firedrakeproject · connorjward · Sep 18, 2026 · Sep 17, 2026 · Sep 17, 2026 · Sep 17, 2026
diff --git a/demos/netgen/netgen_mesh.py.rst b/demos/netgen/netgen_mesh.py.rst
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ Then a SLEPc Eigenvalue Problem Solver (``EPS``) is initialised and set up to us
         PC.setFactorSolverType("mumps")
         E.setST(ST)
         E.solve()
-        vr, vi = Asc.getVecs()
+        vr, vi = Asc.createVecs()
         with uh.dat.vec_wo as vr:
             lam = E.getEigenpair(0, vr, vi)
         return (lam, uh, V)

diff --git a/firedrake/adapt.py b/firedrake/adapt.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def _adapt_marked_cells(mesh, cell_marker):
         adapt_indicator = np.zeros(cell_marker.dat.data_ro_with_halos.shape, dtype=IntType)
         adapt_indicator[:ncoarse] = cell_marker.dat.data_ro.real > 0
         dmcommon.mark_points_with_function_array(
-            dm, cell_marker.function_space().dm.getSection(), 0,
+            dm, cell_marker.function_space().dm.getLocalSection(), 0,
             adapt_indicator, adapt_label, DM_ADAPT_REFINE,
         )
 

diff --git a/firedrake/checkpointing.py b/firedrake/checkpointing.py
@@ -1458,7 +1458,7 @@ def _load_function_space_topology(self, tmesh, element):
             dm.setPointSF(topology_dm.getPointSF())
             section = PETSc.Section().create(comm=tmesh.comm)
             section.setPermutation(tmesh._dm_renumbering)
-            dm.setSection(section)
+            dm.setLocalSection(section)
             base_tmesh = tmesh._base_mesh if isinstance(tmesh, ExtrudedMeshTopology) else tmesh
             sfXC = base_tmesh.sfXC
             topology_dm.setName(tmesh.name)
@@ -1467,10 +1467,10 @@ def _load_function_space_topology(self, tmesh, element):
             nodes_per_entity, real_tensorproduct, block_size = sd_key
             # Don't cache if the section has been expanded by block_size
             if block_size == 1:
-                cached_section = get_global_numbering(tmesh, (nodes_per_entity, real_tensorproduct), global_numbering=dm.getSection())
-                if dm.getSection() is not cached_section:
+                cached_section = get_global_numbering(tmesh, (nodes_per_entity, real_tensorproduct), global_numbering=dm.getLocalSection())
+                if dm.getLocalSection() is not cached_section:
                     # The same section has already been cached.
-                    dm.setSection(cached_section)
+                    dm.setLocalSection(cached_section)
             self._function_load_utils[tmesh_key + sd_key] = (dm, gsf, lsf)
         return impl.FunctionSpace(tmesh, element)
 
@@ -1601,7 +1601,7 @@ def _get_dm_for_checkpointing(self, tV):
             topology_dm = tV.mesh().topology_dm
             dm = PETSc.DMShell().create(tV.mesh().comm)
             dm.setPointSF(topology_dm.getPointSF())
-            dm.setSection(global_numbering)
+            dm.setLocalSection(global_numbering)
         else:
             dm = tV.dm
         dm.setName(self._generate_dm_name(*sd_key))

diff --git a/firedrake/cython/dmcommon.pyx b/firedrake/cython/dmcommon.pyx
@@ -1692,7 +1692,7 @@ def facet_closure_nodes(V, sub_domain):
         with the given marker.
     """
     cdef:
-        PETSc.Section sec = V.dm.getSection()
+        PETSc.Section sec = V.dm.getLocalSection()
         PETSc.DM dm = V.mesh().topology_dm
         PetscInt nnodes, p, i, dof, offset, n, j, d
         np.ndarray points

diff --git a/firedrake/dmhooks.py b/firedrake/dmhooks.py
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ def attach_hooks(dm, level=None, sf=None, section=None):
     if sf is not None:
         dm.setPointSF(sf)
     if section is not None:
-        dm.setDefaultSection(section)
+        dm.setLocalSection(section)
 
