Field should subtype an array type for named axis behaviors?

[glwagner]

Our Field type may benefit from subtyping one of the many array types with named/dimensional axes out there in the julia ecosystem. This will permit some desirable behaviors for the manipulation, loading, output, and plotting of fields and slices of fields, and perhaps will also enable some nice behavior for online diagnostics.

A good option could be AbstractDimensionalArray defined by

https://github.com/rafaqz/DimensionalData.jl

We'll have to figure out what functions and such we'd have to define to complete such an implementation.

[ali-ramadhan]

Could be interesting to explore! @suyashbire1 has looked at this I think

The big concerns are obviously performance, GPU compatibility, and we probably don't want to depend on an immature or abandoned package.

We depend heavily on OffsetArrays.jl but it doesn't really come with any features we use besides the array type itself.

[glwagner]

I am talking about changes to Field, which wraps around OffsetArrays so there is no effect on performance. We currently use OffsetArrays, not Fields, in our kernels.

For the way we currently time-step this would also have no effect on GPU compatibility, because, again, we use OffsetArrays in our kernels, rather than Fields.

[ali-ramadhan]

I think we've somewhat converged on DimensionalData.jl but I will say I love how AxisKeys.jl looks! https://github.com/mcabbott/AxisKeys.jl

[glwagner]

I'm closing this issue because I'm judging that it's not of current, timely relevance to Oceananigans development. If you would like to make it a higher priority or if you think the issue was closed in error please feel free to re-open.