mne-tools / mne-tools/mne-python
Saving annotations as CSV results in wrong orig_time
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Description
Describe the bug
When creating annotations with orig_time=None and saving them to a *.csv file using the save function, orig_time=None is ignored and replaced by 1970-01-01 00:00:00. Thus, when importing the annotations again, the orig_time of the imported annotations differs from the original ones. This seems odd to me and not intended, because the issue does not occur when saving the annotations to *.txt file
Steps to reproduce
Here is a minimal working example:
# Create annotation and save it to CSV file
annotations = mne.Annotations(onset=[2.5], duration=[5], description=["Test"], orig_time=None)
annotations.save("annotation.csv")
# Read annotation from file again
read_annotations = mne.read_annotations("annotation.csv")
# Output orig_time
print(read_annotations[0]['orig_time']) #Outputs 1970-01-01 00:00:02.500000+00:00 instead of None
Expected results
I expected the output to be None. This is even the result when using a *.txt file instead of a *.csv file.
Actual results
1970-01-01 00:00:02.500000+00:00
In the annotations dict, the orig_time is stored as ('orig_time', datetime.datetime(1970, 1, 1, 0, 0, 2, 500000, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc))
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by tracing the Annotations.save and read_annotations entry points for CSV handling, using the reproduction in the issue to compare CSV and TXT behavior. Confirm that an annotation saved with orig_time=None is imported with orig_time=None, and add or update coverage for this round trip.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- python
- Domain
- data
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100