pydata / pydata/xarray

Store the dimension order when using Zarr

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usage question
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Description

Is your feature request related to a problem?

Currently, if a dataset is saved to Zarr and then reloaded, the dimensions are reloaded alphabetically.

Example:

import xarray as xr
import numpy as np
from pathlib import Path

original_dataset = xr.Dataset(
    {
        'temperature': (('time', 'lat', 'lon'), np.random.rand(5, 4, 3)),
        'precipitation': (('time', 'lat', 'lon'), np.random.rand(5, 4, 3))
    },
    coords={
        'time': np.arange(5),
        'lat': np.linspace(-90, 90, 4),
        'lon': np.linspace(0, 360, 3)
    }
)

print('Original Dimensions:', list(original_dataset.dims))
zarr_path = Path('example_dataset.zarr')
original_dataset.to_zarr(zarr_path, mode='w')
reloaded_dataset = xr.open_zarr(zarr_path)
print('Reloaded Dimensions:', list(reloaded_dataset.dims))

outputs

Original Dimensions: ['time', 'lat', 'lon']
Reloaded Dimensions: ['lat', 'lon', 'time']
Describe the solution you'd like

Store the dimension order when using Zarr, such that when the dataset is reloaded from the Zarr file, the original dimension order is maintained.

Describe alternatives you've considered

N/A

Additional context

N/A

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Reproduce the issue with the provided Python example, focusing on the Dataset.to_zarr and xr.open_zarr entry points. Trace how dimensions are written and reconstructed, then verify that reloading preserves the original ['time', 'lat', 'lon'] order.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
data
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Clearly specified
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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