray, a lightweight array data structure with named dimensions - Contributor & Development Discussion - Scientific Python

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