[Feature]: Differentiate between calling Container __init__ by user vs during object construction

[rly]

What would you like to see added to HDMF?

In PyNWB/HDMF, we often want to check that input parameters to an object's init method are compliant with the schema. Over time, w may add new checks in init that raise errors when a noncompliant set of parameters is provided. However, if this noncompliant set of parameters were allowed to be written by a previous version of the API, then files exist in the wild with this noncompliant set of parameters. Reading these files involves constructing the object using the object's constructor, which now raises an error. Even though these files are technically noncompliant, they still need to be readable by the current API.

Is your feature request related to a problem?

No response

What solution would you like?

Provide two different paths or a branching path in init where calling init by a user would raise an error if non-compliant data are provided but calling init by the object construction process would raise a warning if non-compliant data are provided.

Do you have any interest in helping implement the feature?

Yes.

Code of Conduct

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