add get_fill_value Variable method and fill_value='default' option

Changelog

@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 ===============================
  * add static type hints (PR #1302)
  * Expose nc_rc_set, nc_rc_get (via rc_set, rc_get module functions). (PR #1348)
+ * Add Variable.get_fill_value and allow `fill_value='default'` to 
+   set `_FillValue` using default fill values.  (issue #1374, PR #1375).
+ * Fix NETCDF3 endian error (issue #1373, PR #1355).
 
  version 1.7.1 (tag v1.7.1rel)
 ===============================

docs/index.html

@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ <h2 id="dimensions-in-a-netcdf-file">Dimensions in a netCDF file</h2>
 &lt;class 'netCDF4._netCDF4.Dimension'&gt;: name = 'lon', size = 144
 </code></pre>
 <p><code><a title="netCDF4.Dimension" href="#netCDF4.Dimension">Dimension</a></code> names can be changed using the
-<code>Dataset.renameDimension</code> method of a <code><a title="netCDF4.Dataset" href="#netCDF4.Dataset">Dataset</a></code> or
+<code><a title="netCDF4.Dataset.renameDimension" href="#netCDF4.Dataset.renameDimension">Dataset.renameDimension()</a></code> method of a <code><a title="netCDF4.Dataset" href="#netCDF4.Dataset">Dataset</a></code> or
 <code><a title="netCDF4.Group" href="#netCDF4.Group">Group</a></code> instance.</p>
 <h2 id="variables-in-a-netcdf-file">Variables in a netCDF file</h2>
 <p>netCDF variables behave much like python multidimensional array objects
@@ -2676,12 +2676,16 @@ <h3>Instance variables</h3>
 Ignored if <code>significant_digts</code> not specified. If 'BitRound' is used, then
 <code>significant_digits</code> is interpreted as binary (not decimal) digits.</p>
 <p><strong><code>fill_value</code></strong>:
-If specified, the default netCDF <code>_FillValue</code> (the
+If specified, the default netCDF fill value (the
 value that the variable gets filled with before any data is written to it)
-is replaced with this value.
-If fill_value is set to <code>False</code>, then
-the variable is not pre-filled. The default netCDF fill values can be found
-in the dictionary <code>netCDF4.default_fillvals</code>.</p>
+is replaced with this value, and the <code>_FillValue</code> attribute is set.
+If fill_value is set to <code>False</code>, then the variable is not pre-filled.
+The default netCDF fill values can be found in the dictionary <code>netCDF4.default_fillvals</code>.
+If not set, the default fill value will be used but no <code>_FillValue</code> attribute will be created
+(this is the default behavior of the netcdf-c library). If you want to use the
+default fill value, but have the <code>_FillValue</code> attribute set, use
+<code>fill_value='default'</code> (note - this only works for primitive data types). <code><a title="netCDF4.Variable.get_fill_value" href="#netCDF4.Variable.get_fill_value">Variable.get_fill_value()</a></code>
+can be used to retrieve the fill value, even if the <code>_FillValue</code> attribute is not set.</p>
 <p><strong><code>chunk_cache</code></strong>: If specified, sets the chunk cache size for this variable.
 Persists as long as Dataset is open. Use <code>set_var_chunk_cache</code> to
 change it when Dataset is re-opened.</p>
@@ -2806,6 +2810,15 @@ <h3>Methods</h3>
 <p>return a tuple of <code><a title="netCDF4.Dimension" href="#netCDF4.Dimension">Dimension</a></code> instances associated with this
 <code><a title="netCDF4.Variable" href="#netCDF4.Variable">Variable</a></code>.</p></div>
 </dd>
+<dt id="netCDF4.Variable.get_fill_value"><code class="name flex">
+<span>def <span class="ident">get_fill_value</span></span>(<span>self)</span>
+</code></dt>
+<dd>
+<div class="desc"><p><strong><code>get_fill_value(self)</code></strong></p>
+<p>return the fill value associated with this <code><a title="netCDF4.Variable" href="#netCDF4.Variable">Variable</a></code> (returns <code>None</code> if data is not
+pre-filled). Works even if default fill value was used, and <code>_FillValue</code> attribute
+does not exist.</p></div>
+</dd>
 <dt id="netCDF4.Variable.get_var_chunk_cache"><code class="name flex">
 <span>def <span class="ident">get_var_chunk_cache</span></span>(<span>self)</span>
 </code></dt>
@@ -3241,6 +3254,7 @@ <h4><code><a title="netCDF4.Variable" href="#netCDF4.Variable">Variable</a></cod
 <li><code><a title="netCDF4.Variable.filters" href="#netCDF4.Variable.filters">filters</a></code></li>
 <li><code><a title="netCDF4.Variable.getValue" href="#netCDF4.Variable.getValue">getValue</a></code></li>
 <li><code><a title="netCDF4.Variable.get_dims" href="#netCDF4.Variable.get_dims">get_dims</a></code></li>
+<li><code><a title="netCDF4.Variable.get_fill_value" href="#netCDF4.Variable.get_fill_value">get_fill_value</a></code></li>
 <li><code><a title="netCDF4.Variable.get_var_chunk_cache" href="#netCDF4.Variable.get_var_chunk_cache">get_var_chunk_cache</a></code></li>
 <li><code><a title="netCDF4.Variable.getncattr" href="#netCDF4.Variable.getncattr">getncattr</a></code></li>
 <li><code><a title="netCDF4.Variable.group" href="#netCDF4.Variable.group">group</a></code></li>

src/netCDF4/__init__.pyi

@@ -465,6 +465,7 @@ class Variable(Generic[T_Datatype]):
     def renameAttribute(self, oldname: str, newname: str) -> None: ...
     def assignValue(self, val: Any) -> None: ...
     def getValue(self) -> Any: ...
+    def get_fill_value(self) -> Any: ...
     def set_auto_chartostring(self, chartostring: bool) -> None: ...
     def use_nc_get_vars(self, use_nc_get_vars: bool) -> None: ...
     def set_auto_maskandscale(self, maskandscale: bool) -> None: ...

src/netCDF4/_netCDF4.pyx

@@ -4035,11 +4035,16 @@ behavior is similar to Fortran or Matlab, but different than numpy.
         Ignored if `significant_digts` not specified. If 'BitRound' is used, then
         `significant_digits` is interpreted as binary (not decimal) digits.
 
