[netcdfgroup] read array of strings with f90

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• Subject: [netcdfgroup] read array of strings with f90
• From: M P <mzp3769@xxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2022 19:52:30 -0600
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Hello,
Is it possible to read an array of strings (constant length) in fortran?
Below are specifics. Comments/help much appreciated - thanks.
Mark

netcdf file:
....

        int nlocs(nlocs) ;
                nlocs:suggested_chunk_dim = 429LL ;
....
group: MetaData {
  variables:
        string datetime(nlocs) ;
                string datetime:_FillValue = "" ;
                string datetime:units = "" ;


ncdump -v  datetime file.nc
.......
  datetime = "2021-09-30T23:02:25Z", "2021-09-30T23:07:25Z",
      "2021-09-30T23:09:23Z", "2021-09-30T23:17:25Z",
"2021-09-30T23:19:22Z",
.......

f90 code:
.......
INTEGER, PARAMETER :: date_string_length=20
CHARACTER(len=date_string_length), ALLOCATABLE :: aertimestr(:)
.......

CALL check_nc(nf90_inq_grp_ncid(ncid,"MetaData",grpid))
CALL check_nc(nf90_inq_varid(grpid,"datetime",varid))
CALL check_nc(nf90_get_var(grpid,varid,aertimestr))

.......
Error:
NetCDF: Attempt to convert between text & numbers