I also like "actual_min" and "actual_max": short and to the point.
One point Ill make is that I see a number of well thought out files using valid_min and valid_max when they really mean actual_min and actual_max. On first glance this may seem harmless, but it triggers (in the netcdf-java library default behavior) a costly scan of the data looking for invalid data, ie values outside that range. So adding actual_min/max as recommended attributes should help users from mistakenly using valid min/max. And its very useful for visualizers to create color scales etc. Julia Collins wrote: > On Mon, 9 Jun 2008, Jon Blower wrote: > >> I have rediscovered this conversation in the depths of my inbox and >> thought it might be worth resurrecting. To summarize the discussion >> so far: >> 1) I proposed two new standard optional CF attributes (called >> something like minimum_data_value and maximum_data_value) that would >> be attached to a variable in a NetCDF file, redundantly holding its >> actual min and max values in that file. [...] As well as helping with data >> mining applications, this would act as a hint to visualization >> packages to provide a first attempt at automatically defining a colour >> scale range for sensible portrayal. Note that this attribute pair is >> distinct in purpose from valid_min and valid_max (which contains >> theoretical extrema, beyond which data is considered invalid). >> > > I support the idea of formalizing these sorts of attributes in some > way. However, I would prefer a simpler name(s). For example: "actual_min" > and "actual_max." Less typing :-), and more like the existing "valid_min" > and "valid_max" attributes. > > Julia > -- > Julia Collins > National Snow and Ice Data Center > CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder > 449 UCB > Boulder, CO 80309-0449 > Voice: 303-492-6405 > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > _______________________________________________ > CF-metadata mailing list > [email protected] > http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata > _______________________________________________ CF-metadata mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata
