22.0 |
Groups and Types in NetCDF-4
The enhanced netCDF-4 model provides groups to organize data, and introduces new primitive types and new user-defined types. |
22.1 |
What are Groups?
NetCDF-4 files can organize variables, dimensions, and attributes in hierarchical groups. |
22.2 |
CDL Example of Groups
This CDL example demonstrates one use of groups. |
22.3 |
Possible Uses for Groups
Some possible uses for groups are suggested. |
22.4 |
Strings
The String type can replace character arrays for most purposes. |
22.5 |
Example Creating an Array of Strings
This C example writes an array of strings as an attribute. |
22.6 |
Additional Numeric Types
New primitive types include 64-bit integers and unsigned integer types. |
22.7 |
Using User Defined Types
User-defined types can be used to store N-dimensional arrays of structs, variable length arrays, enumerations, and opaque data ojects of known size. |
22.8 |
Writing and Reading Data of User Defined Type
Use these functions to read or write data of user defined type. |
22.9 |
Learning about User Defined Types
Inquiry functions in netCDF-4 allow users to learn about user-defined types when reading a file. |
22.10 |
Introduction to Compound Types
Use compound types to bundle one or more named values, possible of different types, together into a single named unit. |
22.11 |
Example with Compound Types in netCDF-4
An example use of compound types for observational data in netCDF-4. |
22.12 |
Using Enums
The enumerated type can associate integer constant values with names. |
22.13 |
Uses for Enumerations
What are the uses for enum data? |
22.14 |
Enum CDL Example
A CDL example shows enumerations which classify cloud types. |
22.15 |
Using the Opaque Type
The opaque type holds arrays of unknown contents, with known size. |
22.16 |
Opaque Example
A CDL example shows an opaque data type used for 11-byte raw sensor data records. |
22.17 |
Variable-Length Types
Variable-length types provide support for ragged arrays. |
22.18 |
Example of Variable-Length Types
This examples shows a 1D VLEN array. |
22.19 |
Using Variable Length Types
Memory for variable length array data is allocated by the library when they are read, and must be freed by the user. |
22.20 |
Sea Sounding Example
The ncdump output shows a compound type that contains a variable-length member. |