is_vertical?

[ocefpaf]

is_vertical returns True for distances. That is the correct behavior, but the name is not all that intuitive.

[pelson]

It might be safest to get a tagged release of cf_units from which Iris can depend before we change the functionality too much. That way the work to get iris using cf_units rather than iris.units should be simpler.

What do you think?

[ajdawson]

True, but on the other hand if the suggestion is a change to the public API of cf_units (a name change) then perhaps it should go in before a tagged release.

[ocefpaf]

I will avoid changes to the Public API until we can tag a release, and I will tag a release as soon as I finish #14, #12, #3, #2.

Sounds like a plan?

[pelson]

Sounds like a plan?

👍 from me. I can see @ajdawson's point, so perhaps we should tag 0.1 in the Iris "unchanged" form, and then look to iterate quickly and if necessary move on to v1.x within a release or two.

[pelson]

Ping - is this still something you want to investigate @ocefpaf?

[ocefpaf]

I would not rename it and Ido not believe we can return True for vertical units based only on the units.

Like: cf_units.is_vertical('millibar') might be always True, but
cf_units.is_vertical('km') can be vertical or horizontal.

We will use this method to confirm that the units from a known vertical coordinate has the correct length or pressure units.

Alternatives would be the horrible names: is_length_or_pressure(), is_valid_vertical_units(), or is_valid_vertical().

I guess that we could only add a note in the docs then!?

[rhattersley]

Alternatives would be the horrible names: is_length_or_pressure(), is_valid_vertical_units(), or is_valid_vertical().

Or could_be_vertical(), might_be_vertical(), is_possibly_vertical(), ...

[ocefpaf]

I knew someone could com up with worse names 😉

I read the docs and they are clear enough:

Determine whether the unit is a related SI Unit of pressure or distance.

My bad for opening this in the first place. Let's just close it.

[rhattersley]

I knew someone could com up with worse names 😉

😛