NetCDF User's Guide

An Interface for Data Access

Version 2.4

February 1996

• Foreword
• Summary
• 1 Introduction
  • 1.1 The NetCDF Interface
  • 1.2 NetCDF is Not a Database Management System
  • 1.3 File Format
  • 1.4 What about Performance?
  • 1.5 Is NetCDF a Good Archive Format?
  • 1.6 Creating Self-Describing Data conforming to Conventions
  • 1.7 Background and Evolution of the NetCDF Interface
  • 1.8 What's New Since the Previous Release?
  • 1.9 Limitations of NetCDF
  • 1.10 Future Plans for NetCDF
  • References
• 2 Components of a NetCDF File
  • 2.1 The NetCDF Data Model
    • 2.1.1 Naming Conventions
    • 2.1.2 network Common Data Form Language (CDL)
  • 2.2 Dimensions
  • 2.3 Variables
    • 2.3.1 Coordinate Variables
  • 2.4 Attributes
  • 2.5 Differences between Attributes and Variables
• 3 Data
  • 3.1 NetCDF Data Types
  • 3.2 Data Access
    • 3.2.1 Forms of Data Access
    • 3.2.2 An Example of Array-Section Access
    • 3.2.3 More on General Array Section Access
    • 3.2.4 Record-Oriented Access
  • 3.3 Data Structures
• 4 Use of the NetCDF Library
  • 4.1 Creating a NetCDF File
  • 4.2 Reading a NetCDF File with Known Names
  • 4.3 Reading a netCDF File with Unknown Names
  • 4.4 Adding New Dimensions, Variables, Attributes
  • 4.5 Error Handling
  • 4.6 Compiling and Linking with the NetCDF Library
• 5 Files
  • 5.1 NetCDF Library Interface Descriptions
  • 5.2 Create a NetCDF file: nccreate and NCCRE
  • 5.3 Open a NetCDF File for Access: ncopen and NCOPN
  • 5.4 Put Open NetCDF File into Define Mode: ncredef and NCREDF
  • 5.5 Leave Define Mode: ncendef and NCENDF
  • 5.6 Close an Open NetCDF File: ncclose and NCCLOS
  • 5.7 Inquire about an Open NetCDF File: ncinquire and NCINQ
  • 5.8 Synchronize an Open NetCDF File to Disk: ncsync and NCSNC
  • 5.9 Back Out of Recent Definitions: ncabort and NCABOR
  • 5.10 Set Fill Mode for Writes: ncsetfill and NCSFIL
• 6 Dimensions
  • 6.1 Create a Dimension: ncdimdef and NCDDEF
  • 6.2 Get a Dimension ID from Its Name: ncdimid and NCDID
  • 6.3 Inquire about a Dimension: ncdiminq and NCDINQ
  • 6.4 Rename a Dimension: ncdimrename and NCDREN
• 7 Variables
  • 7.1 Language Types Corresponding to NetCDF Data Types
  • 7.2 Create a Variable: ncvardef and NCVDEF
  • 7.3 Get a Variable ID from Its Name: ncvarid and NCVID
  • 7.4 Get Information about a Variable from Its ID: ncvarinq and NCVINQ
  • 7.5 Write a Single Data Value: ncvarput1, NCVPT1, and NCVP1C
  • 7.6 Write an Array of Values: ncvarput and NCVPT(C)
  • 7.7 Write a Subsampled Or Mapped Array of Values: ncvarputg, NCVPTG, and NCVPGC
  • 7.8 Put a Record: ncrecput
  • 7.9 Read a Single Data Value: ncvarget1, NCVGT1, and NCVG1C
  • 7.10 Read an Array of Values: ncvarget and NCVGT(C)
  • 7.11 Read a Subsampled Or Mapped Array of Values: ncvargetg, NCVGTG and NCVGGC
  • 7.12 Get a Record: ncrecget
  • 7.13 Reading and Writing Character String Values
    • C Interface
    • FORTRAN Interface
  • 7.14 Fill Values
  • 7.15 Rename a Variable: ncvarrename and NCVREN
  • 7.16 Get Number of Bytes for a Data Type: nctypelen and NCTLEN
  • 7.17 Get Information About Record Variables: ncrecinq
• 8 Attributes
  • 8.1 Attribute Conventions
  • 8.2 Create an Attribute: ncattput, NCAPT, and NCAPTC
  • 8.3 Get Information about an Attribute: ncattinq and NCAINQ
  • 8.4 Get Attribute's Values: ncattget and NCAGT(C)
  • 8.5 Copy Attribute from One NetCDF to Another: ncattcopy and NCACPY
  • 8.6 Get Name of Attribute from Its Number: ncattname and NCANAM
  • 8.7 Rename an Attribute: ncattrename and NCAREN
  • 8.8 Delete an Attribute: ncattdel and NCADEL
• 9 NetCDF File Structure and Performance
  • 9.1 Parts of a NetCDF File
  • 9.2 The XDR Layer
  • 9.3 General XDR Considerations
  • 9.4 UNICOS Optimization
• 10 NetCDF Utilities
  • 10.1 CDL Syntax
  • 10.2 CDL Data Types
  • 10.3 CDL Notation for Data Constants
  • 10.4 ncgen
    • Examples
  • 10.5 ncdump
    • Examples
• 11 Answers to Some Frequently Asked Questions
  • What Is netCDF?
  • How do I get the netCDF software package?
  • Is there any access to netCDF information on the World Wide Web?
  • What has changed since the previous release?
  • Is there a mailing list for netCDF discussions and questions?
  • Who else uses netCDF?
  • What is the physical format for a netCDF files?
  • What does netCDF run on?
  • What other software is available for netCDF data?
  • What other formats are available for array-oriented data?
  • Why do netCDF calls just exit on errors instead of returning an error indicator?
  • How do I make a bug report?
  • How do I search through past problem reports?
  • How does the C++ interface differ from the C interface?
  • How does the FORTRAN interface differ from the C interface?
  • How does the Perl interface differ from the C interface?
• A Units
• B File Format Specification
  • The Format in Detail
  • Computing File Offsets
  • Examples
• C Summary of C Interface
• D Summary of FORTRAN Interface
• Function and Variable Index
• General Index

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