:wave:t5: folks, [there has been growing interest in a lightweight array structure](https://github.com/pydata/xarray/issues/3981) that's in the same vein as [xarray's Variable](https://docs.xarray.dev/en/stable/generated/xarray.Variable.html). we've put together a design doc for `namedarray`, and we could use your feedback/input. ## what is `namedarray`? in essence, `namedarray` aims to be a lighter version of xarray's Variable—shedding some of the heavier dependencies (e.g. Pandas) but still retaining the goodness of named dimensions. ## what makes it special? * **Array Protocol Compatibility**: we are planning to make it compatible with existing array protocols and the new [Python array API standard](https://data-apis.org/array-api/latest/). * **Duck-Array Objects**: designed to wrap around multiple duck-array objects, like NumPy, Dask, Sparse, Pint, CuPy, and PyTorch. ## why are we doing this? the goal is to bridge the gap between power and simplicity, providing a lightweight alternative for scientific computing tasks that don't require the full firepower of Xarray (`DataArray` and `Dataset`). ## share your thoughts We've put together a design doc that goes into the nitty-gritty of `namedarray`. your insights could be invaluable in making this initiative a success. please give it a read and share your thoughts [here](https://github.com/pydata/xarray/discussions/8080) * **Design Doc**: [namedarray Design Document](https://github.com/pydata/xarray/blob/main/design_notes/named_array_design_d...) cross posting from [Scientifc Python Discourse](https://discuss.scientific-python.org/t/seeking-feedback-design-doc-for-name...)