Add docstrings for the DataFrameDimension related methods

nixio/data_array.py

@@ -142,18 +142,23 @@ def append_range_dimension(self, ticks, label=None, unit=None):
             self.force_updated_at()
         return rdim
 
-    def append_data_frame_dimension(self, data_frame, column=None):
+    def append_data_frame_dimension(self, data_frame, column_idx=None):
         """
         Append a new DataFrameDimension to the list of existing dimension
         descriptors.
-        :param data_frame:
-        :param column:
-        :return:
+        :param data_frame: The referenced DataFrame
+        :type data_frame: nix.DataFrame
+        :param column_idx: Index of the referenced column of the DataFrame.
+                           The default column determines the default label, ticks, and unit of this Dimension.
+        :type column_idx: int or None
+
+        :returns: Thew newly created DataFrameDimension.
+        :rtype: DataFrameDimension
         """
         dimgroup = self._h5group.open_group("dimensions")
         index = len(dimgroup) + 1
         dfdim = DataFrameDimension._create_new(dimgroup, index,
-                                               data_frame, column)
+                                               data_frame, column_idx)
         if self._parent._parent.time_auto_update:
             self.force_updated_at()
         return dfdim

nixio/dimensions.py

@@ -333,43 +333,74 @@ def _create_new(cls, parent, index, data_frame, column):
         """
         newdim = super(DataFrameDimension, cls)._create_new(parent, index)
         newdim.data_frame = data_frame
-        newdim.column = column
+        newdim.column_idx = column
         newdim._dimension_type = DimensionType.DataFrame
         return newdim
 
     def get_unit(self, index=None):
+        """
+        Get the unit of the Dimension.  If an index is specified,
+        it will return the unit of the column in the referenced DataFrame at that index.
+        :param index: Index of the needed column
+        :type index: int
+
+        :return: Unit of the specified column
+        :rtype: str or None
+        """
         if index is None:
-            if self.column is None:
+            if self.column_idx is None:
                 raise ValueError("No default column index is set "
                                  "for this Dimension. Please supply one")
             else:
-                idx = self.column
+                idx = self.column_idx
         else:
             idx = index
         unit = None
         if self.data_frame.units is not None:
+
             unit = self.data_frame.units[idx]
         return unit
 
     def get_ticks(self, index=None):
+        """
+        Get the ticks of the Dimension from the referenced DataFrame.
+        If an index is specified, it will return the values of the column
+        in the referenced DataFrame at that index.
+        :param index: Index of the needed column
+        :type index: int
+
+        :return: values in the specified column
+        :rtype: ndarray
+        """
         if index is None:
-            if self.column is None:
+            if self.column_idx is None:
                 raise ValueError("No default column index is set "
                                  "for this Dimension. Please supply one")
             else:
-                idx = self.column
+                idx = self.column_idx
         else:
             idx = index
         df = self.data_frame
         ticks = df[df.column_names[idx]]
         return ticks
 
     def get_label(self, index=None):
+        """
+        ```suggestion
+        Get the label of the Dimension. If an index is specified,
+         it will return the name of the column in the referenced
+         DataFrame at that index.
+        :param index: Index of the referred column
+        :type index: int or None
+
+        :return: the header of the specified column or the name of DataFrame if index is None
+        :rtype: str
+        """
         if index is None:
-            if self.column is None:
+            if self.column_idx is None:
                 label = self.data_frame.name
             else:
-                label = self.data_frame.column_names[self.column]
+                label = self.data_frame.column_names[self.column_idx]
         else:
             label = self.data_frame.column_names[index]
         return label
@@ -386,10 +417,10 @@ def data_frame(self, df):
         self._h5group.create_link(df, "data_frame")
 
     @property
-    def column(self):
-        colidx = self._h5group.get_attr("column")
+    def column_idx(self):
+        colidx = self._h5group.get_attr("column_idx")
         return colidx
 
-    @column.setter
-    def column(self, col):
-        self._h5group.set_attr("column", col)
+    @column_idx.setter
+    def column_idx(self, col):
+        self._h5group.set_attr("column_idx", col)

nixio/test/test_dimensions.py

@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ def test_df_dim(self):
                                           col_dict=di, data=arr)
         df.units = unit
         dfdim1 = self.array.append_data_frame_dimension(df)
-        dfdim2 = self.array.append_data_frame_dimension(df, column=1)
+        dfdim2 = self.array.append_data_frame_dimension(df, column_idx=1)
         self.assertRaises(ValueError,lambda: dfdim1.get_ticks())
         for ti, tu in enumerate(arr):
             for idx, item in enumerate(tu):