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 <[email protected]> ----- > From: V Balaji - NOAA Affiliate <[email protected]> > Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2016 09:08:22 -0400 > Subject: Re: [CF-metadata] string variables and netCDF4 > To: Jonathan Gregory <[email protected]> > CC: [email protected] > > 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 <[email protected] > > 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 <[email protected]> ----- > > > > > Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2016 16:46:18 -0400 > > > From: Jim Biard <[email protected]> > > > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > > > 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: [email protected] > > > 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 @NOAANCEIclimate > > > <http://www.twitter.com/NOAANCEIclimate>and @NOAANCEIocngeo > > > <http://www.twitter.com/NOAANCEIocngeo>.* > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Aug 12, 2016 at 12:31 PM, Karl Taylor <[email protected]> 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 > > > > [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 > > > > > > ----- End forwarded message ----- > > _______________________________________________ > > CF-metadata mailing list > > [email protected] > > 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: [email protected] ----- End forwarded message ----- _______________________________________________ CF-metadata mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.cgd.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/cf-metadata
