character dimensions, attribute lengths

[Nan Galbraith]

My apologies, I didn't make this clear enough, or else I don't
exactly understand the answer. They are specifying dimensions
as a way to define the length of character attributes, not for data
parameters.

Dimensions: time, dept, lat, long, string256, ... string4
Attributes:  
  Name      Definition               Example
  DataType  char DataType(STRING32); “Real-time” 
  PLATFORM  char PLATFORM (STRING8); "PIRATA"

Do you think it is reasonable to include these string dimensions in
the standard specification, when they are not dimensions of data
parameters?

> > I'm working on an implementation of NetCDF with a very varied
> > group, and the issue of string lengths is a real problem for some
> > of them. All our data is numeric; attributes are often char
> > though.
>
>  I believe this is the way to go for defining char arrays in netCDF-3.
>
>  Of course, you don't need to define dimensions for attributes, so if
>  you can put your string in an attribute, that may be easier.

Thanks again -
Nan Galbraith

-- 
**************************************************************
* Nan Galbraith            Upper Ocean Processes Group       *
* Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole, MA 02540  *
* http://uop.whoi.edu      (508) 289-2444                    *
**************************************************************

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