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Re: 20040806: NetCDF Software Additions

>To: address@hidden
>cc: "Flynn, Connor J" <address@hidden>
>From: "Beus, Sherman J" <address@hidden>
>Subject: NetCDF Software Additions
>Organization: PNL
>Keywords: 200408061610.i76GA5aW000912

Hi Sherman,

> The ARM Program has developed some freely-available NetCDF software
> we would like to add to your respository.  Below is a description of
> each of these:
> 
> =======================================
> 
> ANDX (ARM NetCDF Data eXtract)
> http://engineering.arm.gov/~sbeus/andx-web/html/
> <http://engineering.arm.gov/~sbeus/andx-web/html/>
> 
> ANDX is a command-line utility designed for routine examination and
> extraction of data from netcdf files. Data can be displayed
> graphically (line-plot, scatter-plot, overlay, color-intensity,
> etc.) or extracted as ASCII data. Whether displayed graphically or
> extracted as ASCII, results can be saved to disk or viewed on
> screen.
> 
> =======================================
> 
> ANAX (ARM NetCDF ASCII eXtract)
> http://science.arm.gov/~cflynn/ARM_Tested_Tools/
> <http://science.arm.gov/~cflynn/ARM_Tested_Tools/>
> 
> ANAX is simply a scaled-down version of ANDX -- it is designed to
> only extract ASCII data. All features of ANDX pertaining to
> non-graphic data extraction are included in ANAX.
> 
> =======================================
> 
> ANTS (ARM NetCDF Tool Suite) http://science.arm.gov/~cflynn/ANTS/
> <http://science.arm.gov/~cflynn/ANTS/>
> 
> ANTS is a collection of netcdf tools and utilities providing various
> means of creating and modifying netcdf files. ANTS is based on
> nctools written by Chuck Denham. The utilities within nctools were
> modified to compile with version 3.5 of the netcdf library, the
> command syntax was modified for consistency with other tools, and
> changes were made to accommodate ARM standard netcdf.
> 
> The original functions from nctools were intended mainly for the
> creation, definition, and copying of fundamental netcdf elements. We
> have added others which focus on manipulation of data within
> existing netcdf files. Additional functions have special support for
> multi-dimensional data such as "slicing" cross sections from
> multi-dimensional variable data or joining lesser-dimensional fields
> to form multi-dimensional structures. Functions have been added to
> support execution of arithmetic and logical operations, bundling or
> splitting netcdf files, comparing the structure or content of files,
> and so on.
> 
> Essentially every type of netcdf library function call is exercised
> in ANTS. In this way then, this open-source collection of tools also
> represents a library of coding examples for fundamental netcdf
> tasks.  See the website for more information.
> 
> =======================================
> 
> NCMEX for Octave (Octave NetCDF Interface)
> 
> This NCMEX is simply a port of Chuck Denham's Matlab NCMEX to Octave
> (www.octave.org).  The calling syntax is identical, so scripts using
> NCMEX in Matlab should in theory be portable to Octave.  In order to
> build NCMEX, a compiled C NetCDF library must already be installed.
> 
> In addition to the base NetCDF library interface, we have developed
> a simple toolbox to automate the reading and writing of NetCDf files
> within Octave using NCMEX.  These tools as well as the source for
> NCMEX are available from here (NOTE: this .tar file contains other
> Octave extension functions besides NCMEX):
> http://engineering.arm.gov/~sbeus/octavex/octavex.tar.
> 
> For installation instructions, see the README file inside the above
> .tar file.
> 
> =======================================
> 
> Please advise if more information, links, etc. is needed to get this
> software accessible from your website.

On behalf of the netCDF user community, thanks very much for these
developments and for the information about them!  The packages look
very useful.

I have drafted entries for each of these in the "Software for
Manipulating or Displaying NetCDF Data" web page under "Freely
Available Software":

  http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/packages/netcdf/software.html#ANDX
  http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/packages/netcdf/software.html#ANTS
  http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/packages/netcdf/software.html#NCMEX

Please look these over and let me know if the minor changes I've made
are OK, or if you want any changes.  In particular, I combined ANDX
and ANAX in one entry and I also included a link to your "ARM-tested
netCDF data tools" document at the top of the software page, since I
think it deserves some prominence.

I'd also like to include a note about these new packages in the
"What's new with netCDF" page at 

  http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/packages/netcdf/whatsnew.html

and recommend that you also send a note to the netcdfgroup mailing
list about these packages.  If you would rather have me send a posting
to the mailing list, I'll draft something up and pass it by you first.

If you'd like your names added to the entries rather than the "ARM
Program", I'd be happy to do that, but I would need more information
to get the credit right.  I've also added Sherman J. Beus and Connor
J. Flynn to the list of names we credit for helping make netCDF more
useful:

  http:/www.unidata.ucar.edu/packages/netcdf/credits.html

Thanks again for all your work!

--Russ

_____________________________________________________________________

Russ Rew                                         UCAR Unidata Program
address@hidden          http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/staff/russ