     # Multilevel hierarchies
     dm.setRefine(refine)

diff --git a/firedrake/halo.py b/firedrake/halo.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def __init__(self, dm, section, comm):
             raise ValueError("Communicator used to create `Halo` must be at least congruent to the communicator used to create the mesh")
         self.dm = PETSc.DMShell().create(self.comm)
         self.dm.setPointSF(dm.getPointSF())
-        self.dm.setDefaultSection(section)
+        self.dm.setLocalSection(section)
 
     @cached_property
     def sf(self):
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ def comm(self):
 
     @cached_property
     def local_to_global_numbering(self):
-        lsec = self.dm.getDefaultSection()
-        gsec = self.dm.getDefaultGlobalSection()
+        lsec = self.dm.getLocalSection()
+        gsec = self.dm.getGlobalSection()
         return dmcommon.make_global_numbering(lsec, gsec)
 
     @PETSc.Log.EventDecorator()

diff --git a/firedrake/mesh.py b/firedrake/mesh.py
@@ -1525,7 +1525,7 @@ def mark_entities(self, tf, label_value, label_name=None):
             plex.createLabel(label_name)
         plex.clearLabelStratum(label_name, label_value)
         label = plex.getLabel(label_name)
-        section = tV.dm.getSection()
+        section = tV.dm.getLocalSection()
         array = tf.dat.data_ro_with_halos.real.astype(IntType)
         dmcommon.mark_points_with_function_array(plex, section, height, array, label, label_value)
 
@@ -3257,7 +3257,7 @@ def make_vom_from_vom_topology(topology, name, tolerance=0.5):
     parent_tdim = topology._parent_mesh.ufl_cell().topological_dimension
     if parent_tdim > 0:
         reference_coordinates_fs = functionspace.VectorFunctionSpace(topology, "DG", 0, dim=parent_tdim)
-        reference_coordinates_data = dmcommon.reordered_coords(topology.topology_dm, reference_coordinates_fs.dm.getDefaultSection(),
+        reference_coordinates_data = dmcommon.reordered_coords(topology.topology_dm, reference_coordinates_fs.dm.getLocalSection(),
                                                                (topology.num_vertices(), parent_tdim),
                                                                reference_coord=True)
         reference_coordinates = function.CoordinatelessFunction(reference_coordinates_fs,
@@ -4840,7 +4840,7 @@ def RelabeledMesh(mesh, indicator_functions, subdomain_ids, **kwargs):
         # Clear label stratum; this is a copy, so safe to change.
         plex1.clearLabelStratum(dmlabel_name, subid)
         dmlabel = plex1.getLabel(dmlabel_name)
-        section = f.topological.function_space().dm.getSection()
+        section = f.topological.function_space().dm.getLocalSection()
         dmcommon.mark_points_with_function_array(plex, section, height, f.dat.data_ro_with_halos.real.astype(IntType), dmlabel, subid)
     reorder_noop = None
     tmesh1 = MeshTopology(plex1, name=plex1.getName(), reorder=reorder_noop,
@@ -5050,7 +5050,7 @@ def coordinates_from_topology(topology: AbstractMeshTopology, element: finat.ufl
 
     (gdim,) = element.reference_value_shape
     coordinates_fs = functionspace.FunctionSpace(topology, element)
-    coordinates_data = dmcommon.reordered_coords(topology.topology_dm, coordinates_fs.dm.getDefaultSection(),
+    coordinates_data = dmcommon.reordered_coords(topology.topology_dm, coordinates_fs.dm.getLocalSection(),
                                                  (topology.num_vertices(), gdim))
     return function.CoordinatelessFunction(coordinates_fs,
                                            val=coordinates_data,

diff --git a/firedrake/netgen.py b/firedrake/netgen.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def netgen_distribute(V: firedrake.functionspaceimpl.WithGeometryBase,
         dtype = netgen_data.dtype
 
         sfBCInv = sf.createInverse()
-        section = V.dm.getDefaultSection()
+        section = V.dm.getLocalSection()
         vec = V.dof_dset.layout_vec
         section0, vec0 = plex.distributeField(sfBCInv, section, vec)
         vec0.set(0)

