cfdm.core.Constructs

---

class cfdm.core.Constructs(auxiliary_coordinate=None, dimension_coordinate=None, domain_ancillary=None, field_ancillary=None, cell_measure=None, coordinate_reference=None, domain_axis=None, domain_topology=None, cell_connectivity=None, cell_method=None, source=None, copy=True, _use_data=True, _view=False, _ignore=())

Bases: cfdm.core.abstract.container.Container

A container for metadata constructs.

The following metadata constructs can be included:

• domain axis constructs

• dimension coordinate constructs

• auxiliary coordinate constructs

• coordinate reference constructs

• domain ancillary constructs

• cell measure constructs

• domain topology constructs

• cell connectivity constructs

• cell method constructs

• field ancillary constructs

The container is used by used by Field and Domain instances.

The container is like a dictionary in many ways, in that it stores key/value pairs where the key is the unique construct key with corresponding metadata construct value, and provides some of the usual dictionary methods.

New in version (cfdm): 1.7.0

Initialisation

Parameters

auxiliary_coordinate: str, optional

The base name for keys of auxiliary coordinate constructs.

Parameter example:

auxiliary_coordinate='auxiliarycoordinate'

dimension_coordinate: str, optional

The base name for keys of dimension coordinate constructs.

Parameter example:

dimension_coordinate='dimensioncoordinate'

domain_ancillary: str, optional

The base name for keys of domain ancillary constructs.

Parameter example:

domain_ancillary='domainancillary'

field_ancillary: str, optional

The base name for keys of field ancillary constructs.

Parameter example:

field_ancillary='fieldancillary'

cell_measure: str, optional

The base name for keys of cell measure constructs.

Parameter example:

cell_measure='cellmeasure'

coordinate_reference: str, optional

The base name for keys of coordinate reference constructs.

Parameter example:

coordinate_reference='coordinatereference'

domain_axis: str, optional

The base name for keys of domain axis constructs.

Parameter example:

domain_axis='domainaxis'

domain_topology: str, optional

The base name for keys of domain topology constructs.

Parameter example:

'domaintopology'

New in version (cfdm): 1.11.0.0

cell_connectivity: str, optional

The base name for keys of cell connectivity constructs.

Parameter example:

'cellconnectivity'

New in version (cfdm): 1.11.0.0

cell_method: str, optional

The base name for keys of cell method constructs.

Parameter example:

cell_method='cellmethod'

source: optional

Convert source, which can be any type of object, to a Constructs instance.

All other parameters, apart from copy, are ignored and their values are instead inferred from source by assuming that it has the Constructs API. Any parameters that can not be retrieved from source in this way are assumed to have their default value.

Note that if x is also a Constructs instance then cfdm.core.Constructs(source=x) is equivalent to x.copy().

copy: bool, optional

If True (the default) then deep copy metadata constructs from those of source prior to initialisation, else they are not deep copied.

_ignore: sequence of str, optional

Ignores the given construct types.

Parameter example:

_ignore=('cell_method', 'field_ancillary')

Filtering

Methods

filter_by_type

Select metadata constructs by type.

Constructs and identifiers

Methods

key	Return the construct key of the sole metadata construct.
value	Return the sole metadata construct.
construct_type	Return the type of a construct for a given key.
construct_types	Return all of the construct types for all keys.
new_identifier	Return a new, unused construct key.
replace	Replace one metadata construct with another.

Data axes

Methods

data_axes	Returns the axes spanned by the data.
get_data_axes	Return the keys of the axes spanned by a construct’s data.

Miscellaneous

Methods

copy	Return a deep copy.
shallow_copy	Return a shallow copy.
ordered	Return the constructs in their predetermined order.
todict	Return a dictionary of the metadata constructs.

Dictionary-access methods

Methods

get	Returns the construct for the key, else default.
items	Return the items as (construct key, construct) pairs.
keys	Return all of the construct keys, in arbitrary order.
values	Return all of the metadata constructs, in arbitrary order.
__getitem__	Return a construct with the given key.

Special

Methods

__contains__	Implements membership test operators for construct keys.
__copy__	Called by the copy.copy standard library function.
__deepcopy__	Called by the copy.deepcopy standard library function.
__getitem__	Return a construct with the given key.
__iter__	Called when an iterator is required.
__len__	Return the number of constructs.

Docstring substitutions

Methods

_docstring_special_substitutions	Return the special docstring substitutions.
_docstring_substitutions	Returns the substitutions that apply to methods of the class.
_docstring_package_depth	Returns the class {{package}} substitutions package depth.
_docstring_method_exclusions	Returns method names excluded in the class substitutions.