ENH: Preserve attrs when converting to pandas dataframe
Nobody has claimed this yet.
- Dominant language
- Python
- Stars
- 4.2k
- Forks
- 1.4k
- Avg merge
- 2d 15h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 14
Description
Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
import xarray
xds = xarray.DataArray([1], name="a", dims="a", attrs={"long_name": "Description about data"})
xds.attrs
Output:
{'long_name': 'Description about data'}
xds.to_dataframe().a.attrs
Output:
{}
Describe the solution you'd like
It would be nice if the attributes of the DataArray were preserved in each pandas.Series and the attributes of each Dataset were preserved on the pandas.Dataframe
Additional context
Things to be wary about is that it the pandas documentation says the attrs is experimental.
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 at the DataArray.to_dataframe conversion and the corresponding Dataset conversion entry point. Check how pandas Series.attrs and DataFrame.attrs are handled, then add coverage showing DataArray attributes on the resulting Series and Dataset attributes on the resulting DataFrame. Done means the requested attributes are preserved without relying on undocumented pandas behavior.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- pandas, python
- Domain
- data
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 42/100