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CarbonArc Data Catalog Explorer (Python Guide)

Explore Carbon Arc data programmatically

This guide shows how to use the CarbonArc Python SDK to explore the CarbonArc data catalog, including:

  • Browsing available datasets\
  • Viewing data dictionaries\
  • Exploring specific dataset topics\
  • Retrieving full dataset "tearsheets" (metadata)

Installation​

pip install carbonarc

Configuration​

from carbonarc import CarbonArcClient

API_AUTH_TOKEN = "your_api_token_here"
API_BASE_URL = "https://api.carbonarc.co"

client = CarbonArcClient(
    host=API_BASE_URL,
    token=API_AUTH_TOKEN
)

Browse All Available Datasets​

datasets = client.data.get_datasets()

print(f"Total Datasets Available: {datasets.get('size', 0)}")

for idx, dataset in enumerate(datasets.get('datasources', [])[:10], 1):
    print(f"{idx}. {dataset.get('dataset_name', 'N/A')}")
    print(f"   Dataset ID: {', '.join(dataset.get('dataset_id', []))}")
    print(f"   Provider: {dataset.get('provider_name', 'N/A')}")
    print(f"   Description: {dataset.get('description', 'N/A')[:80]}...")

View a Dataset Data Dictionary​

dataset_id = "CA0056"
data_dict = client.data.get_data_dictionary(dataset_id=dataset_id)

View a Specific Topic Data Dictionary​

dataset_id = "CA0028"
entity_topic_id = 145

topic = client.data.get_data_dictionary(
    dataset_id=dataset_id,
    entity_topic_id=entity_topic_id
)[0]

Get Detailed Dataset Information (Tearsheet)​

dataset_id = "CA0056"
dataset_info = client.data.get_dataset_information(dataset_id)

Get Data Samples​

You can pull real data samples directly from the API for validation and exploration.

Sample for a Specific Topic​

For example, pulling data for a specific topic such as Core Panel vs By Payment:

ca.data.get_data_sample(
    dataset_id="CA0028",
    entity_topic_id=146
)

Sample for All Topics in a Dataset​

To retrieve a sample across all topics in a dataset:

ca.data.get_data_sample(
    dataset_id="CA0056"
)

Summary​

This guide enables developers to: - Discover available datasets - Inspect dataset schemas - Drill into specific topics - Retrieve full dataset metadata