How to use cf_xarray

There are four ways one can use cf_xarray.

Use CF standard names

Use “CF names” like standard_name, coordinates like "latitude", axes like "X" instead of actual variable names. For e.g.

Extract actual variable names

Use cf_xarray to extract the appropriate variable name through the properties:

Rename to a custom vocabulary

Use Dataset.rename(), or Dataset.cf.rename_like() to rename variables to your preferences

Define custom criteria for a custom vocabulary

Define custom criteria to avoid explicity renaming but still work with your datasets using a custom vocabulary.