Tom,
I think your simple index coordinate variable and my label coordinate
variable are pretty much the same thing. Yours would contain a numeric
sequence, and mine would contain descriptive strings. They both are
examples of parametric drivers. The remaining question is - what
constitutes a sufficiently unambiguous way to identify the ensemble of
variables used to describe each band? Put another way, are the existing
conventions for identifying auxiliary coordinate variables sufficient to
the task of identifying the descriptors for the bands?
Let's say that we have a parametric driver coordinate variable named
band (with dimension band) that has an axis type of "index", and
variables with axis types of "wavenumber", "bandwidth", and
"polarization" (each with dimension band). Is it sufficient to identify
the wavenumber, bandwidth, and polarization variables as auxiliary
coordinates on our data variable (via the coordinates attribute)? Or is
there a need to more explicitly declare the ensemble (perhaps via an
attribute on the band coordinate variable)?
Jim
On 7/25/2011 3:02 PM, Tom Whittaker wrote:
Hi Jim...
On Mon, Jul 25, 2011 at 12:44 PM, Jim Biard<Jim.Biard@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
Is this just too far out?
Far out, man!! ;-)
Seriously, though, I don't see the need for such a device ("...make
the "band" coordinate variable an array of label strings..."). Based
on what Tom Rink and John Caron have said, it looks like defining a
"coordinate axis type" using a few select concepts is the best
approach. We'll see what John as to say about the notion of a simple
index being used as a coordinate variable...and go from there...
tom
--
Jim Biard
Government Contractor, STG Inc.
Remote Sensing and Applications Division (RSAD)
National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
jim.biard@xxxxxxxx
828-271-4900
