NetCDF User's Guide for C

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 Dataset

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 external 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

3.3 - Type Conversion

3.4 - Data Structures

4 - Use of the NetCDF Library

4.1 - Creating a NetCDF Dataset

4.2 - Reading a NetCDF Dataset with Known Names

4.3 - Reading a netCDF Dataset with Unknown Names

4.4 - Adding New Dimensions, Variables, Attributes

4.5 - Error Handling

4.6 - Compiling and Linking with the NetCDF Library

5 - Datasets

5.1 - NetCDF Library Interface Descriptions

5.2 - Get error message corresponding to error status: nc_strerror

Usage -

Example -

5.3 - Get netCDF library version: nc_inq_libvers

Usage -

Example -

5.4 - Create a NetCDF dataset: nc_create

Usage -

Example -

5.5 - Open a NetCDF Dataset for Access: nc_open

Usage -

Example -

5.6 - Put Open NetCDF Dataset into Define Mode: nc_redef

Usage -

Example -

5.7 - Leave Define Mode: nc_enddef

Usage -

Example -

5.8 - Close an Open NetCDF Dataset: nc_close

Usage -

Example -

5.9 - Inquire about an Open NetCDF Dataset: nc_inq Family

Usage -

Example -

5.10 - Synchronize an Open NetCDF Dataset to Disk: nc_sync

Usage -

Example -

5.11 - Back Out of Recent Definitions: nc_abort

Usage -

Example -

5.12 - Set Fill Mode for Writes: nc_set_fill

Usage -

Example - The fill mode argument is neither NC_NOFILL nor NC_FILL.

6 - Dimensions

6.1 - Create a Dimension: nc_def_dim

Usage -

Example -

6.2 - Get a Dimension ID from Its Name: nc_inq_dimid

Usage -

Example -

6.3 - Inquire about a Dimension: nc_inq_dim Family

Usage -

Example -

6.4 - Rename a Dimension: nc_rename_dim

Usage -

Example -

7 - Variables

7.1 - Language Types Corresponding to netCDF external data types

7.2 - Create a Variable: nc_def_var

Usage -

Example -

7.3 - Get a Variable ID from Its Name: nc_inq_varid

Usage -

Example -

7.4 - Get Information about a Variable from Its ID: nc_inq_var family

Usage -

Example -

7.5 - Write a Single Data Value: nc_put_var1_type

Usage -

Example -

7.6 - Write an Entire Variable: nc_put_var_type

Usage -

Example -

7.7 - Write an Array of Values: nc_put_vara_type

Usage -

Example -

7.8 - Write a Subsampled Array of Values: nc_put_vars_type

Usage -

Example -

7.9 - Write a Mapped Array of Values: nc_put_varm_type

Usage -

Example -

7.10 - Read a Single Data Value: nc_get_var1_type

Usage -

Example -

7.11 - Read an Entire Variable nc_get_var_type

Usage -

Example -

7.12 - Read an Array of Values: nc_get_vara_type

Usage -

Example -

7.13 - Read a Subsampled Array of Values: nc_get_vars_type

Usage -

Example -

7.14 - Read a Mapped Array of Values: nc_get_varm_type

Usage -

Example -

7.15 - Reading and Writing Character String Values

7.16 - Fill Values

7.17 - Rename a Variable: nc_rename_var

Usage -

Example -

8 - Attributes

8.1 - Attribute Conventions

8.2 - Create an Attribute: nc_put_att_type

Usage -

Example -

8.3 - Get Information about an Attribute: nc_inq_att Family

Usage -

Example -

8.4 - Get Attribute's Values:nc_get_att_type

Usage -

Example -

8.5 - Copy Attribute from One NetCDF to Another: nc_copy_att

Usage -

Example -

8.6 - Rename an Attribute: nc_rename_att

Usage -

Example -

8.7 - Delete an Attribute: nc_del_att

Usage -

Example -

9 - NetCDF File Structure and Performance

9.1 - Parts of a NetCDF File

9.2 - The Extended XDR Layer

9.3 - The I/O Layer

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 scientific data?

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?

Appendix A - Units

Appendix B - File Format Specification

The Format in Detail

Computing File Offsets

Examples

Appendix C - Summary of C Interface

Appendix D - NetCDF 2 C Transition Guide

Overview of C interface changes

The New C Interface

Function Naming Conventions

Type Conversion

Error handling

NC_LONG and NC_INT

What's Missing?

Other Changes

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