The NetCDF C Interface Guide
****************************

   This document describes the C interface to the netCDF library; it
applies to netCDF version 4.1.3 and was last updated on 10 June 2011.

   For a complete description of the netCDF format and utilities see
*note The NetCDF Users Guide: (netcdf)Top.

1 Use of the NetCDF Library
***************************

You can use the netCDF library without knowing about all of the netCDF
interface. If you are creating a netCDF dataset, only a handful of
routines are required to define the necessary dimensions, variables,
and attributes, and to write the data to the netCDF dataset. (Even less
is needed if you use the ncgen utility to create the dataset before
running a program using netCDF library calls to write data.)
Similarly, if you are writing software to access data stored in a
particular netCDF object, only a small subset of the netCDF library is
required to open the netCDF dataset and access the data. Authors of
generic applications that access arbitrary netCDF datasets need to be
familiar with more of the netCDF library.

   In this chapter we provide templates of common sequences of netCDF
calls needed for common uses. For clarity we present only the names of
routines; omit declarations and error checking; omit the type-specific
suffixes of routine names for variables and attributes; indent
statements that are typically invoked multiple times; and use ... to
represent arbitrary sequences of other statements. Full parameter lists
are described in later chapters.

1.1 Creating a NetCDF Dataset
=============================

Here is a typical sequence of netCDF calls used to create a new netCDF
dataset:

         nc_create           /* create netCDF dataset: enter define mode */
              ...
            nc_def_dim       /* define dimensions: from name and length */
              ...
            nc_def_var       /* define variables: from name, type, ... */
              ...
            nc_put_att       /* put attribute: assign attribute values */
              ...
         nc_enddef           /* end definitions: leave define mode */
              ...
            nc_put_var       /* provide values for variables */
              ...
         nc_close            /* close: save new netCDF dataset */

   Only one call is needed to create a netCDF dataset, at which point
you will be in the first of two netCDF modes. When accessing an open
netCDF dataset, it is either in define mode or data mode. In define
mode, you can create dimensions, variables, and new attributes, but you
cannot read or write variable data. In data mode, you can access data
and change existing attributes, but you are not permitted to create new
dimensions, variables, or attributes.

   One call to nc_def_dim is needed for each dimension created.
Similarly, one call to nc_def_var is needed for each variable creation,
and one call to a member of the nc_put_att family is needed for each
attribute defined and assigned a value. To leave define mode and enter
data mode, call nc_enddef.

   Once in data mode, you can add new data to variables, change old
values, and change values of existing attributes (so long as the
attribute changes do not require more storage space). Single values may
be written to a netCDF variable with one of the members of the
nc_put_var1 family, depending on what type of data you have to write.
All the values of a variable may be written at once with one of the
members of the nc_put_var family. Arrays or array cross-sections of a
variable may be written using members of the nc_put_vara family.
Subsampled array sections may be written using members of the
nc_put_vars family. Mapped array sections may be written using members
of the nc_put_varm family. (Subsampled and mapped access are general
forms of data access that are explained later.)

   Finally, you should explicitly close all netCDF datasets that have
been opened for writing by calling nc_close. By default, access to the
file system is buffered by the netCDF library. If a program terminates
abnormally with netCDF datasets open for writing, your most recent
modifications may be lost. This default buffering of data is disabled
by setting the NC_SHARE flag when opening the dataset. But even if this
flag is set, changes to attribute values or changes made in define mode
are not written out until nc_sync or nc_close is called.

1.2 Reading a NetCDF Dataset with Known Names
=============================================

Here we consider the case where you know the names of not only the
netCDF datasets, but also the names of their dimensions, variables, and
attributes. (Otherwise you would have to do "inquire" calls.) The order
of typical C calls to read data from those variables in a netCDF
dataset is:

         nc_open                /* open existing netCDF dataset */
              ...
            nc_inq_dimid        /* get dimension IDs */
              ...
            nc_inq_varid        /* get variable IDs */
              ...
            nc_get_att          /* get attribute values */
              ...
            nc_get_var          /* get values of variables */
              ...
         nc_close               /* close netCDF dataset */

   First, a single call opens the netCDF dataset, given the dataset
name, and returns a netCDF ID that is used to refer to the open netCDF
dataset in all subsequent calls.

   Next, a call to nc_inq_dimid for each dimension of interest gets the
dimension ID from the dimension name. Similarly, each required variable
ID is determined from its name by a call to nc_inq_varid Once variable
IDs are known, variable attribute values can be retrieved using the
netCDF ID, the variable ID, and the desired attribute name as input to
a member of the nc_get_att family (typically nc_get_att_text or
nc_get_att_double) for each desired attribute. Variable data values can
be directly accessed from the netCDF dataset with calls to members of
the nc_get_var1 family for single values, the nc_get_var family for
entire variables, or various other members of the nc_get_vara,
nc_get_vars, or nc_get_varm families for array, subsampled or mapped
access.

   Finally, the netCDF dataset is closed with nc_close. There is no need
to close a dataset open only for reading.

1.3 Reading a netCDF Dataset with Unknown Names
===============================================

It is possible to write programs (e.g., generic software) which do such
things as processing every variable, without needing to know in advance
the names of these variables. Similarly, the names of dimensions and
attributes may be unknown.

   Names and other information about netCDF objects may be obtained from
netCDF datasets by calling inquire functions. These return information
about a whole netCDF dataset, a dimension, a variable, or an attribute.
The following template illustrates how they are used:

         nc_open                   /* open existing netCDF dataset */
           ...
         nc_inq                    /* find out what is in it */
              ...
            nc_inq_dim             /* get dimension names, lengths */
              ...
            nc_inq_var             /* get variable names, types, shapes */
                 ...
               nc_inq_attname      /* get attribute names */
                 ...
               nc_inq_att          /* get attribute types and lengths */
                 ...
               nc_get_att          /* get attribute values */
                 ...
            nc_get_var             /* get values of variables */
              ...
         nc_close                  /* close netCDF dataset */

   As in the previous example, a single call opens the existing netCDF
dataset, returning a netCDF ID. This netCDF ID is given to the nc_inq
routine, which returns the number of dimensions, the number of
variables, the number of global attributes, and the ID of the unlimited
dimension, if there is one.

   All the inquire functions are inexpensive to use and require no I/O,
since the information they provide is stored in memory when a netCDF
dataset is first opened.

   Dimension IDs use consecutive integers, beginning at 0. Also
dimensions, once created, cannot be deleted. Therefore, knowing the
number of dimension IDs in a netCDF dataset means knowing all the
dimension IDs: they are the integers 0, 1, 2, ...up to the number of
dimensions. For each dimension ID, a call to the inquire function
nc_inq_dim returns the dimension name and length.

   Variable IDs are also assigned from consecutive integers 0, 1, 2,
... up to the number of variables. These can be used in nc_inq_var
calls to find out the names, types, shapes, and the number of
attributes assigned to each variable.

   Once the number of attributes for a variable is known, successive
calls to nc_inq_attname return the name for each attribute given the
netCDF ID, variable ID, and attribute number. Armed with the attribute
name, a call to nc_inq_att returns its type and length. Given the type
and length, you can allocate enough space to hold the attribute values.
Then a call to a member of the nc_get_att family returns the attribute
values.

   Once the IDs and shapes of netCDF variables are known, data values
can be accessed by calling a member of the nc_get_var1 family for single
values, or members of the nc_get_var, nc_get_vara, nc_get_vars, or
nc_get_varm for various kinds of array access.

1.4 Adding New Dimensions, Variables, Attributes
================================================

An existing netCDF dataset can be extensively altered. New dimensions,
variables, and attributes can be added or existing ones renamed, and
existing attributes can be deleted. Existing dimensions, variables, and
attributes can be renamed. The following code template lists a typical
sequence of calls to add new netCDF components to an existing dataset:

         nc_open             /* open existing netCDF dataset */
           ...
         nc_redef            /* put it into define mode */
             ...
           nc_def_dim        /* define additional dimensions (if any) */
             ...
           nc_def_var        /* define additional variables (if any) */
             ...
           nc_put_att        /* define additional attributes (if any) */
             ...
         nc_enddef           /* check definitions, leave define mode */
             ...
           nc_put_var        /* provide values for new variables */
             ...
         nc_close            /* close netCDF dataset */

   A netCDF dataset is first opened by the nc_open call. This call puts
the open dataset in data mode, which means existing data values can be
accessed and changed, existing attributes can be changed (so long as
they do not grow), but nothing can be added. To add new netCDF
dimensions, variables, or attributes you must enter define mode, by
calling nc_redef. In define mode, call nc_def_dim to define new
dimensions, nc_def_var to define new variables, and a member of the
nc_put_att family to assign new attributes to variables or enlarge old
attributes.

