Hi @ethanrd: [NUG defines coordinate variables](https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/docs/netcdf_data_set_components.html#coordinate_variables) with the statement that "A variable with the same name as a dimension is called a coordinate variable. It typically defines a physical coordinate corresponding to that dimension." Since `string x(x)` is clearly a variable with the same name as a dimension (i.e. `x`) it is a NUG coordinate variable.
`string x(x)` is not currently allowed because it is interpreted as a coordinate variable and there is a rule saying that coordinate variables must be numeric. This is in the[ terminology section](http://cfconventions.org/cf-conventions/cf-conventions.html#terminology). I don't think anybody in this discussion has suggested that `char x(x,l)` is disallowed or should be disallowed. The statement which I quoted above recommending that this formulation should be avoided in multidimensional coordinate variables comes from the 4th paragraph of[ section 5 of the CF Convention](http://cfconventions.org/cf-conventions/cf-conventions.html#coordinate-system). -- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: https://github.com/cf-convention/cf-conventions/issues/174#issuecomment-595800441 This list forwards relevant notifications from Github. It is distinct from [email protected], although if you do nothing, a subscription to the UCAR list will result in a subscription to this list. To unsubscribe from this list only, send a message to [email protected].
