[netcdfgroup] netcdfgroup Digest, Vol 8, Issue 1

Fri Aug 31 13:14:22 MDT 2007

On Aug 31, 2007, at 1:00 PM, netcdfgroup-request at unidata.ucar.edu wrote:

> Message: 3
> Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:31:19 -0600
> From: Ed Hartnett <ed at unidata.ucar.edu>
> Subject: Re: [netcdfgroup] netCDF4 timeline
> To: Ken Knapp <Ken.Knapp at noaa.gov>
> Cc: netcdfgroup at unidata.ucar.edu
> Message-ID: <wrxveavy8bs.fsf at shecky.unidata.ucar.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Ken Knapp <Ken.Knapp at noaa.gov> writes:
>
>> I was wondering if there was an estimate on the full release of  
>> netCDF4?
>> I'm not looking for an exact date, just a ballpark estimate.
>> I looked around the website and didn't see anything on HDF5 or  
>> netCDF4
>> timelines. [I ask because there was lots of speculation when the beta
>> would be released, but I hadn't heard anything since the beta  
>> release on
>> an expected full release].
>> (I realize it depends on HDF5 and that timelines aren't always  
>> accurate,
>> but am still curious)
>> Thanks-
>> -Ken
>>
>> -- 
>> Ken Knapp
>> Remote Sensing and Applications Division
>> National Climatic Data Center
>> 151 Patton Ave
>> Asheville, NC 28801
>> 828-271-4339 (voice) 828-271-4328 (fax)
>>
>
> Howdy Ken!
>
> The best answer I can come up with then is some time in November,
> assuming that HDF5 is released in October.

	I think we are still tracking for approximately this timeframe.   
Currently, the only "feature" left is the API compatibility work,  
which is coming along well and should be done in 1-2 weeks (we've  
slid the stackable VFD and free space tracking features to a later  
release).  After that, there's two patch sets that were contributed  
and 2-3 known bugs in mostly obscure places, but those are fairly minor.

	The FORTRAN & C++ language wrapper routines to match the new C APIs  
will take a while longer, so we'll probably add them to the 1.8.1  
release.

	Quincey

> Below, for those who are interested, I provide some details on the
> current status of the HDF5 and NetCDF-4 beta releases.
>
> HDF5 Status
> -----------
>
> The HDF5 team have worked out all known (to me) issues in the HDF5
> 1.8.0 release. (However I don't know all their issues, just the ones
> found by netCDF-4 beta testers! ;-)
>
> I'm not sure if all fixes are available in their latest HDF5 beta, but
> certainly they are in the latest HDF5 snapshot. This is not available
> on the netCDF-4 snapshot page yet, but will be shortly.
>
> I will leave it to the HDF5 team to say how far they are from a final
> release, but I don't think it can be long.
>
> NetCDF-4 will certainly have to stay in beta until after the HDF5
> release.
>
> NetCDF-4 Status
> ---------------
>
> In addition to the HDF5 release, there have been issues in the
> netCDF-4 release found during the beta phase.
>
> At the moment I know of no remaining bugs in the C library. (And if
> anyone else knows of any, they should tell me right away!) There are
> a few convenience functions that will probably be added, but they add
> no new features, just an easier way to use existing features.
>
> The Fortran APIs are a thin layer atop the C library. I am currently
> checking the Fortran APIs more thoroughly, but there are no known
> bugs there.
>
> I suspect I will have to add some functions to both the C and Fortran
> APIs to help fortran users of compound types, because of the way F90
> structures work.
>
> The documentation for the C and the Fortran APIs is missing a number
> of functions (those which were added in the netCDF-4 beta phase, in
> fact). I am working on those as a background task.
>
> To sum up, I the C code is quite stable and reasonably
> well-tested. The fortran APIs are close to stable, and need more
> tests. The documentation needs some work.
>
> Porting and Testing
> -------------------
>
> Finally there is the issue of porting netCDF-4 to sufficiently many
> platforms for a release. (We won't release it until it builds cleanly
> on Linux, Sun, HP-UX, and AIX). There is some work to be done here,
> but it already builds cleanly on those systems.
>
> The daily build and test system here at Unidata makes netCDF-4
> reasonably straightforward to test and release.
>
> I am currently writing test programs which give netCDF-4 a more
> serious workout as a data tool (i.e. tests which read and write
> realistic amounts of data). Also I am adding more Fortran tests for
> netCDF-4 new features.
>
> By the AMS conference in January we will have developed and run some
> benchmarks on netCDF-4 which will show its performance compared to
> netCDF-3.
>
> If anyone would like to contribute benchmark or test code (in C,
> Fortran 77, or Fortran 90) which reflects their usage of netCDF, that
> would be most welcome.
>
> NetCDF Utilities ncdump/ncgen
> -----------------------------
>
> The netCDF utilities have, for some time, been able to handle netCDF-4
> classic model files (i.e. netCDF-4/HDF5 which don't use groups,
> user-defined types, new atomic types, or other expansions to the
> netCDF classic data model).
>
> Russ is working on ncdump currently. When he is done, ncdump will
> fully handle new netCDF-4 features.
>
> Ncgen support for the netCDF-4 data model expansion remains to be
> done. It is not clear that we will hold back the 4.0 release for
> ncgen.
>
> New NetCDF-4 C++ API
> --------------------
>
> The new C++ API, developed over the past year by Shanna-Shaye Forbes,
> here at Unidata, is intended for the netCDF 4.1 release, not the 4.0
> release.
>
> Nonetheless, it has been mostly implemented, and can he obtained in
> the snapshot release by using the --enable-cxx4 option to
> configure. With this option, the new C++ API is built in the cxx4
> directory.
>
> Feedback or tests would be very much appreciated. Ms. Forbes has moved
> on to graduate studies and is not currently working on the C++ API.
>
> Beta Release Data Safety
> ------------------------
>
> For users interested in netCDF-4, it should be pointed out that the
> HDF5 team have already committed (as is their custom) to support of
> any data produced with an HDF5 beta release.
>
> You need not be afraid of creating files that you will no longer be
> able to read. Any data created with the beta release will be safe.
>
> Thanks to Beta Testers!
> -----------------------
>
> Thanks to all the beta testers out there, especially the NCO team, and
> Jeff Whitaker of netcdf4-python, and to the HDF5 team for their
> checking of netCDF-4 code.
>
> I hope this helps! Feel free to ask any questions. The best way for
> any fortran programmers to move things forward would be to send me
> simple test programs which use netCDF-4 new features, like groups,
> user-defined types, and parallel I/O.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ed
>
> -- 
> Ed Hartnett  -- ed at unidata.ucar.edu
>
>
>
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> End of netcdfgroup Digest, Vol 8, Issue 1
> *****************************************
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