-        **`fill_value`**:  If specified, the default netCDF `_FillValue` (the
+        **`fill_value`**:  If specified, the default netCDF fill value (the
         value that the variable gets filled with before any data is written to it)
-        is replaced with this value.  If fill_value is set to `False`, then
-        the variable is not pre-filled. The default netCDF fill values can be found
-        in the dictionary `netCDF4.default_fillvals`.
+        is replaced with this value, and the `_FillValue` attribute is set.
+        If fill_value is set to `False`, then the variable is not pre-filled.
+        The default netCDF fill values can be found in the dictionary `netCDF4.default_fillvals`.
+        If not set, the default fill value will be used but no `_FillValue` attribute will be created
+        (this is the default behavior of the netcdf-c library). If you want to use the 
+        default fill value, but have the `_FillValue` attribute set, use
+        `fill_value='default'` (note - this only works for primitive data types). `Variable.get_fill_value`
+        can be used to retrieve the fill value, even if the `_FillValue` attribute is not set.
 
         **`chunk_cache`**: If specified, sets the chunk cache size for this variable.
         Persists as long as Dataset is open. Use `set_var_chunk_cache` to
@@ -4403,6 +4408,17 @@ behavior is similar to Fortran or Matlab, but different than numpy.
                     if ierr != NC_NOERR:
                         if grp.data_model != 'NETCDF4': grp._enddef()
                         _ensure_nc_success(ierr, extra_msg=error_info)
+                elif fill_value == 'default':
+                    if self._isprimitive:
+                        fillval = numpy.array(default_fillvals[self.dtype.str[1:]])
+                        if not fillval.dtype.isnative: fillval.byteswap(True)
+                        _set_att(self._grp, self._varid, '_FillValue',\
+                                 fillval, xtype=xtype)
+                    else:
+                        msg = """
+WARNING: there is no default fill value for this data type, so fill_value='default'
+does not do anything."""
+                        warnings.warn(msg)
                 else:
                     if self._isprimitive or self._isenum or \
                        (self._isvlen and self.dtype == str):
@@ -4638,6 +4654,36 @@ behavior is similar to Fortran or Matlab, but different than numpy.
 return the group that this `Variable` is a member of."""
         return self._grp
 
+    def get_fill_value(self):
+        """
+**`get_fill_value(self)`**
+
+return the fill value associated with this `Variable` (returns `None` if data is not
+pre-filled). Works even if default fill value was used, and `_FillValue` attribute
+does not exist."""
+        cdef int ierr, no_fill
+        with nogil:
+            ierr = nc_inq_var_fill(self._grpid,self._varid,&no_fill,NULL)
+        _ensure_nc_success(ierr)
+        if no_fill == 1: # no filling for this variable
+            return None
+        else:
+            try:
+                fillval = self._FillValue
+                return fillval
+            except AttributeError:
+                # _FillValue attribute not set, see if we can retrieve _FillValue.
+                # for primitive data types.
+                if self._isprimitive:
+                    #return numpy.array(default_fillvals[self.dtype.str[1:]],self.dtype)
+                    fillval = numpy.empty((),self.dtype)
+                    ierr=nc_inq_var_fill(self._grpid,self._varid,&no_fill,PyArray_DATA(fillval))
+                    _ensure_nc_success(ierr)
+                    return fillval
+                else:
+                    # no default filling for non-primitive data types.
+                    return None
+
     def ncattrs(self):
         """
 **`ncattrs(self)`**

test/test_get_fill_value.py

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import unittest, os, tempfile
+import netCDF4
+from numpy.testing import assert_array_equal
+import numpy as np
+
+fill_val = np.array(9.9e31)
+
+# test Variable.get_fill_value
+
+class TestGetFillValue(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.testfile = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(suffix='.nc', delete=False).name
+        f = netCDF4.Dataset(self.testfile, 'w')
+        dim = f.createDimension('x',10)
+        for dt in netCDF4.default_fillvals.keys():
+            if not dt.startswith('c'):
+                v = f.createVariable(dt+'_var',dt,dim)
+        v = f.createVariable('float_var',np.float64,dim,fill_value=fill_val)
+        # test fill_value='default' option (issue #1374)
+        v2 = f.createVariable('float_var2',np.float64,dim,fill_value='default')
+        f.close()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        os.remove(self.testfile)
+
+    def runTest(self):
+        f = netCDF4.Dataset(self.testfile, "r")
+        # no _FillValue set, test that default fill value returned
+        for dt in netCDF4.default_fillvals.keys():
+            if not dt.startswith('c'):
+                fillval = np.array(netCDF4.default_fillvals[dt])
+                if dt == 'S1': fillval = fillval.astype(dt)
+                v = f[dt+'_var']
+                assert_array_equal(fillval, v.get_fill_value())
+        # _FillValue attribute is set.
+        v = f['float_var']
+        assert_array_equal(fill_val, v.get_fill_value())
+        v = f['float_var2']
+        assert_array_equal(np.array(netCDF4.default_fillvals['f8']), v._FillValue)
+        f.close()
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()