MAX_NC_NAME=128 is too low to read some SDS files with netCDF interface

• To: hdf-netcdf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: MAX_NC_NAME=128 is too low to read some SDS files with netCDF interface
• From: benno@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Benno Blumenthal)
• Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1993 15:03:38 -0400

Using HDF 3.3 Beta Release 1, I have run into a problem with the fact
that MAX_NC_NAME=128 when trying to read an HDF 3.2.1 file furnished
by NASA.  I am not sure how the mapping from SDS to VDATA is done, but
SDS does not seem aware of such a limit (this particular file has a
name which is 133 chars.  So ncopen dies, which is not very helpful.
I upped the limit, which is the simple solution, but it would be nice
if the code that allows one to read older HDF/SDS files could work
with the lower limit, i.e. do something more useful than stopping.

That problem solved, I quickly run into another problem, which is that
the file has 104 dimensions which alternate between 1 and 6596, not
particularly useful and ncdump quickly coredumps anyway.  How is this
mapping (from SDS to netCDF) supposed to work anyway?


                                        -- Benno

Benno Blumenthal  Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
                  Palisades NY 10964     (914) 365-8350

internet:  benno@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx