code: def get_currentDim(self):
          '''
          returns the current dimensions of the object
          '''
          selfDim = self._dimensions.copy()
          if not isinstance(selfDim,dimStr):
              if selfDim.has_key('_ndims') : nself = selfDim.pop('_ndims')
              else : 
                  self.warning(1, 'self._dimensions does not have the _ndims key')
                  nself = len(selfDim)
          else : nself = selfDim['_ndims']
          curDim = [[key for key in selfDim.keys()],[selfDim[key] for key in selfDim.keys()]]
          return curDim, nself get_currentDim(self):
          '''
          returns the current dimensions of the object
          '''
          selfDim = self._dimensions.copy()
          if not isinstance(selfDim,dimStr):
              if selfDim.has_key('_ndims') : nself = selfDim.pop('_ndims')
              else : 
                  self.warning(1, 'self._dimensions does not have the _ndims key')
                  nself = len(selfDim)
          else : nself = selfDim['_ndims']
          curDim = [[key for key in selfDim.keys()],[selfDim[key] for key in selfDim.keys()]]
          return curDim, nself
docs: returns the current dimensions of the object