@JonathanGregory Respectfully, we don't all agree that a 1-D string-valued coordinate variable should not have the same name as its dimension. But I acknowledge that you and Martin have that view.
@ethanrd indicates that there is a general reason use case, in that netCDF-Java supports coordinate variables of the form "string x(x)". I have a use case in my own work. I am working on automated front detection. I generate netCDF files with data variables where one of the dimensions is the front type. I'd love to construct a dimension coordinate variable "string front_type(front_type)", but current CF understanding requires me to construct an auxiliary coordinate variable "string front_type_name(front_type)". It's not a problem, per se, but it is an example of a system where the "string x(x)" form would be a natural fit. Given the strong historical conceptual connection between dimension coordinate variables and temporal and spatial axes, I understand the tendency to want to exclude non-numeric dimension coordinate variables. But in the wider world of state space domains there are "independent variable" bases that aren't represented as classical number line axes. A workaround would be to use flag_values and flag_meanings to assign strings to each element of a variable of the form "int x(x)". Such a variable would pass the requirements for a dimension coordinate variable, and would be conceptually equivalent to a variable of the form "string x(x)". But ... CF currently doesn't allow flag_values and flag_meanings to be used for coordinate variables. So that option is excluded. And, yes, this isn't the most important part of this discussion, and it could be spun off into its own issue in the name of getting to closure. -- 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-598210905 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].
