Re: Saving netCDF files

• To: Bill Hibbard <billh@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Subject: Re: Saving netCDF files
• From: Don Murray <dmurray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Mon, 01 Mar 2004 16:33:21 -0700

Kevin, et al-

Bill Hibbard wrote:

If you want to save a VisAD data object and read back as you
saved it, consider using visad.data.visad.VisADForm (name

inspired by spam, spam, spam, eggs and spam).

or spam.eggs.spam.SpamForm ;-)

It can save
data using Java serialization, or a custom VisAD binary
format. The Data object will come back exactly as it was
written.

I would suggest the binary form since serialization has
it's own set of problems with version changes.

But of course, if you want to exchange data with non-VisAD
software, then netCDF is better.

As Steve pointed out, the VisAD Data model is much richer
than the netCDF model.  While you can model any netCDF data
in VisAD, the reverse is not true.

One other point about Bill's suggestion is that if you use
the VisAD form, then you also retain any coordinate
systems.  These are lost in netCDF output.

Don
*************************************************************
Don Murray                               UCAR Unidata Program
dmurray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                        P.O. Box 3000
(303) 497-8628                              Boulder, CO 80307
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/staff/donm
"There's someone in my head, but it's not me"    Roger Waters
*************************************************************

• References:
  • Re: Saving netCDF files
    • From: Bill Hibbard