On 2012-04-12 11:35, Jonathan Gregory wrote:
> Dear John
>
>> Well, the netcdf-Java library will unpack coordinate variables, so
>> any applications built with it will also.
>
> OK, well done! I retract my comment.
>
> Still, I expect that there is software in use to analyse netCDF data (on the
> whole not specifically for CF) which knows about coordinate variables (because
> that is a Unidata convention) but wouldn't expect to unpack them. We could
> change the convention, but there would have to be a compelling reason, I think.
> Can anyone remember if there was a compelling reason for excluding packing of
> coordinates in the first place? I have a recollection it was a deliberate
> decision.
>
Aren't the scale_factor and add_offset part of netcdf
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/docs/netcdf/Attribute-Conventions.html,
rather than CF. So, all software handling netcdf-files should unpack all
variables independently of CF.
This leaves some place for software only reading opendap or similar in
CF, but not netcdf, but I consider the netcdf attributes convention as
basis for CF.
Heiko
Received on Thu Apr 12 2012 - 04:51:18 BST