   You can leave define mode and reenter data mode, checking all the new
definitions for consistency and committing the changes to disk, by
calling nc_enddef. If you do not wish to reenter data mode, just call
nc_close, which will have the effect of first calling nc_enddef.

   Until the nc_enddef call, you may back out of all the redefinitions
made in define mode and restore the previous state of the netCDF
dataset by calling nc_abort. You may also use the nc_abort call to
restore the netCDF dataset to a consistent state if the call to
nc_enddef fails. If you have called nc_close from definition mode and
the implied call to nc_enddef fails, nc_abort will automatically be
called to close the netCDF dataset and leave it in its previous
consistent state (before you entered define mode).

   For netCDF-4/HDF5 format files, define mode is still important, but
the user does not have to called nc_enddef - it is called automatically
when needed. It may also be called by the user.

   In netCDF-4/HDF5 files, there are some settings which can only be
modified during the very first define mode of the file. For example the
compression level of a variable may be set only after the nc_def_var
call and before the next nc_enddef call, whether it is called by the
user explicitly, or when the user tries to read or write some data.

   At most one process should have a netCDF dataset open for writing at
one time. The library is designed to provide limited support for
multiple concurrent readers with one writer, via disciplined use of the
nc_sync function and the NC_SHARE flag. If a writer makes changes in
define mode, such as the addition of new variables, dimensions, or
attributes, some means external to the library is necessary to prevent
readers from making concurrent accesses and to inform readers to call
nc_sync before the next access.

1.5 Error Handling
==================

The netCDF library provides the facilities needed to handle errors in a
flexible way. Each netCDF function returns an integer status value. If
the returned status value indicates an error, you may handle it in any
way desired, from printing an associated error message and exiting to
ignoring the error indication and proceeding (not recommended!). For
simplicity, the examples in this guide check the error status and call
a separate function, handle_err(), to handle any errors. One possible
definition of handle_err() can be found within the documentation of
nc_strerror (*note nc_strerror::).

   The nc_strerror function is available to convert a returned integer
error status into an error message string.

   Occasionally, low-level I/O errors may occur in a layer below the
netCDF library. For example, if a write operation causes you to exceed
disk quotas or to attempt to write to a device that is no longer
available, you may get an error from a layer below the netCDF library,
but the resulting write error will still be reflected in the returned
status value.

1.6 Compiling and Linking with the NetCDF Library
=================================================

Details of how to compile and link a program that uses the netCDF C or
FORTRAN interfaces differ, depending on the operating system, the
available compilers, where the netCDF library and include files are
installed, and whether or not you are using shared libraries.
Nevertheless, we provide here examples of how to compile and link a
program that uses the netCDF library on a Unix platform, so that you
can adjust these examples to fit your installation.

   Every C file that references netCDF functions or constants must
contain an appropriate #include statement before the first such
reference:

     #include <netcdf.h>

   Unless the netcdf.h file is installed in a standard directory where
the C compiler always looks, you must use the -I option when invoking
the compiler, to specify a directory where netcdf.h is installed, for
example:

     cc -c -I/usr/local/netcdf/include myprogram.c

   Alternatively, you could specify an absolute path name in the
#include statement, but then your program would not compile on another
platform where netCDF is installed in a different location.

   Unless the netCDF library is installed in a standard directory where
the linker always looks, you must use the -L and -l options to link an
object file that uses the netCDF library.

   If the netCDF library was configured with the -enable-shared flag,
and the operating system supports shared libraries, then it should be
possible to link an application program using a relatively simple
command. For example:

     cc -o myprogram myprogram.o -L/usr/local/netcdf/lib -lnetcdf

   It should be noted that on some operating systems, when using shared
libraries, the application itself may need to be compiled using some
form of PIC (position independent code) flag; the particular flag will
depend on the C compiler used. You should try it first without any PIC
flag, and if that fails, then check with the system administrator about
the proper form of PIC flag to use.

   In addition, for some C compilers (e.g. Sun's cc compiler) it is
necessary to specify runtime paths to the relevant libnetcdf.so.  This
can be accomplished in one of two ways.
  1. Add the path to the directory containing libnetcdf.so to the
     LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable.  This path is searched at
     runtime to locate any needed shared library.  This might be
     accomplished, for example, by the following shell command
     (assuming that libnetcdf.so is in /usr/local/netcdf/lib).
          LD_LIBRARY_PATH="/usr/local/netcdf/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH"
          export LD_LIBRARY_PATH

  2. Set the so-called runtime path when the application is linked so
     that the absolute paths of all needed shared libraries is included
     in the application binary.  For gcc under Linus, this is usually
     automatic.  For C compilers on Solaris (and probably other
     operating systems) the runtime path must be specified at link
     time. The command in this case might look like this.
          cc -o myprogram myprogram.o -L/usr/local/netcdf/lib -lnetcdf -R/usr/local/netcdf/lib
     Note that the -R flag is also C compiler dependent.  For gcc and
     Linux, for example, the specification is usually of this form.
          cc ...  -Wl,-rpath,/usr/local/netcdf/lib
     Other compilers may use other flags to specify this. Check with
     the local system administrator.

   If shared libraries are not supported or are not being used for some
reason, then it is necessary to include all the dependent libraries in
the compile command.  For example, for a netCDF-4 enabled library, it
will be necessary to link with two HDF5 libraries, at least one
compression library, and (on some systems) the math library.
     cc -o myprogram myprogram.o -L/usr/local/netcdf/lib -L/usr/local/hdf5/lib -lnetcdf -lhdf5_hl -lhdf5 -lz

   Other configuration features (e.g. DAP support or parallel IO) may
require additional libraries.

   A complete list of necessary libraries can be obtained by executing
the "nc-config -libs" command.  For example:
     ./nc-config --libs
   might return something like this:
     -L/tmp/install/spock/lib -lnetcdf -L/upc/share/stdinstall/local/spock/lib
     -lhdf5_hl -lhdf5 -L/upc/share/stdinstall/local/spock/lib -lz -lm
     -L/upc/share/stdinstall/local/spock/lib -lcurl -L/usr/kerberos/lib64
     -L/upc/share/stdinstall/local/spock/lib
     -lidn -lssl -lcrypto -lldap -lrt -lssl -lcrypto -ldl -lz -lz

   Obviously there is some redundancy in this list, so it can be reduced
somewhat to produce this slightly simpler list.
     -L/tmp/install/spock/lib -lnetcdf
     -L/upc/share/stdinstall/local/spock/lib -lhdf5 -lhdf5_hl -lz -lcurl
     -L/usr/kerberos/lib64 -lcrypto -lssl
     -ldl -lidn -lldap -lm -lrt

2 Datasets
**********

This chapter presents the interfaces of the netCDF functions that deal
with a netCDF dataset or the whole netCDF library.

   A netCDF dataset that has not yet been opened can only be referred to
by its dataset name. Once a netCDF dataset is opened, it is referred to
by a netCDF ID, which is a small non-negative integer returned when you
create or open the dataset. A netCDF ID is much like a file descriptor
in C or a logical unit number in FORTRAN. In any single program, the
netCDF IDs of distinct open netCDF datasets are distinct. A single
netCDF dataset may be opened multiple times and will then have multiple
distinct netCDF IDs; however at most one of the open instances of a
single netCDF dataset should permit writing. When an open netCDF
dataset is closed, the ID is no longer associated with a netCDF dataset.

   Functions that deal with the netCDF library include:
   * Get version of library.

   * Get error message corresponding to a returned error code.

   The operations supported on a netCDF dataset as a single object are:
   * Create, given dataset name and whether to overwrite or not.

   * Open for access, given dataset name and read or write intent.

   * Put into define mode, to add dimensions, variables, or attributes.

   * Take out of define mode, checking consistency of additions.

   * Close, writing to disk if required.

   * Inquire about the number of dimensions, number of variables,
     number of global attributes, and ID of the unlimited dimension, if
     any.

   * Synchronize to disk to make sure it is current.

   * Set and unset nofill mode for optimized sequential writes.

   * After a summary of conventions used in describing the netCDF
     interfaces, the rest of this chapter presents a detailed
     description of the interfaces for these operations.

2.1 NetCDF Library Interface Descriptions
=========================================

Each interface description for a particular netCDF function in this and
later chapters contains:

   * a description of the purpose of the function;

   * a C function prototype that presents the type and order of the
     formal parameters to the function;

   * a description of each formal parameter in the C interface;

   * a list of possible error conditions; and

   * an example of a C program fragment calling the netCDF function (and
     perhaps other netCDF functions).

   The examples follow a simple convention for error handling, always
checking the error status returned from each netCDF function call and
calling a handle_error function in case an error was detected. For an
example of such a function, see *note nc_strerror::.

2.2 Parallel Access for NetCDF Files
====================================

To use parallel access, open or create the file with nc_open_par (see
*note nc_open_par::) or nc_create_par (see *note nc_create_par::).

   The mode flag NC_PNETCDF will be automatically turned on for classic
or 64-bit offset files opened or created with the parallel access
functions.

   The following example shows the creation of a file using parallel
access with a netCDF-4/HDF5 file, and how a program might write data to
such a file.

     #include "netcdf.h"
     #include <mpi.h>
     #include <assert.h>
     #include "hdf5.h"
     #include <string.h>
     #include <stdlib.h>

     #define BAIL(e) do { \
     printf("Bailing out in file %s, line %d, error:%s.\n", __FILE__, __LINE__, nc_strerror(e)); \
     return e; \
     } while (0)

     #define FILE "test_par.nc"
     #define NDIMS 2
     #define DIMSIZE 24
     #define QTR_DATA (DIMSIZE*DIMSIZE/4)
     #define NUM_PROC 4

     int
     main(int argc, char **argv)
     {
         /* MPI stuff. */
         int mpi_namelen;
         char mpi_name[MPI_MAX_PROCESSOR_NAME];
         int mpi_size, mpi_rank;
         MPI_Comm comm = MPI_COMM_WORLD;
         MPI_Info info = MPI_INFO_NULL;

         /* Netcdf-4 stuff. */
         int ncid, v1id, dimids[NDIMS];
         size_t start[NDIMS], count[NDIMS];

         int data[DIMSIZE*DIMSIZE], j, i, res;

         /* Initialize MPI. */
         MPI_Init(&argc,&argv);
         MPI_Comm_size(MPI_COMM_WORLD, &mpi_size);
         MPI_Comm_rank(MPI_COMM_WORLD, &mpi_rank);
         MPI_Get_processor_name(mpi_name, &mpi_namelen);
         printf("mpi_name: %s size: %d rank: %d\n", mpi_name,
                mpi_size, mpi_rank);

         /* Create a parallel netcdf-4 file. */
         if ((res = nc_create_par(FILE, NC_NETCDF4|NC_MPIIO, comm,
                                  info, &ncid)))
             BAIL(res);

         /* Create two dimensions. */
         if ((res = nc_def_dim(ncid, "d1", DIMSIZE, dimids)))
            BAIL(res);
         if ((res = nc_def_dim(ncid, "d2", DIMSIZE, &dimids[1])))
            BAIL(res);

         /* Create one var. */
         if ((res = nc_def_var(ncid, "v1", NC_INT, NDIMS, dimids, &v1id)))
            BAIL(res);

         if ((res = nc_enddef(ncid)))
            BAIL(res);

         /* Set up slab for this process. */
         start[0] = mpi_rank * DIMSIZE/mpi_size;
         start[1] = 0;
         count[0] = DIMSIZE/mpi_size;
         count[1] = DIMSIZE;
         printf("mpi_rank=%d start[0]=%d start[1]=%d count[0]=%d count[1]=%d\n",
                mpi_rank, start[0], start[1], count[0], count[1]);

         /* Create phony data. We're going to write a 24x24 array of ints,
            in 4 sets of 144. */
         printf("mpi_rank*QTR_DATA=%d (mpi_rank+1)*QTR_DATA-1=%d\n",
                mpi_rank*QTR_DATA, (mpi_rank+1)*QTR_DATA);
         for (i=mpi_rank*QTR_DATA; i<(mpi_rank+1)*QTR_DATA; i++)
            data[i] = mpi_rank;

         /*if ((res = nc_var_par_access(ncid, v1id, NC_COLLECTIVE)))
           BAIL(res);*/
         if ((res = nc_var_par_access(ncid, v1id, NC_INDEPENDENT)))
            BAIL(res);

         /* Write slabs of phony data. */
         if ((res = nc_put_vara_int(ncid, v1id, start, count,
                                    &data[mpi_rank*QTR_DATA])))
            BAIL(res);

         /* Close the netcdf file. */
         if ((res = nc_close(ncid)))
             BAIL(res);

         /* Shut down MPI. */
         MPI_Finalize();

         return 0;
     }

2.3 Get error message corresponding to error status: nc_strerror
================================================================

The function nc_strerror returns a static reference to an error message
string corresponding to an integer netCDF error status or to a system
error number, presumably returned by a previous call to some other
netCDF function. The list of netCDF error status codes is available in
the appropriate include file for each language binding.

Usage
=====

     const char * nc_strerror(int ncerr);

`ncerr'
     An error status that might have been returned from a previous call
     to some netCDF function.

Errors
======

If you provide an invalid integer error status that does not correspond
to any netCDF error message or or to any system error message (as
understood by the system strerror function), nc_strerror returns a
string indicating that there is no such error status.

Example
=======

Here is an example of a simple error handling function that uses
nc_strerror to print the error message corresponding to the netCDF
error status returned from any netCDF function call and then exit:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     void handle_error(int status) {
     if (status != NC_NOERR) {
        fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", nc_strerror(status));
        exit(-1);
        }
     }

2.4 Get netCDF library version: nc_inq_libvers
==============================================

The function nc_inq_libvers returns a string identifying the version of
the netCDF library, and when it was built.

Usage
=====

     const char * nc_inq_libvers(void);

Errors
======

This function takes no arguments, and thus no errors are possible in
its invocation.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_inq_libvers to print the version of the
netCDF library with which the program is linked:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
        printf("%s\n", nc_inq_libvers());

2.5 Create a NetCDF Dataset: nc_create
======================================

This function creates a new netCDF dataset, returning a netCDF ID that
can subsequently be used to refer to the netCDF dataset in other netCDF
function calls. The new netCDF dataset opened for write access and
placed in define mode, ready for you to add dimensions, variables, and
attributes.

   A creation mode flag specifies:

   * whether to overwrite any existing dataset with the same name,

   * whether access to the dataset is shared,

   * whether this file should be in netCDF classic format (the default),
     the new 64-bit offset format (use NC_64BIT_OFFSET), or NC_NETCDF4
     for a netCDF-4/HDF5 file.

Usage
=====

NOTE: When creating a netCDF-4 file HDF5 error reporting is turned off,
if it is on. This doesn't stop the HDF5 error stack from recording the
errors, it simply stops their display to the user through stderr.

     int nc_create (const char* path, int cmode, int *ncidp);

`path'
     The file name of the new netCDF dataset.

`cmode'
     The creation mode flag. The following flags are available:
     NC_NOCLOBBER, NC_SHARE, NC_64BIT_OFFSET, NC_NETCDF4,
     NC_CLASSIC_MODEL.

     Setting NC_NOCLOBBER means you do not want to clobber (overwrite)
     an existing dataset; an error (NC_EEXIST) is returned if the
     specified dataset already exists.

     The NC_SHARE flag is appropriate when one process may be writing
     the dataset and one or more other processes reading the dataset
     concurrently; it means that dataset accesses are not buffered and
     caching is limited. Since the buffering scheme is optimized for
     sequential access, programs that do not access data sequentially
     may see some performance improvement by setting the NC_SHARE flag.
     This flag is ignored for netCDF-4 files. (See below.)

     Setting NC_64BIT_OFFSET causes netCDF to create a 64-bit offset
     format file, instead of a netCDF classic format file. The 64-bit
     offset format imposes far fewer restrictions on very large (i.e.
     over 2 GB) data files. *Note Large File Support: (netcdf)Large
     File Support.

     A zero value (defined for convenience as NC_CLOBBER) specifies the
     default behavior: overwrite any existing dataset with the same file
     name and buffer and cache accesses for efficiency. The dataset
     will be in netCDF classic format. *Note NetCDF Classic Format
     Limitations: (netcdf)NetCDF Classic Format Limitations.

     Setting NC_NETCDF4 causes netCDF to create a HDF5/NetCDF-4 file.

     Setting NC_CLASSIC_MODEL causes netCDF to enforce the classic data
     model in this file. (This only has effect for netCDF-4/HDF5 files,
     as classic and 64-bit offset files always use the classic model.)
     When used with NC_NETCDF4, this flag ensures that the resulting
     netCDF-4/HDF5 file may never contain any new constructs from the
     enhanced data model. That is, it cannot contain groups, user
     defined types, multiple unlimited dimensions, or new atomic types.
     The advantage of this restriction is that such files are
     guaranteed to work with existing netCDF software.

`ncidp'
     Pointer to location where returned netCDF ID is to be stored.

Errors
======

nc_create returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Possible
causes of errors include:
   * Passing a dataset name that includes a directory that does not
     exist.

   * Specifying a dataset name of a file that exists and also specifying
     NC_NOCLOBBER.

   * Specifying a meaningless value for the creation mode.

   * Attempting to create a netCDF dataset in a directory where you
     don't have permission to create files.

Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_ENOMEM'
     System out of memory.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     HDF5 error (netCDF-4 files only).

`NC_EFILEMETA'
     Error writing netCDF-4 file-level metadata in HDF5 file. (netCDF-4
     files only).


Examples
========

In this example we create a netCDF dataset named foo.nc; we want the
dataset to be created in the current directory only if a dataset with
that name does not already exist:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
        ...
     status = nc_create("foo.nc", NC_NOCLOBBER, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

   In this example we create a netCDF dataset named foo_large.nc. It
will be in the 64-bit offset format.

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
        ...
     status = nc_create("foo_large.nc", NC_NOCLOBBER|NC_64BIT_OFFSET, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

   In this example we create a netCDF dataset named foo_HDF5.nc. It will
be in the HDF5 format.

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
        ...
     status = nc_create("foo_HDF5.nc", NC_NOCLOBBER|NC_NETCDF4, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

   In this example we create a netCDF dataset named
foo_HDF5_classic.nc. It will be in the HDF5 format, but will not allow
the use of any netCDF-4 advanced features. That is, it will conform to
the classic netCDF-3 data model.

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
        ...
     status = nc_create("foo_HDF5_classic.nc", NC_NOCLOBBER|NC_NETCDF4|NC_CLASSIC_MODEL, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

   A variant of nc_create, nc__create (note the double underscore)
allows users to specify two tuning parameters for the file that it is
creating. These tuning parameters are not written to the data file,
they are only used for so long as the file remains open after an
nc__create. *Note nc__create::.

2.6 Create a NetCDF Dataset With Performance Options: nc__create
================================================================

This function is a variant of nc_create, nc__create (note the double
underscore) allows users to specify two tuning parameters for the file
that it is creating. These tuning parameters are not written to the
data file, they are only used for so long as the file remains open
after an nc__create.

   This function creates a new netCDF dataset, returning a netCDF ID
that can subsequently be used to refer to the netCDF dataset in other
netCDF function calls. The new netCDF dataset opened for write access
and placed in define mode, ready for you to add dimensions, variables,
and attributes.

   A creation mode flag specifies whether to overwrite any existing
dataset with the same name and whether access to the dataset is shared,
and whether this file should be in netCDF classic format (the default),
or the new 64-bit offset format.

Usage
=====

     int nc__create(const char *path, int cmode, size_t initialsz,
                    size_t *bufrsizehintp, int *ncidp);

`path'
     The file name of the new netCDF dataset.

`cmode'
     The creation mode flag. The following flags are available:
     NC_NOCLOBBER, NC_SHARE, and NC_64BIT_OFFSET, NC_NETCDF4,
     NC_CLASSIC_MODEL.

     Setting NC_NOCLOBBER means you do not want to clobber (overwrite)
     an existing dataset; an error (NC_EEXIST) is returned if the
     specified dataset already exists.

     The NC_SHARE flag is appropriate when one process may be writing
     the dataset and one or more other processes reading the dataset
     concurrently; it means that dataset accesses are not buffered and
     caching is limited. Since the buffering scheme is optimized for
     sequential access, programs that do not access data sequentially
     may see some performance improvement by setting the NC_SHARE flag.
     This flag is ignored for netCDF-4 files. (See below.)

     Setting NC_64BIT_OFFSET causes netCDF to create a 64-bit offset
     format file, instead of a netCDF classic format file. The 64-bit
     offset format imposes far fewer restrictions on very large (i.e.
     over 2 GB) data files. *Note Large File Support: (netcdf)Large
     File Support.

     A zero value (defined for convenience as NC_CLOBBER) specifies the
     default behavior: overwrite any existing dataset with the same file
     name and buffer and cache accesses for efficiency. The dataset
     will be in netCDF classic format. *Note NetCDF Classic Format
     Limitations: (netcdf)NetCDF Classic Format Limitations.

     Setting NC_NETCDF4 causes netCDF to create a HDF5/NetCDF-4 file.

     Setting NC_CLASSIC_MODEL causes netCDF to enforce the classic data
     model in this file. (This only has effect for netCDF-4/HDF5 files,
     as classic and 64-bit offset files always use the classic model.)
     When used with NC_NETCDF4, this flag ensures that the resulting
     netCDF-4/HDF5 file may never contain any new constructs from the
     enhanced data model. That is, it cannot contain groups, user
     defined types, multiple unlimited dimensions, or new atomic types.
     The advantage of this restriction is that such files are
     guaranteed to work with existing netCDF software.

`initialsz'
     On some systems, and with custom I/O layers, it may be
     advantageous to set the size of the output file at creation time.
     This parameter sets the initial size of the file at creation time.

`bufrsizehintp'
     The argument referenced by bufrsizehintp controls a space versus
     time tradeoff, memory allocated in the netcdf library versus
     number of system calls.

     Because of internal requirements, the value may not be set to
     exactly the value requested. The actual value chosen is returned
     by reference.

     Using the value NC_SIZEHINT_DEFAULT causes the library to choose a
     default. How the system chooses the default depends on the system.
     On many systems, the "preferred I/O block size" is available from
     the stat() system call, struct stat member st_blksize. If this is
     available it is used. Lacking that, twice the system pagesize is
     used.

     Lacking a call to discover the system pagesize, we just set default
     bufrsize to 8192.

     The bufrsize is a property of a given open netcdf descriptor ncid,
     it is not a persistent property of the netcdf dataset.

`ncidp'
     Pointer to location where returned netCDF ID is to be stored.

Errors
======

nc_create returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Possible
causes of errors include:
   * Passing a dataset name that includes a directory that does not
     exist.

   * Specifying a dataset name of a file that exists and also specifying
     NC_NOCLOBBER.

   * Specifying a meaningless value for the creation mode.

   * Attempting to create a netCDF dataset in a directory where you
     don't have permission to create files.

Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_ENOMEM'
     System out of memory.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     HDF5 error (netCDF-4 files only).

`NC_EFILEMETA'
     Error writing netCDF-4 file-level metadata in HDF5 file. (netCDF-4
     files only).


Examples
========

In this example we create a netCDF dataset named foo.nc; we want the
dataset to be created in the current directory only if a dataset with
that name does not already exist:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
        ...
     status = nc_create("foo.nc", NC_NOCLOBBER, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

   In this example we create a netCDF dataset named foo_large.nc; we
want the dataset to be created in the current directory only if a
dataset with that name does not already exist. We also specify that
bufrsize and initial size for the file.

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
     int intialsz = 2048;
     int *bufrsize;
        ...
     *bufrsize = 1024;
     status = nc__create("foo.nc", NC_NOCLOBBER, initialsz, bufrsize, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

2.7 Create a NetCDF Dataset With Performance Options: nc_create_par
===================================================================

This function is a variant of nc_create, nc_create_par allows users to
open a file on a MPI/IO or MPI/Posix parallel file system.

   The parallel parameters are not written to the data file, they are
only used for so long as the file remains open after an nc_create_par.

   This function creates a new netCDF dataset, returning a netCDF ID
that can subsequently be used to refer to the netCDF dataset in other
netCDF function calls. The new netCDF dataset opened for write access
and placed in define mode, ready for you to add dimensions, variables,
and attributes.

   If the NC_NETCDF4 flag is used, the HDF5 library is used for parallel
I/O. If not, the parallel-netcdf library is used.

   When a file is created for parallel access, independent operations
are the default. To use independent access on a variable, *Note
nc_var_par_access::.

Usage
=====

     int nc_create_par(const char *path, int cmode, MPI_Comm comm,
                       MPI_Info info, int ncidp);

`path'
     The file name of the new netCDF dataset.

`cmode'
     Either the NC_MPIIO or NC_MPIPOSIX flags may be present if the
     NC_NETCDF4 flag is used.

     The NC_SHARE flag is ignored.

`comm'
     The MPI_Comm object returned by the MPI layer.

`info'
     The MPI_Info object returned by the MPI layer, if MPI/IO is being
     used, or 0 if MPI/Posix is being used.

`ncidp'
     Pointer to location where returned netCDF ID is to be stored.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EPARINIT'
     Could not initialize parallel access at the HDF5 layer.

`NC_EFILEMETA'
     HDF5 layer cannot handle create or root group open.

`NC_EEXIST'
     Specifying a dataset name of a file that exists and also specifying
     NC_NOCLOBBER.

`NC_EINVAL'
     Bad value for the creation mode.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     Unexpected error from the HDF5 layer.


Examples
========

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
        ...
     *bufrsize = 1024;
     status = nc__create("foo.nc", NC_NOCLOBBER, initialsz, bufrsize, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

2.8 Open a NetCDF Dataset for Access: nc_open
=============================================

The function nc_open opens an existing netCDF dataset for access. It
determines the underlying file format automatically. Use the same call
to open a netCDF classic, 64-bit offset, or netCDF-4 file.

Usage
=====

     int nc_open (const char *path, int omode, int *ncidp);

`path'
     File name for netCDF dataset to be opened.  When DAP support is
     enabled, then the path may be an OPeNDAP URL rather than a file
     path.

`omode'
     A zero value (or NC_NOWRITE) specifies the default behavior: open
     the dataset with read-only access, buffering and caching accesses
     for efficiency

     Otherwise, the open mode is NC_WRITE, NC_SHARE, or
     NC_WRITE|NC_SHARE. Setting the NC_WRITE flag opens the dataset with
     read-write access. ("Writing" means any kind of change to the
     dataset, including appending or changing data, adding or renaming
     dimensions, variables, and attributes, or deleting attributes.)

     The NC_SHARE flag is only used for netCDF classic and 64-bit offset
     files. It is appropriate when one process may be writing the
     dataset and one or more other processes reading the dataset
     concurrently; it means that dataset accesses are not buffered and
     caching is limited. Since the buffering scheme is optimized for
     sequential access, programs that do not access data sequentially
     may see some performance improvement by setting the NC_SHARE flag.

     It is not necessary to pass any information about the format of the
     file being opened. The file type will be detected automatically by
     the netCDF library.

     If a the path is a DAP URL, then the open mode is read-only.
     Setting NC_WRITE will be ignored.

`ncidp'
     Pointer to location where returned netCDF ID is to be stored.

Errors
======

When opening a netCDF-4 file HDF5 error reporting is turned off, if it
is on. This doesn't stop the HDF5 error stack from recording the
errors, it simply stops their display to the user through stderr.

   nc_open returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Otherwise,
the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of errors
include:
   * The specified netCDF dataset does not exist.

   * A meaningless mode was specified.

Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_NOMEM'
     Out of memory.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     HDF5 error. (NetCDF-4 files only.)

`NC_EDIMMETA'
     Error in netCDF-4 dimension metadata. (NetCDF-4 files only.)

`NC_ENOCOMPOIND'
     (NetCDF-4 files only.)


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_open to open an existing netCDF dataset
named foo.nc for read-only, non-shared access:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", 0, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

2.9 Open a NetCDF Dataset for Access with Performance Tuning: nc__open
======================================================================

A function opens a netCDF dataset for access with an additional
performance tuning parameter.  When DAP support is enabled, it is
possible to open a DAP data source through this interface, but it is
deprecated because all of the performance tuning parameters are ignored.
The standard nc_open interface should be used instead.

Usage
=====

     int nc__open(const char *path, int mode, size_t *bufrsizehintp, int *ncidp);

`path'
     File name for netCDF dataset to be opened.

`omode'
     A zero value (or NC_NOWRITE) specifies the default behavior: open
     the dataset with read-only access, buffering and caching accesses
     for efficiency

     Otherwise, the open mode is NC_WRITE, NC_SHARE, or
     NC_WRITE|NC_SHARE. Setting the NC_WRITE flag opens the dataset with
     read-write access. ("Writing" means any kind of change to the
     dataset, including appending or changing data, adding or renaming
     dimensions, variables, and attributes, or deleting attributes.)
     The NC_SHARE flag is appropriate when one process may be writing
     the dataset and one or more other processes reading the dataset
     concurrently; it means that dataset accesses are not buffered and
     caching is limited. Since the buffering scheme is optimized for
     sequential access, programs that do not access data sequentially
     may see some performance improvement by setting the NC_SHARE flag.

`bufrsizehintp'
     The argument referenced by bufrsizehintp controls a space versus
     time tradeoff, memory allocated in the netcdf library versus
     number of system calls.

     Because of internal requirements, the value may not be set to
     exactly the value requested. The actual value chosen is returned
     by reference.

     Using the value NC_SIZEHINT_DEFAULT causes the library to choose a
     default. How the system chooses the default depends on the system.
     On many systems, the "preferred I/O block size" is available from
     the stat() system call, struct stat member st_blksize. If this is
     available it is used. Lacking that, twice the system pagesize is
     used.

     Lacking a call to discover the system pagesize, we just set default
     bufrsize to 8192.

     The bufrsize is a property of a given open netcdf descriptor ncid,
     it is not a persistent property of the netcdf dataset.

`ncidp'
     Pointer to location where returned netCDF ID is to be stored.

Errors
======

nc__open returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Otherwise,
the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of errors
include:
   * The specified netCDF dataset does not exist.

   * A meaningless mode was specified.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc__open to open an existing netCDF dataset
named foo.nc for read-only, non-shared access:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
     size_t bufrsize;
        ...
     *bufrsize = 1024;
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", 0, &bufrsize, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

2.10 Open a NetCDF Dataset for Parallel Access
==============================================

This function opens a netCDF-4 dataset for parallel access.

   For netcdf-4/HDF5 files, the HDF5 library parallel I/O is used. This
opens the file using either MPI-IO or MPI-POSIX.

   DAP access is not allowed with parallel I/O.

   When netCDF opens a file for parallel access, independent operations
are the default. To use independent access on a variable, *Note
nc_var_par_access::.

Usage
=====

     int nc_open_par(const char *path, int mode, MPI_Comm comm,
                     MPI_Info info, int *ncidp);

`path'
     File name for netCDF dataset to be opened.

`omode'
     Either the NC_MPIIO or NC_MPIPOSIX flags may be present for a
     netCDF-4/HDF5 file.

     The flag NC_WRITE opens the dataset with read-write access.
     ("Writing" means any kind of change to the dataset, including
     appending or changing data, adding or renaming dimensions,
     variables, and attributes, or deleting attributes.)

     All other flags are ignored or not allowed. The NC_NETCDF4 flag is
     not required, as the file type is detected when the file is opened.

`comm'
     MPI_Comm object returned by the MPI layer.

`info'
     MPI_Info object returned by the MPI layer, or NULL if MPI-POSIX
     access is desired.

`ncidp'
     Pointer to location where returned netCDF ID is to be stored.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`'
     The specified netCDF dataset does not exist.

`'
     A meaningless mode was specified.


Example
=======

Here is an example (from nc_test4/tst_parallel2.c) using nc_open_par.

         /* Reopen the file and check it. */
         if (nc_open_par(file_name, NC_NOWRITE, comm, info, &ncid)) ERR;

         /* Read all the slabs this process is responsible for. */
         for (i = 0; i < NUM_SLABS / mpi_size; i++)
         {
            start[0] = NUM_SLABS / mpi_size * mpi_rank + i;
            /* Read one slab of data. */
            if (nc_get_vara_int(ncid, varid, start, count, data_in)) ERR;
         }

2.11 Put Open NetCDF Dataset into Define Mode: nc_redef
=======================================================

The function nc_redef puts an open netCDF dataset into define mode, so
dimensions, variables, and attributes can be added or renamed and
attributes can be deleted.

Usage
=====

For netCDF-4 files (i.e. files created with NC_NETCDF4 in the cmode,
*note nc_create::), it is not necessary to call nc_redef unless the
file was also created with NC_STRICT_NC3. For straight-up netCDF-4
files, nc_redef is called automatically, as needed.

   For all netCDF-4 files, the root ncid must be used. This is the ncid
returned by nc_open and nc_create, and points to the root of the
hierarchy tree for netCDF-4 files.

     int nc_redef(int ncid);

`ncid'
     netCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

Errors
======

nc_redef returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Otherwise,
the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of errors
include:
   * The specified netCDF dataset is already in define mode. This error
     code will only be returned for classic and 64-bit offset format
     files.

   * The specified netCDF dataset was opened for read-only.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_EBADGRPID'
     The ncid must refer to the root group of the file, that is, the
     group returned by nc_open or nc_create. (*note nc_open:: *note
     nc_create::).

`NC_EINDEFINE'
     Already in define mode.

`NC_EPERM'
     File is read-only.


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_redef to open an existing netCDF dataset
named foo.nc and put it into define mode:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);  /* open dataset */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_redef(ncid);                      /* put in define mode */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

2.12 Leave Define Mode: nc_enddef
=================================

The function nc_enddef takes an open netCDF dataset out of define mode.
The changes made to the netCDF dataset while it was in define mode are
checked and committed to disk if no problems occurred. Non-record
variables may be initialized to a "fill value" as well. *Note
nc_set_fill::. The netCDF dataset is then placed in data mode, so
variable data can be read or written.

   It's not necessary to call nc_enddef for netCDF-4 files. With
netCDF-4 files, nc_enddef is called when needed by the netcdf-4
library. User calls to nc_enddef for netCDF-4 files still flush the
metadata to disk.

   This call may involve copying data under some circumstances. For a
more extensive discussion see *note File Structure and Performance:
(netcdf)File Structure and Performance.

   For netCDF-4/HDF5 format files there are some variable settings (the
compression, endianness, fletcher32 error correction, and fill value)
which must be set (if they are going to be set at all) between the
nc_def_var and the next nc_enddef. Once the nc_enddef is called, these
settings can no longer be changed for a variable.

Usage
=====

     int nc_enddef(int ncid);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create. If you
     use a group id, the enddef will apply to the entire file. That
     all, the enddef will not just end define mode in one group, but in
     the entire file.

Errors
======

nc_enddef returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Otherwise,
the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of errors
include:
   * The specified netCDF dataset is not in define mode.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

   * The size of one or more variables exceed the size constraints for
     whichever variant of the file format is in use).  *Note Large File
     Support: (netcdf)Large File Support.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_enddef to finish the definitions of a new
netCDF dataset named foo.nc and put it into data mode:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
        ...
     status = nc_create("foo.nc", NC_NOCLOBBER, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

        ...       /* create dimensions, variables, attributes */

     status = nc_enddef(ncid);  /*leave define mode*/
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

2.13 Leave Define Mode with Performance Tuning: nc__enddef
==========================================================

The function nc__enddef takes an open netCDF dataset out of define
mode. The changes made to the netCDF dataset while it was in define
mode are checked and committed to disk if no problems occurred.
Non-record variables may be initialized to a "fill value" as well.
*Note nc_set_fill::. The netCDF dataset is then placed in data mode, so
variable data can be read or written.

   This call may involve copying data under some circumstances. For a
more extensive discussion see *note File Structure and Performance:
(netcdf)File Structure and Performance.

   Caution: this function exposes internals of the netcdf version 1 file
format. Users should use nc_enddef in most circumstances. This function
may not be available on future netcdf implementations.

   The current netcdf file format has three sections, the "header"
section, the data section for fixed size variables, and the data
section for variables which have an unlimited dimension (record
variables).

   The header begins at the beginning of the file. The index (offset) of
the beginning of the other two sections is contained in the header.
Typically, there is no space between the sections. This causes copying
overhead to accrue if one wishes to change the size of the sections, as
may happen when changing names of things, text attribute values, adding
attributes or adding variables. Also, for buffered i/o, there may be
advantages to aligning sections in certain ways.

   The minfree parameters allow one to control costs of future calls to
nc_redef, nc_enddef by requesting that minfree bytes be available at
the end of the section.

   The align parameters allow one to set the alignment of the beginning
of the corresponding sections. The beginning of the section is rounded
up to an index which is a multiple of the align parameter. The flag
value ALIGN_CHUNK tells the library to use the bufrsize (see above) as
the align parameter.  It has nothing to do with the chunking
(multidimensional tiling) features of netCDF-4.

   The file format requires mod 4 alignment, so the align parameters
are silently rounded up to multiples of 4. The usual call,

     nc_enddef(ncid);

   is equivalent to

     nc__enddef(ncid, 0, 4, 0, 4);

   The file format does not contain a "record size" value, this is
calculated from the sizes of the record variables. This unfortunate
fact prevents us from providing minfree and alignment control of the
"records" in a netcdf file. If you add a variable which has an
unlimited dimension, the third section will always be copied with the
new variable added.

Usage
=====

     int nc__enddef(int ncid, size_t h_minfree, size_t v_align,
                    size_t v_minfree, size_t r_align);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`h_minfree'
     Sets the pad at the end of the "header" section.

`v_align'
     Controls the alignment of the beginning of the data section for
     fixed size variables.

`v_minfree'
     Sets the pad at the end of the data section for fixed size
     variables.

`r_align'
     Controls the alignment of the beginning of the data section for
     variables which have an unlimited dimension (record variables).


Errors
======

nc__enddef returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Otherwise,
the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of errors
include:
   * The specified netCDF dataset is not in define mode.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

   * The size of one or more variables exceed the size constraints for
     whichever variant of the file format is in use).  *Note Large File
     Support: (netcdf)Large File Support.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_enddef to finish the definitions of a new
netCDF dataset named foo.nc and put it into data mode:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
        ...
     status = nc_create("foo.nc", NC_NOCLOBBER, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

        ...       /* create dimensions, variables, attributes */

     status = nc_enddef(ncid);  /*leave define mode*/
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

2.14 Close an Open NetCDF Dataset: nc_close
===========================================

The function nc_close closes an open netCDF dataset.

   If the dataset in define mode, nc_enddef will be called before
closing. (In this case, if nc_enddef returns an error, nc_abort will
automatically be called to restore the dataset to the consistent state
before define mode was last entered.) After an open netCDF dataset is
closed, its netCDF ID may be reassigned to the next netCDF dataset that
is opened or created.

Usage
=====

For netCDF-4 files, the ncid of the root group must be passed into
nc_close.

     int nc_close(int ncid);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

Errors
======

nc_close returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Otherwise,
the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of errors
include:
   * Define mode was entered and the automatic call made to nc_enddef
     failed.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Invalid id passed.

`NC_EBADGRPID'
     ncid did not contain the root group id of this file. (NetCDF-4
     only).


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_close to finish the definitions of a new
netCDF dataset named foo.nc and release its netCDF ID:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
        ...
     status = nc_create("foo.nc", NC_NOCLOBBER, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

        ...       /* create dimensions, variables, attributes */

     status = nc_close(ncid);       /* close netCDF dataset */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

2.15 Inquire about an Open NetCDF Dataset: nc_inq Family
========================================================

Members of the nc_inq family of functions return information about an
open netCDF dataset, given its netCDF ID. Dataset inquire functions may
be called from either define mode or data mode. The first function,
nc_inq, returns values for the number of dimensions, the number of
variables, the number of global attributes, and the dimension ID of the
dimension defined with unlimited length, if any. Most of the other
functions in the family each return just one of these items of
information.

   For C, these functions include nc_inq, nc_inq_ndims, nc_inq_nvars,
nc_inq_natts, and nc_inq_unlimdim.  An additional function,
nc_inq_format, returns the (rarely needed) format version.  Another
function, nc_inq_path, returns the file name or URL with which a file
was opened or created.

   No I/O is performed when these functions are called, since the
required information is available in memory for each open netCDF
dataset.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq          (int ncid, int *ndimsp, int *nvarsp, int *ngattsp,
                          int *unlimdimidp);
     int nc_inq_ndims    (int ncid, int *ndimsp);
     int nc_inq_nvars    (int ncid, int *nvarsp);
     int nc_inq_natts    (int ncid, int *ngattsp);
     int nc_inq_unlimdim (int ncid, int *unlimdimidp);
     int nc_inq_format   (int ncid, int *formatp);
     int nc_inq_path     (int ncid, size_t *pathlenp, char *path);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`ndimsp'
     Pointer to location for returned number of dimensions defined for
     this netCDF dataset.

`nvarsp'
     Pointer to location for returned number of variables defined for
     this netCDF dataset.

`ngattsp'
     Pointer to location for returned number of global attributes
     defined for this netCDF dataset.

`unlimdimidp'
     Pointer to location for returned ID of the unlimited dimension, if
     there is one for this netCDF dataset. If no unlimited length
     dimension has been defined, -1 is returned.

`formatp'
     Pointer to location for returned format version, one of
     NC_FORMAT_CLASSIC, NC_FORMAT_64BIT, NC_FORMAT_NETCDF4,
     NC_FORMAT_NETCDF4_CLASSIC.

`pathlenp'
     Pointer to location for returned length of the string specifying
     the path with which a file was opened or created.  For data on
     remote servers, this is the length of the URL string provided to
     open a connection to the data.  If NULL, this argument is ignored.
     returned.

`path'
     Pointer to string large enough to contain the returned path with
     which the specified open netCDF dataset was opened or created.  If
     NULL, this argument is ignored.

Errors
======

All members of the nc_inq family return the value NC_NOERR if no errors
occurred. Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error. Possible
causes of errors include:
   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_inq to find out about a netCDF dataset
named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status, ncid, ndims, nvars, ngatts, unlimdimid;
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq(ncid, &ndims, &nvars, &ngatts, &unlimdimid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

2.16 Synchronize an Open NetCDF Dataset to Disk: nc_sync
========================================================

The function nc_sync offers a way to synchronize the disk copy of a
netCDF dataset with in-memory buffers. There are two reasons you might
want to synchronize after writes:
   * To minimize data loss in case of abnormal termination, or

   * To make data available to other processes for reading immediately
     after it is written. But note that a process that already had the
     dataset open for reading would not see the number of records
     increase when the writing process calls nc_sync; to accomplish
     this, the reading process must call nc_sync.

   This function is backward-compatible with previous versions of the
netCDF library. The intent was to allow sharing of a netCDF dataset
among multiple readers and one writer, by having the writer call
nc_sync after writing and the readers call nc_sync before each read.
For a writer, this flushes buffers to disk. For a reader, it makes sure
that the next read will be from disk rather than from previously cached
buffers, so that the reader will see changes made by the writing
process (e.g., the number of records written) without having to close
and reopen the dataset. If you are only accessing a small amount of
data, it can be expensive in computer resources to always synchronize
to disk after every write, since you are giving up the benefits of
buffering.

   An easier way to accomplish sharing (and what is now recommended) is
to have the writer and readers open the dataset with the NC_SHARE flag,
and then it will not be necessary to call nc_sync at all. However, the
nc_sync function still provides finer granularity than the NC_SHARE
flag, if only a few netCDF accesses need to be synchronized among
processes.

   It is important to note that changes to the ancillary data, such as
attribute values, are not propagated automatically by use of the
NC_SHARE flag. Use of the nc_sync function is still required for this
purpose.

   Sharing datasets when the writer enters define mode to change the
data schema requires extra care. In previous releases, after the writer
left define mode, the readers were left looking at an old copy of the
dataset, since the changes were made to a new copy. The only way
readers could see the changes was by closing and reopening the dataset.
Now the changes are made in place, but readers have no knowledge that
their internal tables are now inconsistent with the new dataset schema.
If netCDF datasets are shared across redefinition, some mechanism
external to the netCDF library must be provided that prevents access by
readers during redefinition and causes the readers to call nc_sync
before any subsequent access.

   When calling nc_sync, the netCDF dataset must be in data mode. A
netCDF dataset in define mode is synchronized to disk only when
nc_enddef is called. A process that is reading a netCDF dataset that
another process is writing may call nc_sync to get updated with the
changes made to the data by the writing process (e.g., the number of
records written), without having to close and reopen the dataset.

   Data is automatically synchronized to disk when a netCDF dataset is
closed, or whenever you leave define mode.

Usage
=====

     int nc_sync(int ncid);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

Errors
======

nc_sync returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Otherwise,
the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of errors
include:
   * The netCDF dataset is in define mode.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_sync to synchronize the disk writes of a
netCDF dataset named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status;
     int ncid;
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);  /* open for writing */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

        ...           /* write data or change attributes */

     status = nc_sync(ncid);      /* synchronize to disk */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

2.17 Back Out of Recent Definitions: nc_abort
=============================================

You no longer need to call this function, since it is called
automatically by nc_close in case the dataset is in define mode and
something goes wrong with committing the changes. The function nc_abort
just closes the netCDF dataset, if not in define mode. If the dataset
is being created and is still in define mode, the dataset is deleted.
If define mode was entered by a call to nc_redef, the netCDF dataset is
restored to its state before definition mode was entered and the
dataset is closed.

Usage
=====

     int nc_abort(int ncid);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

Errors
======

nc_abort returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Otherwise,
the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of errors
include:
   * When called from define mode while creating a netCDF dataset,
     deletion of the dataset failed.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_abort to back out of redefinitions of a
dataset named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int ncid, status, latid;
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);/* open for writing */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_redef(ncid);                    /* enter define mode */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_def_dim(ncid, "lat", 18L, &latid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) {
        handle_error(status);
        status = nc_abort(ncid);                 /* define failed, abort */
        if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     }

2.18 Set Fill Mode for Writes: nc_set_fill
==========================================

This function is intended for advanced usage, to optimize writes under
some circumstances described below. The function nc_set_fill sets the
fill mode for a netCDF dataset open for writing and returns the current
fill mode in a return parameter. The fill mode can be specified as
either NC_FILL or NC_NOFILL. The default behavior corresponding to
NC_FILL is that data is pre-filled with fill values, that is fill
values are written when you create non-record variables or when you
write a value beyond data that has not yet been written. This makes it
possible to detect attempts to read data before it was written. For
more information on the use of fill values see *note Fill Values::. For
information about how to define your own fill values see *note
Attribute Conventions: (netcdf)Attribute Conventions.

   The behavior corresponding to NC_NOFILL overrides the default
behavior of prefilling data with fill values. This can be used to
enhance performance, because it avoids the duplicate writes that occur
when the netCDF library writes fill values that are later overwritten
with data.

   A value indicating which mode the netCDF dataset was already in is
returned. You can use this value to temporarily change the fill mode of
an open netCDF dataset and then restore it to the previous mode.

   After you turn on NC_NOFILL mode for an open netCDF dataset, you must
be certain to write valid data in all the positions that will later be
read. Note that nofill mode is only a transient property of a netCDF
dataset open for writing: if you close and reopen the dataset, it will
revert to the default behavior. You can also revert to the default
behavior by calling nc_set_fill again to explicitly set the fill mode
to NC_FILL.

   There are three situations where it is advantageous to set nofill
mode:

  1. Creating and initializing a netCDF dataset. In this case, you
     should set nofill mode before calling nc_enddef and then write
     completely all non-record variables and the initial records of all
     the record variables you want to initialize.

  2. Extending an existing record-oriented netCDF dataset. Set nofill
     mode after opening the dataset for writing, then append the
     additional records to the dataset completely, leaving no
     intervening unwritten records.

  3. Adding new variables that you are going to initialize to an
     existing netCDF dataset. Set nofill mode before calling nc_enddef
     then write all the new variables completely.


   If the netCDF dataset has an unlimited dimension and the last record
was written while in nofill mode, then the dataset may be shorter than
if nofill mode was not set, but this will be completely transparent if
you access the data only through the netCDF interfaces.

   The use of this feature may not be available (or even needed) in
future releases. Programmers are cautioned against heavy reliance upon
this feature.

Usage
=====

     int nc_set_fill (int ncid, int fillmode, int *old_modep);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`fillmode'
     Desired fill mode for the dataset, either NC_NOFILL or NC_FILL.

`old_modep'
     Pointer to location for returned current fill mode of the dataset
     before this call, either NC_NOFILL or NC_FILL.

Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

`NC_EPERM'
     The specified netCDF ID refers to a dataset open for read-only
     access.

`NC_EINVAL'
     The fill mode argument is neither NC_NOFILL nor NC_FILL.


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_set_fill to set nofill mode for subsequent
writes of a netCDF dataset named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int ncid, status, old_fill_mode;
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);  /* open for writing */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

        ...           /* write data with default prefilling behavior */

     status = nc_set_fill(ncid, NC_NOFILL, &old_fill_mode); /* set nofill */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

        ...           /* write data with no prefilling */

2.19 Set Default Creation Format: nc_set_default_format
=======================================================

This function is intended for advanced users.

   Starting in version 3.6, netCDF introduced a new data format, the
first change in the underlying binary data format since the netCDF
interface was released. The new format, 64-bit offset format, was
introduced to greatly relax the limitations on creating very large
files.

   Users are warned that creating files in the 64-bit offset format
makes them unreadable by the netCDF library prior to version 3.6.0. For
reasons of compatibility, users should continue to create files in
netCDF classic format.

   Users who do want to use 64-bit offset format files can create them
directory from nc_create, using the proper cmode flag.  (*note
nc_create::).

   The function nc_set_default_format allows the user to change the
format of the netCDF file to be created by future calls to nc_create
(or nc__create) without changing the cmode flag.

   This allows the user to convert a program to use 64-bit offset
formation without changing all calls the nc_create. *Note Large File
Support: (netcdf)Large File Support.

   Once the default format is set, all future created files will be in
the desired format.

   Two constants are provided in the netcdf.h file to be used with this
function, NC_FORMAT_64BIT and NC_FORMAT_CLASSIC.

   If a non-NULL pointer is provided, it is assumed to point to an int,
where the existing default format will be written.

   Using nc_create with a cmode including NC_64BIT_OFFSET overrides the
default format, and creates a 64-bit offset file.

Usage
=====

     int nc_set_default_format(int format, int *old_formatp);

`format'
     Valid formats include NC_FORMAT_CLASSIC (the default),
     NC_FORMAT_64BIT, and, if -enable-netcdf-4 was used during
     configure, NC_FORMAT_NETCDF4 and NC_FORMAT_NETCDF4_CLASSIC

`old_formatp'
     Either NULL (in which case it will be ignored), or a pointer to an
     int where the existing default format (i.e. before being changed
     to the new format) will be written. This allows you to get the
     existing default format while setting a new default format.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EINVAL'
     Invalid format. Valid formats include NC_FORMAT_CLASSIC,
     NC_FORMAT_64BIT, and, if -enable-netcdf-4 was used during
     configure, NC_FORMAT_NETCDF4 and NC_FORMAT_NETCDF4_CLASSIC. Trying
     to set the default format to something else will result in an
     invalid argument error.


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_set_default_format to create the same file
in four formats with the same nc_create call (from libsrc4/tst_utf8.c):

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
           int ncid, varid, dimids[NDIMS];
           int f;

           for (f = NC_FORMAT_CLASSIC; f < NC_FORMAT_NETCDF4_CLASSIC; f++)
           {
              if (nc_set_default_format(f, NULL)) ERR;
              if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_CLOBBER, &ncid)) ERR;
        ...

