def getmask(a):
return getattr(a, '<STR_LIT>', nomask)<EOL>
Return the mask of a masked array, or nomask.

Return the mask of `a` as an ndarray if `a` is a `MaskedArray` and the
mask is not `nomask`, else return `nomask`. To guarantee a full array
of booleans of the same shape as a, use `getmaskarray`.

Parameters
----------
a : array_like
    Input `MaskedArray` for which the mask is required.

See Also
--------
getdata : Return the data of a masked array as an ndarray.
getmaskarray : Return the mask of a masked array, or full array of False.

Examples
--------
>>> import numpy.ma as ma
>>> a = ma.masked_equal([[1,2],[3,4]], 2)
>>> a
masked_array(data =
 [[1 --]
 [3 4]],
      mask =
 [[False  True]
 [False False]],
      fill_value=999999)
>>> ma.getmask(a)
array([[False,  True],
       [False, False]], dtype=bool)

Equivalently use the `MaskedArray` `mask` attribute.

>>> a.mask
array([[False,  True],
       [False, False]], dtype=bool)

Result when mask == `nomask`

>>> b = ma.masked_array([[1,2],[3,4]])
>>> b
masked_array(data =
 [[1 2]
 [3 4]],
      mask =
 False,
      fill_value=999999)
>>> ma.nomask
False
>>> ma.getmask(b) == ma.nomask
True
>>> b.mask == ma.nomask
True