Merge remote-tracking branch 'upstream/v3' into tom/fix/dtype-str-spe…

…cial-case

docs/consolidated_metadata.rst

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+Consolidated Metadata
+=====================
+
+Zarr-Python implements the `Consolidated Metadata_` extension to the Zarr Spec.
+Consolidated metadata can reduce the time needed to load the metadata for an
+entire hierarchy, especially when the metadata is being served over a network.
+Consolidated metadata essentially stores all the metadata for a hierarchy in the
+metadata of the root Group.
+
+Usage
+-----
+
+If consolidated metadata is present in a Zarr Group's metadata then it is used
+by default.  The initial read to open the group will need to communicate with
+the store (reading from a file for a :class:`zarr.store.LocalStore`, making a
+network request for a :class:`zarr.store.RemoteStore`). After that, any subsequent
+metadata reads get child Group or Array nodes will *not* require reads from the store.
+
+In Python, the consolidated metadata is available on the ``.consolidated_metadata``
+attribute of the ``GroupMetadata`` object.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+   >>> import zarr
+   >>> store = zarr.store.MemoryStore({}, mode="w")
+   >>> group = zarr.open_group(store=store)
+   >>> group.create_array(shape=(1,), name="a")
+   >>> group.create_array(shape=(2, 2), name="b")
+   >>> group.create_array(shape=(3, 3, 3), name="c")
+   >>> zarr.consolidate_metadata(store)
+
+If we open that group, the Group's metadata has a :class:`zarr.ConsolidatedMetadata`
+that can be used.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+   >>> consolidated = zarr.open_group(store=store)
+   >>> consolidated.metadata.consolidated_metadata.metadata
+   {'b': ArrayV3Metadata(shape=(2, 2), fill_value=np.float64(0.0), ...),
+    'a': ArrayV3Metadata(shape=(1,), fill_value=np.float64(0.0), ...),
+    'c': ArrayV3Metadata(shape=(3, 3, 3), fill_value=np.float64(0.0), ...)}
+
+Operations on the group to get children automatically use the consolidated metadata.
+
+.. code-block:: python
+
+   >>> consolidated["a"]  # no read / HTTP request to the Store is required
+   <Array memory://.../a shape=(1,) dtype=float64>
+
+With nested groups, the consolidated metadata is available on the children, recursively.
+
+... code-block:: python
+
+    >>> child = group.create_group("child", attributes={"kind": "child"})
+    >>> grandchild = child.create_group("child", attributes={"kind": "grandchild"})
+    >>> consolidated = zarr.consolidate_metadata(store)
+
+    >>> consolidated["child"].metadata.consolidated_metadata
+    ConsolidatedMetadata(metadata={'child': GroupMetadata(attributes={'kind': 'grandchild'}, zarr_format=3, )}, ...)
+
+Synchronization and Concurrency
+-------------------------------
+
+Consolidated metadata is intended for read-heavy use cases on slowly changing
+hierarchies. For hierarchies where new nodes are constantly being added,
+removed, or modified, consolidated metadata may not be desirable.
+
+1. It will add some overhead to each update operation, since the metadata
+   would need to be re-consolidated to keep it in sync with the store.
+2. Readers using consolidated metadata will regularly see a "past" version
+   of the metadata, at the time they read the root node with its consolidated
+   metadata.
+
+.. _Consolidated Metadata: https://zarr-specs.readthedocs.io/en/latest/v3/core/v3.0.html#consolidated-metadata

docs/index.rst

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Zarr-Python
 
     getting_started
     tutorial
+    consolidated_metadata
     api/index
     spec
     release