Add support for passing pathlib.Path objects as filenames

pygmt/clib/session.py

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 Uses ctypes to wrap most of the core functions from the C API.
 """
 import ctypes as ctp
+import pathlib
 import sys
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 
@@ -1376,9 +1377,10 @@ def virtualfile_from_data(
         check_kind : str
             Used to validate the type of data that can be passed in. Choose
             from 'raster', 'vector' or None. Default is None (no validation).
-        data : str or xarray.DataArray or {table-like} or None
-            Any raster or vector data format. This could be a file name, a
-            raster grid, a vector matrix/arrays, or other supported data input.
+        data : str or pathlib.Path or xarray.DataArray or {table-like} or None
+            Any raster or vector data format. This could be a file name or
+            path, a raster grid, a vector matrix/arrays, or other supported
+            data input.
         x/y/z : 1d arrays or None
             x, y and z columns as numpy arrays.
         extra_arrays : list of 1d arrays
@@ -1439,8 +1441,11 @@ def virtualfile_from_data(
         }[kind]
 
         # Ensure the data is an iterable (Python list or tuple)
-        if kind in ("file", "geojson", "grid"):
+        if kind in ("geojson", "grid"):
             _data = (data,)
+        elif kind == "file":
+            # Useful to handle `pathlib.Path` and string file path alike
+            _data = (str(data),)
         elif kind == "vectors":
             _data = [np.atleast_1d(x), np.atleast_1d(y)]
             if z is not None:

pygmt/helpers/utils.py

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 Utilities and common tasks for wrapping the GMT modules.
 """
 import os
+import pathlib
 import shutil
 import subprocess
 import sys
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ def data_kind(data, x=None, y=None, z=None):
     Possible types:
 
     * a file name provided as 'data'
+    * a pathlib.Path provided as 'data'
     * an xarray.DataArray provided as 'data'
     * a matrix provided as 'data'
     * 1D arrays x and y (and z, optionally)
@@ -30,9 +32,9 @@ def data_kind(data, x=None, y=None, z=None):
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    data : str or xarray.DataArray or {table-like} or None
-        Pass in either a file name to an ASCII data table, an
-        :class:`xarray.DataArray`, a 1D/2D
+    data : str or pathlib.Path or xarray.DataArray or {table-like} or None
+        Pass in either a file name or :class:`pathlib.Path` to an ASCII data
+        table, an :class:`xarray.DataArray`, a 1D/2D
         {table-classes}.
     x/y : 1d arrays or None
         x and y columns as numpy arrays.
@@ -50,12 +52,15 @@ def data_kind(data, x=None, y=None, z=None):
 
     >>> import numpy as np
     >>> import xarray as xr
+    >>> import pathlib
     >>> data_kind(data=None, x=np.array([1, 2, 3]), y=np.array([4, 5, 6]))
     'vectors'
     >>> data_kind(data=np.arange(10).reshape((5, 2)), x=None, y=None)
     'matrix'
     >>> data_kind(data="my-data-file.txt", x=None, y=None)
     'file'
+    >>> data_kind(data=pathlib.Path("my-data-file.txt"), x=None, y=None)
+    'file'
     >>> data_kind(data=xr.DataArray(np.random.rand(4, 3)))
     'grid'
     """
@@ -66,7 +71,7 @@ def data_kind(data, x=None, y=None, z=None):
     if data is None and (x is None or y is None):
         raise GMTInvalidInput("Must provided both x and y.")
 
-    if isinstance(data, str):
+    if isinstance(data, (str, pathlib.Path)):
         kind = "file"
     elif isinstance(data, xr.DataArray):
         kind = "grid"

pygmt/tests/test_info.py

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 Tests for gmtinfo.
 """
 import os
+import pathlib
 
 import numpy as np
 import numpy.testing as npt
@@ -29,6 +30,20 @@ def test_info():
     assert output == expected_output
 
 
+def test_info_path():
+    """
+    Make sure info works on a pathlib.Path input.
+    """
+    output = info(table=pathlib.Path(POINTS_DATA))
+    expected_output = (
+        f"{POINTS_DATA}: N = 20 "
+        "<11.5309/61.7074> "
+        "<-2.9289/7.8648> "
+        "<0.1412/0.9338>\n"
+    )
+    assert output == expected_output
+
+
 def test_info_2d_list():
     """
     Make sure info works on a 2d list.