Changed functions and how to use

added an utility function to update the list of available variables.
Updated get function to reduce the number of repetitions

updated README

README.md

@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ The first supported grid is a regular grid with longitude and latitude.
 
 # Supported Variables
 
-At the moment only a limited number of variables from the TOAR database is supported. 
+This module supports all variables of the TOAR database (Extraction: 2024-05-27). They can be identified by their "cf_standardname" or their name as stored in the TOAR database.
+The full list can be accesses by querying the TOAR database, e.g. with https://toar-data.fz-juelich.de/api/v2/variables/?limit=None
 
 # Supported Time intervals
 

toargridding/setupFunctions.py

+from toargridding.static_metadata import TOAR_VARIABLES_METADATA_PATH
+import requests
+import json
+
+
+def updateTOARVariables():
+    """Download the most recent list of variables from the TOAR database
+    This overwrites the current static file 
+    """
+    response = requests.get("https://toar-data.fz-juelich.de/api/v2/variables/?limit=None")
+    varList = response.json()
+    with open(TOAR_VARIABLES_METADATA_PATH, "w") as f:
+        json.dump(varList, f, indent=2)
\ No newline at end of file

toargridding/static_metadata.py

@@ -59,13 +59,15 @@ class TOARVariable:
         return:
             provides direct access to the meta data of the selected variable
         """
-        if name == "" or name == None:
-            raise ValueError("No name provided for variable.")
-        for var in cls.vars:
-            if var.standard_name == name or var.name== name:
-                return var
-        else:
-            raise ValueError(f"TOAR Database contains no variable {name}")
+        #TODO: update README
+        try:
+            return cls.get_from_cf_standardname(standard_name=name)
+        except ValueError as e:
+            pass
+        try:
+            return cls.get_from_name(name=name)
+        except ValueError as e:
+            raise ValueError(f"TOAR Database contains no variable with cf_standardname or name '{name}'")
     @classmethod
     def get_from_cf_standardname(cls, standard_name: str) -> "TOARVariable":
         """searches the known variables for the given cf_standardname