Writing Strings and arrays of strings

• To: <rvanwie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <netcdf-java@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Subject: Writing Strings and arrays of strings
• From: "John Caron" <caron@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Mon, 8 Jul 2002 13:09:58 -0600

----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Van Wie" <Robert.Van.Wie@xxxxxxxx>
To: <netcdf-java@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, July 08, 2002 10:03 AM
Subject: all


>



> import java.awt.*;
> import java.io.*;
> import java.awt.event.*;
> import javax.swing.*;
> import ucar.ma2.*;
> import ucar.nc2.*;
>
> public class make
> {
>     private static String parms[] = new String[8];
>     private static int numArgs;
>     public  net        nt;
>     NetcdfFileWriteable ncfle;
>
>     make( String parms[] ) {                     // constructor
>
>      if ( parms[0] == null ) return;
>      NetcdfFileWriteable ncfle = new NetcdfFileWriteable();
>      net nt = new net( ncfle );
>      nt.netHead( );
>    }                                // end constructor
>
>     public static void main( String args[] ) {
>        numArgs = args.length;
>        parms[0] = args[0];
>        if ( numArgs > 1 ) parms[1] = args[1];
>        new make( parms );
>     }
> }                                 // end make
>
> import ucar.ma2.*;
> import ucar.nc2.*;
> import java.io.IOException;
> import java.util.*;
>
> public class net extends NetcdfFile {
>
>    String ncfle = "medsAscii.nc";
>    String outfle = "netOut";
>
>    net( NetcdfFileWriteable ncfle ) { super(); }
>
>    public void netHead( ) {
>      char Aray[] = { ' ',' ',' ',' '};
>      char Aray2[][];
>       int noProf = 2;
>
>      NetcdfFileWriteable ncfle = new NetcdfFileWriteable();
>      String profileType[]={"TEMP","PSAL"};
>      new net( ncfle );
>      ncfle.setName(outfle);                  // output file name
>
>        Dimension profDim = ncfle.addDimension("profile", 4);
>        Dimension[] dimM = new Dimension[1];
>        dimM[0] = profDim;
>        Aray2 = new char[ 2 ][ 4 ];
>        for( byte n=0; n < 2; n++ ) {
>          Aray = to_char( profileType[n] );
>          for( byte m=0; m < 4; m++ ) Aray2[n][m] = Aray[m];
>        }
>        ncfle.addVariable("Profile Code", char.class, new Dimension[]
{profDim});
>        ncfle.addVariableAttribute("Profile Code", "units", "GTSPP Code
Tables");
>        try {
>          ncfle.create();                           // create CDF binary
file
>        } catch (IOException e) { System.out.println("ERROR creating
file"); }
>        System.out.println( "ncfle = "+ ncfle);
>
>        try {                                        // write CDF binary
file
> //       ncfle.write("Profile Code",ArrayAbstract.factory( Aray2 )); //
does not work
>        for( byte n=0; n < 2; n++ )
>          for( byte k=0; k < 4; k++ ) Aray[k] = Aray2[n][k];
>        ncfle.write("Profile Code",ArrayAbstract.factory( Aray ));  //
works !
>        } catch (IOException e) { System.out.println("ERROR creating
file"); }
>        try { ncfle.close();
>        } catch (IOException e) { System.out.println("ERROR closing
file"); }
>    }                             // end netHead
>
>     char[] to_char( String strng ) {            // convert to character
array
>
>        int  len = strng.length();
>        char Array[];                              // input character array
>
>        Array = new char[ len ];
>        strng.getChars(0, len, Array, 0 );               // place into char
array
>        return Array;
>      }                                        // end dateLeadBlanks method
> }
>                                             July 2, 2002
>    To Whom It may Concern:
>
>        Using java, I am trying to write a simple character
multi-dimensional
>   array, named "Aray2" above, into a NetCDF file.
>
>        Please help me.
>
>                                      Bob Van Wie
>                                       Robert.Van.Wie@xxxxxxxx
>


1. normally you should include whatever error messages you see, or explain
what you know "does not work"

2. the javadoc says:

public static ArrayAbstract factory(java.lang.Object javaArray)
  Generate a new Array from a java multidimensional array of primitives.
This makes a COPY of the data values of javaArray.

since it makes a copy of the array, you need to fill the array before you
write it. Im not sure if this is your problem.

3. I assume you are interested in writing strings. (for byte data, use
ArrayByte, not ArrayChar)

heres how to write a 2D char array:

    // write char variable
    int[] origin = new int[2];
    ArrayChar ac = new ArrayChar.D2(n, len)
    ima = ac.getIndex();
    String val = "Testing 1-2-3";
    for (j=0; j<val.length(); j++)
      ac.setChar(ima.set(j), val.charAt(j));

    try {
      ncfile.write("svar", origin1, ac);
    } catch (IOException e) {
      System.err.println("ERROR writing Achar");
      assert(false);
    }

I realize this is obscure, so Ive added some new helper classes into
ArrayChar (release 2.10 now avail).

Example, assuming you want to write a single string

      ArrayChar ac2 = new ArrayChar.D1(str_len);
      ac2.setString( "Yer String here");

    // write String
    try {
      ncfile.write("StringVariable", origin, ac2);
    } catch (IOException e) {
    }

Example, assuming you have an array of n Strings with maximum length
max_len:

      String s[n];
      ArrayChar ac2 = new ArrayChar.D2(n, max_len);
      ac2.setString( 0, s[0]);
      ac2.setString( 1, s[1]);
      ac2.setString( 2, s[2]);

    // write String array
    try {
      ncfile.write("StringArray", origin, ac2);
    } catch (IOException e) {
    }