The example below is only based on Variable and the cf encode/decode variable functions.

```python import xarray as xr import numpy as np

create DataArray

times = [np.datetime64("2000-01-01", "ns"), np.datetime64("NaT")] da = xr.DataArray(times, dims=["time"], name="foo") da.encoding["dtype"] = np.float64 da.encoding["_FillValue"] = 20.0

extract Variable

source_var = da.variable print("---------- source_var ------------------") print(source_var) print(source_var.encoding)

encode Variable

encoded_var = xr.conventions.encode_cf_variable(source_var) print("\n---------- encoded_var ------------------") print(encoded_var)

decode Variable

decoded_var = xr.conventions.decode_cf_variable("foo", encoded_var) print("\n---------- decoded_var ------------------") print(decoded_var.load()) ```

```python /home/kai/miniconda/envs/xarray_311/lib/python3.11/site-packages/xarray/coding/times.py:618: RuntimeWarning: invalid value encountered in cast int_num = np.asarray(num, dtype=np.int64) /home/kai/miniconda/envs/xarray_311/lib/python3.11/site-packages/xarray/coding/times.py:254: RuntimeWarning: invalid value encountered in cast flat_num_dates_ns_int = (flat_num_dates * _NS_PER_TIME_DELTA[delta]).astype( /home/kai/miniconda/envs/xarray_311/lib/python3.11/site-packages/xarray/coding/times.py:254: RuntimeWarning: invalid value encountered in cast flat_num_dates_ns_int = (flat_num_dates * _NS_PER_TIME_DELTA[delta]).astype(

---------- source_var ------------------ <xarray.Variable (time: 2)> array(['2000-01-01T00:00:00.000000000', 'NaT'], dtype='datetime64[ns]') {'dtype': <class 'numpy.float64'>, '_FillValue': 20.0} dtype num float64

---------- encoded_var ------------------ <xarray.Variable (time: 2)> array([ 0., 20.]) Attributes: units: days since 2000-01-01 00:00:00 calendar: proleptic_gregorian _FillValue: 20.0

---------- decoded_var ------------------ <xarray.Variable (time: 2)> array(['2000-01-01T00:00:00.000000000', 'NaT'], dtype='datetime64[ns]') {'_FillValue': 20.0, 'units': 'days since 2000-01-01 00:00:00', 'calendar': 'proleptic_gregorian', 'dtype': dtype('float64')} ```