Add a .drop_attrs method

xarray/core/dataarray.py

@@ -7146,3 +7146,13 @@ def to_dask_dataframe(
     # this needs to be at the end, or mypy will confuse with `str`
     # https://mypy.readthedocs.io/en/latest/common_issues.html#dealing-with-conflicting-names
     str = utils.UncachedAccessor(StringAccessor["DataArray"])
+
+    def drop_attrs(self) -> Self:
+        """
+        Removes all attributes from the DataArray.
+        """
+        self = self.copy()
+
+        self.attrs = {}
+
+        return self

xarray/core/dataset.py

@@ -10338,3 +10338,19 @@ def resample(
             restore_coord_dims=restore_coord_dims,
             **indexer_kwargs,
         )
+
+    def drop_attrs(self) -> Self:
+        """
+        Removes all attributes from the Dataset and its variables.
+        """
+        # Remove attributes from the dataset
+        self = self._replace(attrs={})
+
+        # Remove attributes from each variable in the dataset
+        for var in self.variables:
+            # variables don't have a `._replace` method, so we copy and then remove. If
+            # we added a `._replace` method, we could use that instead.
+            self[var] = self[var].copy()
+            self[var].attrs = {}
+
+        return self

xarray/tests/test_dataarray.py

@@ -2955,6 +2955,11 @@ def test_assign_attrs(self) -> None:
         assert_identical(new_actual, expected)
         assert actual.attrs == {"a": 1, "b": 2}
 
+    def test_drop_attrs(self) -> None:
+        # Mostly tested in test_dataset.py, but adding a very small test here
+        da = DataArray([], attrs=dict(a=1, b=2))
+        assert da.drop_attrs().attrs == {}
+
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(
         "func", [lambda x: x.clip(0, 1), lambda x: np.float64(1.0) * x, np.abs, abs]
     )

xarray/tests/test_dataset.py

@@ -4355,6 +4355,38 @@ def test_assign_attrs(self) -> None:
         assert_identical(new_actual, expected)
         assert actual.attrs == dict(a=1, b=2)
 
+    def test_drop_attrs(self) -> None:
+        # Simple example
+        ds = Dataset().assign_attrs(a=1, b=2)
+        original = ds.copy()
+        expected = Dataset()
+        result = ds.drop_attrs()
+        assert_identical(result, expected)
+
+        # Doesn't change original
+        assert_identical(ds, original)
+
+        # Example with variables and coords with attrs, check they're dropped too
+        var = Variable("x", [1, 2, 3], attrs=dict(x=1, y=2))
+        idx = IndexVariable("y", [1, 2, 3], attrs=dict(c=1, d=2))
+        ds = Dataset(dict(var1=var), coords=dict(y=idx)).assign_attrs(a=1, b=2)
+        assert ds.coords["y"].attrs != {}
+
+        original = ds.copy(deep=True)
+        result = ds.drop_attrs()
+
+        assert result.attrs == {}
+        assert result["x"].attrs == {}
+        assert result["y"].attrs == {}
+        assert list(result.data_vars) == list(ds.data_vars)
+        assert list(result.coords) == list(ds.coords)
+
+        # Doesn't change original
+        assert_identical(ds, original)
+        # Specifically test that the attrs on the coords are still there. (The index
+        # can't currently contain `attrs`, so we can't test those.)
+        assert ds.coords["y"].attrs != {}
+
     def test_assign_multiindex_level(self) -> None:
         data = create_test_multiindex()
         with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=r"cannot drop or update.*corrupt.*index "):