[Feature]: Warn on read rather than error

[oruebel]

What would you like to see added to PyNWB?

In TimeSeries (and likely a few other places) additional error checks are performed on __init__ to ensure the data is valid. E.g,.:

pynwb/src/pynwb/base.py

Lines 175 to 191 in eb58506

	if timestamps is not None:
	if self.rate is not None:
	raise ValueError('Specifying rate and timestamps is not supported.')
	if self.starting_time is not None:
	raise ValueError('Specifying starting_time and timestamps is not supported.')
	self.fields['timestamps'] = timestamps
	self.timestamps_unit = self.__time_unit
	self.interval = 1
	if isinstance(timestamps, TimeSeries):
	timestamps.__add_link('timestamp_link', self)
	elif self.rate is not None:
	if self.starting_time is None: # override default if rate is provided but not starting time
	self.starting_time = 0.0
	self.starting_time_unit = self.__time_unit
	else:
	raise TypeError("either 'timestamps' or 'rate' must be specified")

This makes sense when creating a new file to ensure that we don't create invalid files. However, on read it would be useful to warn instead and continue to attempt to read the file to try and give access to the data if at all possible.

Is your feature request related to a problem?

Related to NeurodataWithoutBorders/helpdesk#62

What solution would you like?

Use the self._error_on_new_warn_on_construct method instead of ValueError in the TimeSeries constructor.

Do you have any interest in helping implement the feature?

Yes.

Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct
• Have you checked the Contributing document?
• Have you ensured this change was not already requested?

[rly]

See
https://github.com/NeurodataWithoutBorders/pynwb/tree/dev/src/pynwb/image.py#L112C14-L118
for example