The C API

10.1 The C API

The C library is the core implementation on which non-Java interfaces are built.

It provides reliability, performance, and portability.

Strengths

Comprehensively tested: Many tests are run when the netCDF C library is installed from source.
Well supported:Answers for many common support questions are readily available.
Mature: The C interface has many users on many platforms, enhancing its reliability and portability.
Well documented: The netCDF C Users Guide for version 4.1.3 is complete, and reference documentation is maintained in Unix man-page form.
Useful with ncgen: From CDL, ncgen can generate C code needed to create the corresponding netCDF file.

Weaknesses

The new Doxygen-generated netCDF-4 documentation is still a work in progress.
You have to explicitly provide memory for netCDF data values and attribute values you read.
The return from every function call must be checked explicitly.