Default zarr.open to open_group if shape is not provided

src/zarr/api/asynchronous.py

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import numpy as np
 import numpy.typing as npt
 
-from zarr.core.array import Array, AsyncArray
+from zarr.core.array import Array, AsyncArray, get_array_metadata
 from zarr.core.common import JSON, AccessModeLiteral, ChunkCoords, MemoryOrder, ZarrFormat
 from zarr.core.config import config
 from zarr.core.group import AsyncGroup
@@ -226,6 +226,18 @@ async def open(
     if path is not None:
         store_path = store_path / path
 
+    if "shape" not in kwargs and mode in {"a", "w", "w-"}:
+        try:
+            metadata_dict = await get_array_metadata(store_path, zarr_format=zarr_format)
+            # for v2, the above would already have raised an exception if not an array
+            zarr_format = metadata_dict["zarr_format"]
+            is_v3_array = zarr_format == 3 and metadata_dict.get("node_type") == "array"
+            if is_v3_array or zarr_format == 2:
+                return AsyncArray(store_path=store_path, metadata=metadata_dict)
+        except (AssertionError, FileNotFoundError):
+            pass
+        return await open_group(store=store_path, zarr_format=zarr_format, mode=mode, **kwargs)
+
     try:
         return await open_array(store=store_path, zarr_format=zarr_format, mode=mode, **kwargs)
     except KeyError:

src/zarr/core/array.py

@@ -96,6 +96,53 @@ def create_codec_pipeline(metadata: ArrayV2Metadata | ArrayV3Metadata) -> CodecP
         raise TypeError
 
 
+async def get_array_metadata(
+    store_path: StorePath, zarr_format: ZarrFormat | None = 3
+) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    if zarr_format == 2:
+        zarray_bytes, zattrs_bytes = await gather(
+            (store_path / ZARRAY_JSON).get(), (store_path / ZATTRS_JSON).get()
+        )
+        if zarray_bytes is None:
+            raise FileNotFoundError(store_path)
+    elif zarr_format == 3:
+        zarr_json_bytes = await (store_path / ZARR_JSON).get()
+        if zarr_json_bytes is None:
+            raise FileNotFoundError(store_path)
+    elif zarr_format is None:
+        zarr_json_bytes, zarray_bytes, zattrs_bytes = await gather(
+            (store_path / ZARR_JSON).get(),
+            (store_path / ZARRAY_JSON).get(),
+            (store_path / ZATTRS_JSON).get(),
+        )
+        if zarr_json_bytes is not None and zarray_bytes is not None:
+            # TODO: revisit this exception type
+            # alternatively, we could warn and favor v3
+            raise ValueError("Both zarr.json and .zarray objects exist")
+        if zarr_json_bytes is None and zarray_bytes is None:
+            raise FileNotFoundError(store_path)
+        # set zarr_format based on which keys were found
+        if zarr_json_bytes is not None:
+            zarr_format = 3
+        else:
+            zarr_format = 2
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"unexpected zarr_format: {zarr_format}")
+
+    metadata_dict: dict[str, Any]
+    if zarr_format == 2:
+        # V2 arrays are comprised of a .zarray and .zattrs objects
+        assert zarray_bytes is not None
+        metadata_dict = json.loads(zarray_bytes.to_bytes())
+        zattrs_dict = json.loads(zattrs_bytes.to_bytes()) if zattrs_bytes is not None else {}
+        metadata_dict["attributes"] = zattrs_dict
+    else:
+        # V3 arrays are comprised of a zarr.json object
+        assert zarr_json_bytes is not None
+        metadata_dict = json.loads(zarr_json_bytes.to_bytes())
+    return metadata_dict
+
+
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
 class AsyncArray:
     metadata: ArrayMetadata
@@ -105,10 +152,16 @@ class AsyncArray:
 
     def __init__(
         self,
-        metadata: ArrayMetadata,
+        metadata: ArrayMetadata | dict[str, Any],
         store_path: StorePath,
         order: Literal["C", "F"] | None = None,
     ):
+        if isinstance(metadata, dict):
+            zarr_format = metadata["zarr_format"]
+            if zarr_format == 2:
+                metadata = ArrayV2Metadata.from_dict(metadata)
+            else:
+                metadata = ArrayV3Metadata.from_dict(metadata)
         metadata_parsed = parse_array_metadata(metadata)
         order_parsed = parse_indexing_order(order or config.get("array.order"))
 
@@ -347,51 +400,8 @@ async def open(
         zarr_format: ZarrFormat | None = 3,
     ) -> AsyncArray:
         store_path = await make_store_path(store)
-
-        if zarr_format == 2:
-            zarray_bytes, zattrs_bytes = await gather(
-                (store_path / ZARRAY_JSON).get(), (store_path / ZATTRS_JSON).get()
-            )
-            if zarray_bytes is None:
-                raise FileNotFoundError(store_path)
-        elif zarr_format == 3:
-            zarr_json_bytes = await (store_path / ZARR_JSON).get()
-            if zarr_json_bytes is None:
-                raise FileNotFoundError(store_path)
-        elif zarr_format is None:
-            zarr_json_bytes, zarray_bytes, zattrs_bytes = await gather(
-                (store_path / ZARR_JSON).get(),
-                (store_path / ZARRAY_JSON).get(),
-                (store_path / ZATTRS_JSON).get(),
-            )
-            if zarr_json_bytes is not None and zarray_bytes is not None:
-                # TODO: revisit this exception type
-                # alternatively, we could warn and favor v3
-                raise ValueError("Both zarr.json and .zarray objects exist")
-            if zarr_json_bytes is None and zarray_bytes is None:
-                raise FileNotFoundError(store_path)
-            # set zarr_format based on which keys were found
-            if zarr_json_bytes is not None:
-                zarr_format = 3
-            else:
-                zarr_format = 2
-        else:
-            raise ValueError(f"unexpected zarr_format: {zarr_format}")
-
-        if zarr_format == 2:
-            # V2 arrays are comprised of a .zarray and .zattrs objects
-            assert zarray_bytes is not None
-            zarray_dict = json.loads(zarray_bytes.to_bytes())
-            zattrs_dict = json.loads(zattrs_bytes.to_bytes()) if zattrs_bytes is not None else {}
-            zarray_dict["attributes"] = zattrs_dict
-            return cls(store_path=store_path, metadata=ArrayV2Metadata.from_dict(zarray_dict))
-        else:
-            # V3 arrays are comprised of a zarr.json object
-            assert zarr_json_bytes is not None
-            return cls(
-                store_path=store_path,
-                metadata=ArrayV3Metadata.from_dict(json.loads(zarr_json_bytes.to_bytes())),
-            )
+        metadata_dict = await get_array_metadata(store_path, zarr_format=zarr_format)
+        return cls(store_path=store_path, metadata=metadata_dict)
 
     @property
     def ndim(self) -> int:

tests/v3/test_api.py

@@ -137,7 +137,12 @@ def test_open_with_mode_r_plus(tmp_path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
     z2[:] = 3
 
 
-def test_open_with_mode_a(tmp_path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
+async def test_open_with_mode_a(tmp_path: pathlib.Path) -> None:
+    # Open without shape argument should default to group
+    g = zarr.open(store=tmp_path, mode="a")
+    assert isinstance(g, Group)
+    await g.store_path.delete()
+
     # 'a' means read/write (create if doesn't exist)
     arr = zarr.open(store=tmp_path, mode="a", shape=(3, 3))
     assert isinstance(arr, Array)