Add pandas interval index

docs/builtin/pdinterval.md

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+---
+
+# pandas: IntervalIndex
+
+````{grid}
+```{grid-item}
+:columns: 3
+```{image} https://pandas.pydata.org/docs/_static/pandas.svg
+---
+alt: Alt text
+width: 200px
+align: center
+---
+```
+```{grid-item}
+:columns: 9
+```{seealso}
+Learn more at the [Pandas](https://pandas.pydata.org/pandas-docs/stable/user_guide/advanced.html#intervalindex) documentation.
+```
+````
+
+# Highlights
+
+1. Xarray's built-in support for pandas Index classes extends to more sophisticated classes like {py:class}`pandas.IntervalIndex`.
+1. Xarray now generates such indexes automatically when using {py:meth}`xarray.DataArray.groupby_bins` or {py:meth}`xarray.Dataset.groupby_bins`.
+1. Sadly {py:class}`pandas.IntervalIndex` supports numpy datetimes but not [cftime](https://unidata.github.io/cftime/).
+
+```{important}
+A pandas IntervalIndex models intervals using a single variable. The [Climate and Forecast Conventions](https://cfconventions.org/Data/cf-conventions/cf-conventions-1.11/cf-conventions.html#cell-boundaries), by contrast, model the intervals using  two arrays: the intervals ("bounds" variable) and "central values".
+```
+
+## Example
+
+### Assigning
+
+```{code-cell}
+%xmode minimal
+
+import pandas as pd
+import xarray as xr
+
+xr.set_options(display_expand_indexes=True, display_expand_attrs=False)
+pd.set_option('display.max_seq_items', 10)
+
+orig = xr.tutorial.open_dataset("air_temperature")
+orig
+```
+
+Let's replace the `time` vector with an IntervalIndex, assuming that the data represent averages over 6 hour periods centered at 00h, 06h, 12h, 18h
+
+```{code-cell}
+left = orig.time.data - pd.Timedelta("3h")
+right = orig.time.data + pd.Timedelta("3h")
+time_bounds = pd.IntervalIndex.from_arrays(left, right, closed="left")
+time_bounds
+```
+
+```{code-cell}
+indexed = orig.copy(deep=True)
+indexed["time"] = time_bounds
+indexed
+```
+
+Note the above object still shows the `time` coordinates has associated `PandasIndex` but the values are now represented in and "IntervalArray" (as indicated by `interval[datetime64[ns], left]`)
+
+### Indexing
+
+Let's index out a representative value for 2013-05-01 02:00.
+
+```{code-cell}
+---
+tags: [raises-exception]
+---
+orig.sel(time="2013-05-01 02:00")
+```
+
+Indexing the original dataset required specifying `method="nearest"`
+
+```{code-cell}
+orig.sel(time="2013-05-01 02:00", method="nearest").time
+```
+
+With an IntervalIndex, however, that is unnecessary
+
+```{code-cell}
+indexed.sel(time="2013-05-01 02:00").time
+```
+
+### Binned grouping
+
+Xarray now creates IntervalIndex by default for binned grouping operations
+
+```{code-cell}
+orig.groupby_bins("lat", bins=[25, 35, 45, 55]).mean()
+```

docs/index.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ caption: Built-in
 hidden:
 ---
 builtin/range
-builtin/pandas
+builtin/pdinterval
 ```
 
 ```{toctree}