diff --git a/firedrake/preconditioners/asm.py b/firedrake/preconditioners/asm.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def initialize(self, pc):
             # TinyASM wants local numbers, no need to translate
             tinyasm.SetASMLocalSubdomains(
                 asmpc, ises,
-                [W.dm.getDefaultSF() for W in V],
+                [W.dm.getSectionSF() for W in V],
                 [W.block_size for W in V],
                 sum(W.block_size * W.dof_dset.total_size for W in V))
             asmpc.setUp()
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ def get_patches(self, V):
             raise NotImplementedError("Not implemented for general mixed meshes")
         assert mesh.cell_set._extruded
         dm = mesh.topology_dm
-        section = V.dm.getDefaultSection()
+        section = V.dm.getLocalSection()
         # Obtain the codimensions to loop over from options, if present
         opts = PETSc.Options(self.prefix)
         codim_list = list(map(int, opts.getString("codims", "0, 1").split(",")))
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ def order_points(mesh_dm, points, ordering_type, prefix):
 
 def get_basemesh_nodes(W):
     pstart, pend = W.mesh().topology_dm.getChart()
-    section = W.dm.getDefaultSection()
+    section = W.dm.getLocalSection()
     # location of first dof on an entity
     basemeshoff = numpy.empty(pend - pstart, dtype=IntType)
     # number of dofs on this entity

diff --git a/firedrake/preconditioners/fdm.py b/firedrake/preconditioners/fdm.py
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ def assemble_reference_tensor(self, V, transpose=False, sort_interior=False):
             result = self.assemble_reference_tensor(V, transpose=transpose, sort_interior=False)
             if formdegree != 0:
                 # Compute the stiffness matrix on the interior of a cell
-                A00 = self._element_mass_matrix.PtAP(result)
+                A00 = self._element_mass_matrix.ptap(result)
                 indptr, indices, _ = A00.getValuesCSR()
                 degree = numpy.diff(indptr)
                 # Sort by blocks

diff --git a/firedrake/preconditioners/patch.py b/firedrake/preconditioners/patch.py
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ def coords(dm, p, coordinates):
         coordinatesV = coordinates.function_space()
         data = coordinates.dat.data_ro_with_halos
         coordinatesDM = coordinatesV.dm
-        coordinatesSection = coordinatesDM.getDefaultSection()
+        coordinatesSection = coordinatesDM.getLocalSection()
 
         closure_of_p = [x for x in dm.getTransitiveClosure(p, useCone=True)[0] if coordinatesSection.getDof(x) > 0]
 

diff --git a/firedrake/preconditioners/pmg.py b/firedrake/preconditioners/pmg.py
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ def initialize(self, obj):
             elements.append(ele)
 
         sf = odm.getPointSF()
-        section = odm.getDefaultSection()
+        section = odm.getLocalSection()
         attach_hooks(pdm, level=len(elements)-1, sf=sf, section=section)
         # Now overwrite some routines on the DM
         pdm.setRefine(None)

diff --git a/tests/firedrake/regression/test_mesh_from_plex.py b/tests/firedrake/regression/test_mesh_from_plex.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ def get_plex_with_update_coordinates(mesh):
     remove_pyop2_label(plex)
 
     coord_dm = plex.getCoordinateDM()
-    coord_dm.setSection(coord_section)
+    coord_dm.setLocalSection(coord_section)
     coords_local = coord_dm.createLocalVec()
     coords_local.array[:] = np.reshape(
         mesh.coordinates.dat.data_ro_with_halos, coords_local.array.shape

diff --git a/tests/firedrake/regression/test_moore_spence.py b/tests/firedrake/regression/test_moore_spence.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ def residual(theta, lmbda, ttheta):
     es.setFromOptions()
     es.solve()
 
-    ev_re, ev_im = petsc_B.getVecs()
+    ev_re, ev_im = petsc_B.createVecs()
     es.getEigenpair(0, ev_re, ev_im)
     eigenmode = Function(V)
     eigenmode.dat.data_wo[...] = ev_re.buffer_r

diff --git a/tests/firedrake/regression/test_slepc.py b/tests/firedrake/regression/test_slepc.py
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ def test_laplace_physical_ev(parallel=False):
     assert nconv > 0
 
     # Create the results vectors
-    vr, wr = A.getVecs()
-    vi, wi = A.getVecs()
+    vr, wr = A.createVecs()
+    vi, wi = A.createVecs()
     ev = []
     for i in range(nconv):
         k = E.getEigenpair(i, vr, vi)