improve variable naming

src/neuroconv/basedatainterface.py

@@ -166,11 +166,12 @@ def run_conversion(
         Parameters
         ----------
         nwbfile_path : FilePathType
-            Path for where the data will be written or appended.
+            Path where the data will be written or appended.
         nwbfile : NWBFile, optional
             An in-memory NWBFile object to write to the location.
         metadata : dict, optional
-            Metadata dictionary with information used to create the NWBFile when one does not exist or overwrite=True.
+            Metadata dictionary with information used to create the NWBFile
+            when one does not exist or overwrite=True.
         overwrite : bool, default: False
             Whether to overwrite the NWBFile if one exists at the nwbfile_path.
             The default is False (append mode).
@@ -180,28 +181,29 @@ def run_conversion(
             If a `backend_configuration` is specified, then the type will be auto-detected.
         backend_configuration : HDF5BackendConfiguration or ZarrBackendConfiguration, optional
             The configuration model to use when configuring the datasets for this backend.
-            To customize, call the `.get_default_backend_configuration(...)` method, modify the returned
-            BackendConfiguration object, and pass that instead.
+            To customize, call the `.get_default_backend_configuration(...)` method,
+            modify the returned BackendConfiguration object, and pass that instead.
             Otherwise, all datasets will use default configuration settings.
         """
 
-        backend = _resolve_backend(backend, backend_configuration)
-        no_nwbfile_provided = nwbfile is None  # Otherwise, variable reference may mutate later on inside the context
+        # Check if we're appending to an in-memory NWBFile
+        appending_to_in_memory_nwbfile = nwbfile is not None
 
         if metadata is None:
             metadata = self.get_metadata()
 
+        # Determine whether we're appending to a file on disk
         file_initially_exists = Path(nwbfile_path).exists() if nwbfile_path is not None else False
-        append_mode = file_initially_exists and not overwrite
+        appending_to_disk_nwbfile = file_initially_exists and not overwrite
 
-        self.validate_metadata(metadata=metadata, append_mode=append_mode)
+        self.validate_metadata(metadata=metadata, append_mode=appending_to_disk_nwbfile)
 
-        if not append_mode:
-
-            if no_nwbfile_provided:
-                nwbfile = self.create_nwbfile(metadata=metadata, **conversion_options)
-            else:
+        # If we're NOT appending to an existing file on disk (i.e., new file or overwrite=True)
+        if not appending_to_disk_nwbfile:
+            if appending_to_in_memory_nwbfile:
                 self.add_to_nwbfile(nwbfile=nwbfile, metadata=metadata, **conversion_options)
+            else:
+                nwbfile = self.create_nwbfile(metadata=metadata, **conversion_options)
 
             configure_and_write_nwbfile(
                 nwbfile=nwbfile,
@@ -211,6 +213,8 @@ def run_conversion(
             )
 
         else:  # We are only using the context in append mode, see #1143
+            backend = _resolve_backend(backend, backend_configuration)
+
             with make_or_load_nwbfile(
                 nwbfile_path=nwbfile_path,
                 nwbfile=nwbfile,
@@ -219,7 +223,7 @@ def run_conversion(
                 backend=backend,
                 verbose=getattr(self, "verbose", False),
             ) as nwbfile_out:
-                if no_nwbfile_provided:
+                if not appending_to_in_memory_nwbfile:
                     self.add_to_nwbfile(nwbfile=nwbfile_out, metadata=metadata, **conversion_options)
 
                 if backend_configuration is None:

src/neuroconv/nwbconverter.py

@@ -244,26 +244,24 @@ def run_conversion(
                 " use Converter.add_to_nwbfile."
             )
 
-        backend = _resolve_backend(backend, backend_configuration)
-        no_nwbfile_provided = nwbfile is None  # Otherwise, variable reference may mutate later on inside the context
-
-        file_initially_exists = Path(nwbfile_path).exists() if nwbfile_path is not None else False
-        append_mode = file_initially_exists and not overwrite
+        appending_to_in_memory_nwbfile = nwbfile is not None
 
         if metadata is None:
             metadata = self.get_metadata()
 
-        self.validate_metadata(metadata=metadata, append_mode=append_mode)
+        file_initially_exists = Path(nwbfile_path).exists() if nwbfile_path is not None else False
+        appending_to_disk_nwbfile = file_initially_exists and not overwrite
+        self.validate_metadata(metadata=metadata, append_mode=appending_to_disk_nwbfile)
         self.validate_conversion_options(conversion_options=conversion_options)
 
         self.temporally_align_data_interfaces(metadata=metadata, conversion_options=conversion_options)
 
-        if not append_mode:
+        if not appending_to_disk_nwbfile:
 
-            if no_nwbfile_provided:
-                nwbfile = self.create_nwbfile(metadata=metadata, conversion_options=conversion_options)
-            else:
+            if appending_to_in_memory_nwbfile:
                 self.add_to_nwbfile(nwbfile=nwbfile, metadata=metadata, conversion_options=conversion_options)
+            else:
+                nwbfile = self.create_nwbfile(metadata=metadata, conversion_options=conversion_options)
 
             configure_and_write_nwbfile(
                 nwbfile=nwbfile,
@@ -272,7 +270,10 @@ def run_conversion(
                 backend_configuration=backend_configuration,
             )
 
-        else:  # We are only using the context in append mode, see #1143
+        else:  # We are only using the context in append mode, see issue #1143
+
+            backend = _resolve_backend(backend, backend_configuration)
+
             with make_or_load_nwbfile(
                 nwbfile_path=nwbfile_path,
                 nwbfile=nwbfile,
@@ -281,7 +282,7 @@ def run_conversion(
                 backend=backend,
                 verbose=getattr(self, "verbose", False),
             ) as nwbfile_out:
-                if no_nwbfile_provided:
+                if not appending_to_in_memory_nwbfile:
                     self.add_to_nwbfile(nwbfile=nwbfile_out, metadata=metadata, conversion_options=conversion_options)
 
                 if backend_configuration is None: