NetCDF - Revision history

Dallured: NetCDF page: Update links, add CDF-5 variant, fix license, improve wording.

2026-06-12T23:55:44Z

NetCDF page: Update links, add CDF-5 variant, fix license, improve wording.

Thorsted at 16:40, 25 June 2024

2024-06-25T16:40:41Z

Johanvanderknijff: Added link to Uni Michigan format profile

2018-10-12T14:10:46Z

Added link to Uni Michigan format profile

Dan Tobias at 18:57, 14 May 2015

2015-05-14T18:57:35Z

Jsummers at 19:11, 4 August 2013

2013-08-04T19:11:16Z

Jsummers: LoCFDD cleanup

2013-07-07T18:38:28Z

LoCFDD cleanup

Jsummers: PRONOM

2013-07-05T20:25:15Z

PRONOM

Dan Tobias at 18:26, 17 November 2012

2012-11-17T18:26:28Z

SwanQ: Added link to LoC pages and NASA endorsement of NetCDF-4

2012-11-13T08:46:22Z

Added link to LoC pages and NASA endorsement of NetCDF-4

Dan Tobias at 06:57, 7 November 2012

2012-11-07T06:57:18Z

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 == General description ==
-The Network Common Data Form (netCDF) is a long-lived set of file formats and associated APIs designed by UCAR for multi-dimensional datasets. (Though its name resembles that of [[Common Data Format|CDF]], and their original designs were similar, the two products have greatly diverged.) The various versions are widely used in environmental science, especially atmospheric and oceanographic research. Currently it has two main versions, netCDF-3 and netCDF-4, which are quite different in implementation, and moderately different in API. There are also "subversions" of netCDF-3, notably "netCDF Classic." Tool support for netCDF-3 continues to exceed that for netCDF-4; but the latter, based on [[HDF5]], is generally considered technically superior, so its tool support is increasing rapidly.
+The Network Common Data Form (netCDF) is a long-lived set of file formats and associated APIs designed by UCAR for multi-dimensional datasets. (Though its name resembles that of [[Common Data Format|CDF]], and their original designs were similar, the two products have greatly diverged.) The various versions are widely used in environmental science, especially atmospheric and oceanographic research. Currently it has two main versions, netCDF-3 and netCDF-4, which are quite different in implementation, and moderately different in API. There are also variants of netCDF-3, notably "netCDF Classic." Tool support for netCDF-3 continues to exceed that for netCDF-4; but the latter, based on [[HDF5]], is generally considered technically superior, so its tool support is increasing rapidly.
-Notable features of netCDF include
+Notable features of netCDF include:
-* incorporation of metadata. netCDF is said to be "self-describing," in that the file format provides for a header describing the structure of the data. In practice, the utility of its metadata depends on the extent to which the data author provides and maintains it.
+* incorporation of metadata. NetCDF is said to be "self-describing," in that the file format provides for a header describing the structure of the data. In practice, the utility of its metadata depends on the extent to which the data author provides and maintains it.
 * platform independence via API: provided the user manipulates netCDF files via supported APIs (which are numerous), the user can effectively ignore issues such as endianness.
 * backward compatibility. Software and API capable of manipulating netCDF-4 is also capable of manipulating netCDF-3, though of course advanced features of the later version are not accessible to files written for the earlier version.
-According to the FAQ,there are 4 main versions of NetCDF:
+According to the [https://docs.unidata.ucar.edu/netcdf-c/current/faq.html#formatsdatamodelssoftwarereleases FAQ], there are five main versions of netCDF:
-* the classic format
+*    the netCDF-3 classic format (CDF-1)
-*    the 64-bit offset format
+*    the 64-bit offset format (CDF-2)
 *    the netCDF-4 format
 *    the netCDF-4 classic model format
-NetCDF is described on the [http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/ Unidata pages] of the UCAR web site. A short document [http://www.esdswg.org/spg/rfc/esds-rfc-011/ESDS-RFC-011v1.00.pdf describing early versions] has been accepted as a standard by NASA.
+Any of the first three may be referred to as netCDF-3.
 NetCDF-4 based on [[HDF5]] has been endorsed as a standard by NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS).  See [http://earthdata.nasa.gov/our-community/esdswg/standards-process-spg/rfc  Endorsed set of EOSDIS approved standards.]
@@ Line 31: / Line 33: @@
 == Other information ==
-The format is referenced in the Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetCDF page on NetCDF].
+The format is referenced in the Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetCDF page on netCDF).
-−
 NetCDF claims full backwards compatibility.
-Software and information is made available according to [http://www2.ucar.edu/terms-of-use UCAR Terms of Use], which indicate they are not usable for commercial purposes.
+Software and information are available under a [https://github.com/Unidata/netcdf-c/blob/main/COPYRIGHT permissive BSD 3-Clause "New" or "Revised" License].  Commercial and private purposes are both permitted.
 == Software ==
-There is a wide range of software available to create and process NetCDF files. The Wikipedia article mentioned above has a starter list.
+There is a wide range of software available to create and process netCDF files. The Wikipedia article mentioned above has a starter list.
 == Sample files ==
-Sample NetCDF files are available on the [http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/examples/files.html Unidata web site].
+Sample netCDF files are available on the [https://archive.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/examples/files.html Unidata web site].
 == Identification ==
-The magic number is CDF\001 .
+Magic numbers:
-The file extension is .nc (originally .cdf) and the MIME Type is application/netcdf or
+The MIME Type is application/netcdf or application/x-netcdf.
 application/x-netcdf.
 == References ==
 * The User's Guide is: Rew, R. K., G. P. Davis, S. Emmerson, and H. Davies, NetCDF User's Guide for C, An Interface for Data Access, Version 3, April 1997.
 * [https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/145724/Public-Data-CurationFormat%20Profile-netCDF.pdf Data Curation Format Profile: netCDF] (Research Data Services, University of Michigan Library)
 [[Category:HDF based file formats]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:40, 25 June 2024
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	* The User's Guide is: Rew, R. K., G. P. Davis, S. Emmerson, and H. Davies, NetCDF User's Guide for C, An Interface for Data Access, Version 3, April 1997.		* The User's Guide is: Rew, R. K., G. P. Davis, S. Emmerson, and H. Davies, NetCDF User's Guide for C, An Interface for Data Access, Version 3, April 1997.
	* [https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/145724/Public-Data-CurationFormat%20Profile-netCDF.pdf Data Curation Format Profile: netCDF] (Research Data Services, University of Michigan Library)		* [https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/145724/Public-Data-CurationFormat%20Profile-netCDF.pdf Data Curation Format Profile: netCDF] (Research Data Services, University of Michigan Library)
		+
		+	[[Category:HDF based file formats]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:10, 12 October 2018
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	* The User's Guide is: Rew, R. K., G. P. Davis, S. Emmerson, and H. Davies, NetCDF User's Guide for C, An Interface for Data Access, Version 3, April 1997.		* The User's Guide is: Rew, R. K., G. P. Davis, S. Emmerson, and H. Davies, NetCDF User's Guide for C, An Interface for Data Access, Version 3, April 1997.
		+	* [https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/145724/Public-Data-CurationFormat%20Profile-netCDF.pdf Data Curation Format Profile: netCDF] (Research Data Services, University of Michigan Library)

