[netcdfgroup] External links in netCDF v4 files

• To: "'netcdfgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'" <netcdfgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Subject: [netcdfgroup] External links in netCDF v4 files
• From: Gilbert Barrot <Gilbert.Barrot@xxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:21:02 +0000

Hi all,

I am looking for a mechanism in the current netCDF4 to define a reference to an 
object that is included in another file.

I explain: I have several tens of satellite georeferenced maps per orbit, same 
spatial grid, each in a different file and the geolocation of the pixels (lon, 
lat) is also in a different file. To display a map, I need to open two files, 
the one with the map data and the spatial grid coordinates. And as display 
program often assume that the coordinates are located in the same file as the 
image, I have a problem.

It seems that this kind of feature is included in HDF5 1.8.0 
(http://www.hdfgroup.org/HDF5/doc/ADGuide/WhatsNew180.html):

"External links allow a group to include objects in another HDF5 file and 
enable the library to access those objects as if they are in the current file. 
In this manner, a group may appear to directly contain datasets, named 
datatypes, and even groups that are actually in a different file."

Is somebody here has already faced this kind of situation and found a 
workaround solution for netCDF ?

Thanks for any help!

Gilbert

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Gilbert BARROT
ACRI-ST (http://www.acri-st.fr/)
260, route du Pin Montard - B.P. 234
06904 Sophia Antipolis Cedex FRANCE
Tel +33 (0)4 92 96 75 00
Fax +33 (0)4 92 96 71 17
Skype: gbarrot
GlobColour data portal: http://hermes.acri.fr/
ODESA web site: http://earth.eo.esa.int/odesa/
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