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20031123: Help with netCDF Install on Windows

>From: Katrina Bennett <address@hidden>
>Organization: ?
>Keywords: 200311230809.hAN89JEH008677 netCDF Windows

Katrina,

>I'm a novice user of this program, but I need to install your software
>in order to view and export netCDF climate data to ASCII file format
>using the ncdump utility.  I have a GIS background but have only a
>little AML programming experience and a bit of AVENUE (ESRI proprietary
>languages).  I'm having trouble getting started with the netCDF
>install.  I don't understand how I am supposed to install the program
>on a Windows 2000 or XP environment.  Although I've tried to download
>and install a C compiler program, this didn't help me.  So, first
>question is:
>
>Do I need to build the netCDF program in some sort of compiling
>program?

No.

>Do you have any suggestions for which free program would work?

Yes.  Since your objective is to simply use ncdump.exe to export
climate data in netCDF format to ASCII, the amount of work you need
to do is limited.  The best ABC for what to do is found in the
file WIN32_README.TXT.  You can grab this file and the binary
distribution of the netCDF for Windows using anonymous FTP from
our FTP server, ftp.unidata.ucar.edu:

machine:    ftp.unidata.ucar.edu
user:       anonymous
pass:       address@hidden
directory:  pub/netcdf/contrib/win32
file:       netcdf-3.5.0.win32bin.ZIP
directions: WIN32_README.TXT

>The pre-built libraries - once you download them ...have no .exe setup
>files.

The file netcdf-3.5.0.win32bin.ZIP does contain the ncdump.exe and
ncgen.exe exectuables:

% unzip -l netcdf-3.5.0.win32bin.ZIP
Archive:  netcdf-3.5.0.win32bin.ZIP
 Length    Date    Time    Name
 ------    ----    ----    ----
      0  04-04-01  19:32   bin/
  57344  04-04-01  19:30   bin/ncdump.exe
  90112  04-04-01  19:23   bin/ncdumps.exe
  94208  04-04-01  19:30   bin/ncgen.exe
 131072  04-04-01  19:23   bin/ncgens.exe
 204800  04-04-01  19:29   bin/netcdf.dll
      0  01-10-01  05:28   include/
  26587  10-13-00  10:48   include/netcdf.h
  47626  12-23-98  10:30   include/netcdf.inc
      0  04-04-01  19:31   lib/
  70340  04-04-01  19:29   lib/netcdf.lib
 392294  04-04-01  19:22   lib/netcdfs.lib
      0  04-04-01  19:04   src/
      0  01-10-01  05:28   src/cxx/
      0  01-10-01  05:28   src/fortran/
      0  01-10-01  05:28   src/libsrc/
      0  01-10-01  05:28   src/ncdump/
      0  01-10-01  05:28   src/ncgen/
      0  01-10-01  05:28   src/nctest/
      0  01-10-01  05:28   src/nc_test/
      0  04-04-01  19:05   src/nf_test/
   5939  04-04-01  19:11   WIN32_README.TXT
 ------                    -------
1120322                    22 files

>What does it mean by put the netcdf.h in your include
>directory.

This is if you are going to do program development.

>I did this...(in the free C compiler called lcc that I
>downloaded) but nothing really happened.  What do you mean by "Place
>these in a directory that's in your PATH:" Where's my PATH?  What are
>you referring to?

All operating systems support the concept of an environment variable
that contains the list of directories that will be searched when
one tries to run a program.  The typical name of this environment
variable is PATH.  You can see your setting in Windows by doing the
following:

Click on the Start button

Click on Run

Type in 'cmd' (without the quotes) and click OK

This brings up a DOS-like command window.  In that window type:

PATH

and hit the enter key.  This will list the set of directories in
the PATH for your system.

The netCDF installation instructions tell you to put the ncdump.exe
and ncgen.exe exectuables in a directory in your PATH.

>What is the difference between the static and non-static version?

A static version of a program will run without using program specific
DLLs.  A non-static one needs DLLs.

>The library - would this include a build library?

The library is needed/used when you are doing program development.

>In fact - when you say "Place" do you mean cut the files and then and
>paste them into the file folders in my compiler program files?

Place means put.  How you decide to put the file into the directory
is up to you.  A cut and paste is one way of moving files from
one location to another.

>Why would I want to build the libraries myself?  Is there an
>advantage?

You only need the libraries if you are going to be doing program
development.  From what you said in the first part of this email,
it doesn't sound like you will be doing program development.

>Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you for
>your time,

No worries.

>Katrina
>Victoria, BC

Tom Yoksas