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 == General description ==
-The Network Common Data Form (netCDF) is a long-lived set of file formats and associated APIs designed by UCAR for multi-dimensional datasets. (Though its name resembles that of [[CDF]], and their original designs were similar, the two products have greatly diverged.) The various versions are widely used in environmental science, especially atmospheric and oceanographic research. Currently it has two main versions, netCDF-3 and netCDF-4, which are quite different in implementation, and moderately different in API. There are also "subversions" of netCDF-3, notably "netCDF Classic." Tool support for netCDF-3 continues to exceed that for netCDF-4; but the latter, based on [[HDF5]], is generally considered technically superior, so its tool support is increasing rapidly.
+The Network Common Data Form (netCDF) is a long-lived set of file formats and associated APIs designed by UCAR for multi-dimensional datasets. (Though its name resembles that of [[Common Data Format|CDF]], and their original designs were similar, the two products have greatly diverged.) The various versions are widely used in environmental science, especially atmospheric and oceanographic research. Currently it has two main versions, netCDF-3 and netCDF-4, which are quite different in implementation, and moderately different in API. There are also "subversions" of netCDF-3, notably "netCDF Classic." Tool support for netCDF-3 continues to exceed that for netCDF-4; but the latter, based on [[HDF5]], is generally considered technically superior, so its tool support is increasing rapidly.
 Notable features of netCDF include

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 == General description ==
-The Network Common Data Form (netCDF) is a long-lived set of file formats and associated APIs designed by UCAR for multi-dimensional datasets. (Though its name resembles that of [[cdf]], and their original designs were similar, the two products have greatly diverged.) The various versions are widely used in environmental science, especially atmospheric and oceanographic research. Currently it has two main versions, netCDF-3 and netCDF-4, which are quite different in implementation, and moderately different in API. There are also "subversions" of netCDF-3, notably "netCDF Classic." Tool support for netCDF-3 continues to exceed that for netCDF-4; but the latter, based on [[HDF5]], is generally considered technically superior, so its tool support is increasing rapidly.
+The Network Common Data Form (netCDF) is a long-lived set of file formats and associated APIs designed by UCAR for multi-dimensional datasets. (Though its name resembles that of [[CDF]], and their original designs were similar, the two products have greatly diverged.) The various versions are widely used in environmental science, especially atmospheric and oceanographic research. Currently it has two main versions, netCDF-3 and netCDF-4, which are quite different in implementation, and moderately different in API. There are also "subversions" of netCDF-3, notably "netCDF Classic." Tool support for netCDF-3 continues to exceed that for netCDF-4; but the latter, based on [[HDF5]], is generally considered technically superior, so its tool support is increasing rapidly.
 Notable features of netCDF include

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 |extensions={{ext|nc}}
 |mimetypes={{mimetype|application/netcdf}}
 |pronom={{PRONOM|fmt/282}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/283}}
 }}
 == General description ==
@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 * The User's Guide is: Rew, R. K., G. P. Davis, S. Emmerson, and H. Davies, NetCDF User's Guide for C, An Interface for Data Access, Version 3, April 1997.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{|
+{{FormatInfo
-|[[File Formats]]
+|formattype=electronic
-| >
+|subcat=Scientific Data formats
-|[[Electronic File Formats]]
+|extensions={{ext|nc}}
-| >
+|mimetypes={{mimetype|application/netcdf}}
-|[[Scientific Data formats]]
+}}
-| >
-|[[NetCDF]]
-|}
 == General description ==