Section: 12.0 NetCDF-4 and the NetCDF Library APIs

12.0 NetCDF-4 and the NetCDF Library APIs

The new netCDF-4 features are supported (somewhat) in all four netCDF library APIs, C/C++/F77/F90. But Fortran users face challenges.

C programmers will be comforted by the knowledge that the netCDF libraries, including the new netCDF-4 functionality, are written in C. (Others may be horrified.)
C++ programmers can continue to use the netCDF CXX API for classic and 64-bit offset files, and also for netCDF-4 classic model files. But it does not and will not support new netCDF-4 functionality.
A new C++ API, similar to the existing one, but including namespace, exceptions, iterators, and support for the new netCDF-4 data model is under development by Shanna-Shaye Forbes at Unidata.
Good news for Fortran programmers: all new netCDF-4 come with Fortran 77 wrapper functions.
Bad news for Fortran programmers: it is not clear whether (or how) some features such as compound types can best be used in Fortan. We will be exploring this more in the next few years, and would appreciate input from someone who uses HDF5 compound types in Fortran.