Docs and tests are now available in a new PR. I have stayed focused on getting these docs and tests to everyone without delay but that means I have not yet had an opportunity to respond to the helpful comments, thoughtful questions, and threads that have popped up in the last few days. I will follow up with all comments as quickly as possible starting in the morning.
There are two topics in particular that I hope will trigger a wider discussion: the api around the SharedMemory class and the inclusion-worthiness of the shareable_wrap function.
Regarding the api of SharedMemory, the docs explain that not all of the current input parameters are supportable/enforceable across platforms. I believe we want an api that is relevant across all platforms but at the same time we do not want to unnecessarily suppress/hide functionality that would be useful on some platforms -- there needs to be a balance between these motivations but where do we strike that balance?
Regarding the inclusion-worthiness of the shareable_wrap function, I deliberately did not include it in the docs but its docstring in the code explains its purpose. If included, it would drastically simplify working with NumPy arrays; please see the code example in the docs demonstrating the use of NumPy arrays without the aid of the shareable_wrap function. I have received feedback from others using this function also worth discussing.
Thank you to everyone who has already looked at the code and shared helpful thoughts -- please have a look at the tests and docs.