Dear Balaji
Yes, I believe so. Hence it needs to be treated with care. It means that data
written in this way could not be read by software that supports only the netCDF
classic model, doesn't it. We have to be satisfied that the benefit justifies
the drawback.
Best wishes
Jonathan
----- Forwarded message from V Balaji - NOAA Affiliate <v.balaji at noaa.gov> -----
> From: V Balaji - NOAA Affiliate <v.balaji at noaa.gov>
> Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2016 09:08:22 -0400
> Subject: Re: [CF-metadata] string variables and netCDF4
> To: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory at reading.ac.uk>
> CC: cf-metadata at cgd.ucar.edu
>
> Would this be the first time the CF conventions use a data structure that
> cannot be represented in netCDF-3?
>
> On Mon, Aug 15, 2016 at 3:46 AM, Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory at reading.ac.uk
> > wrote:
>
> > Dear Karl
> >
> > I think that allowing strings as an alternative to char arrays is a natural
> > extension and should not be problematic since the information content is
> > the
> > same. It's good to hear from Jim that the cf-checker is happy with it. We
> > have discussed this before. As you say, the CF convention does not allow
> > for
> > it at the moment, and so a change is needed. This depends on someone
> > carefully
> > going through the document to see what might need to be changed to include
> > this alternative.
> >
> > Best wishes
> >
> > Jonathan
> >
> > ----- Forwarded message from Jim Biard <jbiard at cicsnc.org> -----
> >
> > > Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2016 16:46:18 -0400
> > > From: Jim Biard <jbiard at cicsnc.org>
> > > To: "cf-metadata at cgd.ucar.edu" <cf-metadata at cgd.ucar.edu>
> > > Subject: Re: [CF-metadata] string variables and netCDF4
> > >
> > > Karl,
> > >
> > > The string type passes the cf checker as long as it is an ASCII string.
> > It
> > > is possible to make a unicode string, and that fails. So, from a
> > practical
> > > perspective, it is fine.
> > >
> > > Grace and peace,
> > >
> > > Jim
> > >
> > > [image: CICS-NC] <http://www.cicsnc.org/>Visit us on
> > > Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/cicsnc> *Jim Biard*
> > > *Research Scholar*
> > > Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites NC <http://cicsnc.org/
> > >
> > > North Carolina State University <http://ncsu.edu/>
> > > NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information <
> > http://ncdc.noaa.gov/>
> > > *formerly NOAA?s National Climatic Data Center*
> > > 151 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
> > > e: jbiard at cicsnc.org
> > > o: +1 828 271 4900
> > >
> > > *Connect with us on Facebook for climate
> > > <http://www.facebook.com/NOAANCEIclimate> and ocean and geophysics
> > > <http://www.facebook.com/NOAANCEIoceangeo> information, and follow us on
> > > Twitter at _at_NOAANCEIclimate
> > > <http://www.twitter.com/NOAANCEIclimate>and _at_NOAANCEIocngeo
> > > <http://www.twitter.com/NOAANCEIocngeo>.*
> > >
> > >
> > > On Fri, Aug 12, 2016 at 12:31 PM, Karl Taylor <taylor13 at llnl.gov> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi all,
> > > >
> > > > I have a question from Robert Pincus that I don't know that answer to:
> > > >
> > > > Is it ok to use a one-dimensional ?string? variable instead of a
> > > > two-dimensional character variable to encode expt_label? This might be
> > > > asking whether it?s ok to use netCDF4, which I certainly hope is the
> > case.
> > > >
> > > > He's defining an array of "labels".
> > > >
> > > > The conventions document states: "NetCDF does not support a character
> > > > string type, so these must be represented as character arrays."
> > > >
> > > > so my take on this is that a one-dimensional array of "string"
> > variables
> > > > would not be permitted. In general do we forbid use of any of the new
> > > > netCDF4 structures? (I guess yes).
> > > >
> > > > thanks,
> > > > Karl
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > CF-metadata mailing list
> > > > CF-metadata at cgd.ucar.edu
> > > > http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata
> > > >
> >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > CF-metadata mailing list
> > > CF-metadata at cgd.ucar.edu
> > > http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata
> >
> >
> > ----- End forwarded message -----
> > _______________________________________________
> > CF-metadata mailing list
> > CF-metadata at cgd.ucar.edu
> > http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata
> >
>
>
>
> --
>
> V. Balaji Office: +1-609-452-6516
> Head, Modeling Systems Group, GFDL Mobile: +1-917-273-9824
> Princeton University Email: v.balaji at noaa.gov
----- End forwarded message -----
Received on Mon Aug 15 2016 - 07:13:13 BST
