structures

• To: netcdfgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: structures
• From: julier@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Date: Thu, 14 May 1992 16:00:05 HST

We aren't current netCDF users but I have tried to keep up with
netCDF developments thru this mailing list.  At this point, we
are seriously considering migrating our ADCP databases from our
inhouse format to netCDF, given the latter's widespread acceptance,
good support, etc.

We do have a few concerns however, specifically relating to the
netCDF data types available.  Storage space is critical in our 
case, and we have tried to keep it to a minimum by choosing the
smallest type possible to accommodate a given variable.  And so
we rely somewhat on unsigned data types, which, if I have been
informed correctly, is not available with netCDF?

Also, we use C structures liberally to represent mixed items
like instrument configuration parameters, etc.  Your README file
mentioned C++, which, among other things, features abstract
data types based on structures.  I would like to know whether
we can expect to be able to have netCDF structure types now or
soon, or whether we would have to take our structures apart and
make them fit into arrays...

Thanks.

Julie Ranada
University of Hawaii
Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research