2.20 Set HDF5 Chunk Cache for Future File Opens/Creates: nc_set_chunk_cache
===========================================================================

This function changes the default chunk cache settings in the HDF5
library for all variables in the file. The settings apply for
subsequent file opens/creates. This function does not change the chunk
cache settings of already open files.

   For more information, see the documentation for the H5Pset_cache()
function in the HDF5 library at the HDF5 website:
`http://hdfgroup.org/HDF5/'.

Usage
=====

     int nc_set_chunk_cache(size_t size, size_t nelems, float preemption);

`size'
     The total size of the raw data chunk cache, in bytes. This should
     be big enough to hold multiple chunks of data.

`nelems'
     The number of chunk slots in the raw data chunk cache hash table.
     This should be a prime number larger than the number of chunks
     that will be in the cache.

`preemption'
     The preemtion value must be between 0 and 1 inclusive and indicates
     how much chunks that have been fully read are favored for
     preemption. A value of zero means fully read chunks are treated no
     differently than other chunks (the preemption is strictly LRU)
     while a value of one means fully read chunks are always preempted
     before other chunks.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EINVAL'
     Preemption must be between zero and one (inclusive).


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_files.c:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     #define NEW_CACHE_SIZE 32000000
     #define NEW_CACHE_NELEMS 2000
     #define NEW_CACHE_PREEMPTION .75

        /* Change chunk cache. */
        if (nc_set_chunk_cache(NEW_CACHE_SIZE, NEW_CACHE_NELEMS,
     			  NEW_CACHE_PREEMPTION)) ERR;

        /* Create a file with two dims, two vars, and two atts. */
        if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, cflags|NC_CLOBBER, &ncid)) ERR;

        ...

2.21 Get the HDF5 Chunk Cache Settings for Future File Opens/Creates: nc_get_chunk_cache
========================================================================================

This function gets the chunk cache settings for the HDF5 library. The
settings apply for subsequent file opens/creates.

   This affects the per-file chunk cache which the HDF5 layer
maintains. The chunk cache size can be tuned for better performance.

   For more information, see the documentation for the H5Pget_cache()
function in the HDF5 library at the HDF5 website:
`http://hdfgroup.org/HDF5/'.

Usage
=====

     int nc_get_chunk_cache(size_t *sizep, size_t *nelemsp, float *preemptionp);

`sizep'
     The total size of the raw data chunk cache will be put here. If
     NULL, will be ignored.

`nelemsp'
     The number of chunk slots in the raw data chunk cache hash table
     will be put here.  If NULL, will be ignored.

`preemptionp'
     The preemption will be put here.  The preemtion value is between 0
     and 1 inclusive and indicates how much chunks that have been fully
     read are favored for preemption.  A value of zero means fully read
     chunks are treated no differently than other chunks (the
     preemption is strictly LRU) while a value of one means fully read
     chunks are always preempted before other chunks.  If NULL, will be
     ignored.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_files.c:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
        /* Retrieve the chunk cache settings, just for fun. */
        if (nc_get_chunk_cache(&cache_size_in, &cache_nelems_in,
     			  &cache_preemption_in)) ERR;
        if (cache_size_in != NEW_CACHE_SIZE || cache_nelems_in != NEW_CACHE_NELEMS ||
            cache_preemption_in != NEW_CACHE_PREEMPTION) ERR;

        ...

3 Groups
********

NetCDF-4 added support for hierarchical groups within netCDF datasets.

   Groups are identified with a ncid, which identifies both the open
file, and the group within that file. When a file is opened with
nc_open or nc_create, the ncid for the root group of that file is
provided. Using that as a starting point, users can add new groups, or
list and navigate existing groups.

   All netCDF calls take a ncid which determines where the call will
take its action. For example, the nc_def_var function takes a ncid as
its first parameter. It will create a variable in whichever group its
ncid refers to. Use the root ncid provided by nc_create or nc_open to
create a variable in the root group. Or use nc_def_grp to create a
group and use its ncid to define a variable in the new group.

   Variable are only visible in the group in which they are defined.
The same applies to attributes. "Global" attributes are associated with
the group whose ncid is used.

   Dimensions are visible in their groups, and all child groups.

   Group operations are only permitted on netCDF-4 files - that is,
files created with the HDF5 flag in nc_create. (*note nc_create::).
Groups are not compatible with the netCDF classic data model, so files
created with the NC_CLASSIC_MODEL file cannot contain groups (except
the root group).

3.1 Find a Group ID: nc_inq_ncid
================================

Given an ncid and group name (NULL or "" gets root group), return ncid
of the named group.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_ncid(int ncid, const char *name, int *grp_ncid);

`ncid'
     The group id for this operation.

`name'
     A char array that holds the name of the desired group.

`grp_ncid'
     An int pointer that will receive the group id, if the group is
     found.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag HDF5. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

        int root_ncid, child_ncid;
        char file[] = "nc4_test.nc";

        /* Open the file. */
        if ((res = nc_open(file, NC_NOWRITE, &root_ncid)))
           return res;

        /* Get the ncid of an existing group. */
        if ((res = nc_inq_ncid(root_ncid, "group1", &child_ncid)))
           return res;

3.2 Get a List of Groups in a Group: nc_inq_grps
================================================

Given a location id, return the number of groups it contains, and an
array of their ncids.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_grps(int ncid, int *numgrps, int *ncids);

`ncid'
     The group id for this operation.

`numgrps'
     Pointer to an int which will get number of groups in this group. If
     NULL, it's ignored.

`ncids'
     Pointer to a already  allocated array of ints which will receive
     the ids of all the groups in this group. If NULL, it's ignored.
     Call this function with NULL for ncids parameter to find out how
     many groups there are.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag HDF5. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

        int root_ncid, numgrps;
        int *ncids;
        char file[] = "nc4_test.nc";

        /* Open the file. */
        if ((res = nc_open(file, NC_NOWRITE, &root_ncid)))
           return res;

        /* Get a list of ncids for the root group. (That is, find out of
           there are any groups already defined. */
        if ((res = nc_inq_grps(root_ncid, &numgrps, NULL)))
           return res;
        ncids = malloc(sizeof(int) * numgrps);
        if ((res = nc_inq_grps(root_ncid, NULL, ncids)))
           return res;

3.3 Find all the Variables in a Group: nc_inq_varids
====================================================

Find all varids for a location.

Usage
=====

     nc_inq_varids(int ncid, int *nvars, int *varids);

`ncid'
     The group id for this operation.

`nvars'
     The integer pointed to by this parameter will get the number of
     variable IDs found.

`varids'
     An already allocated array to store the list of varids. Ignored if
     NULL.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag HDF5. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_vars.c.

           int nvars_in, varids_in[2];

           ...

           /* Open the file and make sure nc_inq_varids yeilds correct
            * result. */
           if (nc_open(FILE_NAME, NC_NOWRITE, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_varids(ncid, &nvars_in, varids_in)) ERR;

3.4 Find all Dimensions Visible in a Group: nc_inq_dimids
=========================================================

Find all dimids for a location. This finds all dimensions in a group,
or any of its parents.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_dimids(int ncid, int *ndims, int *dimids, int include_parents);

`ncid'
     The group id for this operation.

`dimids'
     An already allocated array of ints when the dimids of the visible
     dimensions will be stashed. Use nc_inq_ndims to find out how many
     dims are visible from this group. (*note nc_inq Family::).

`include_parents'
     If non-zero then all the dimensions in all parent groups will also
     be retrieved.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag HDF5. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_dims.c.

           int ncid, dimid;
           int ndims_in, dimids_in[MAX_DIMS];

           ...

           /* Open the file and make sure nc_inq_dimids yeilds correct
            * result. */
           if (nc_open(FILE_NAME, NC_NOWRITE, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_dimids(ncid, &ndims_in, dimids_in, 0)) ERR;
           if (ndims_in != 1 || dimids_in[0] != 0) ERR;

3.5 Find a Group's Name: nc_inq_grpname
=======================================

Given a group ID find its name. (Root group is named "/"). *Note
nc_inq_grpname_full::.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_grpname(int ncid, char *name);

`ncid'
     The group id for this operation.

`name'
     Pointer to allocated space of correct length. The name of the
     group will be copied there. The name will be less than NC_MAX_NAME,
     not including a terminating NULL byte.

`'

Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag HDF5. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_grps.c.

           int grpid_in[MAX_SIBLING_GROUPS];
           char name_in[NC_MAX_NAME + 1];

           ...

           if (nc_inq_grpname(grpid_in[0], name_in)) ERR;

3.6 Find a Group's Full Name: nc_inq_grpname_full
=================================================

Given ncid, find complete name of group. (Root group is named "/", a
full "path" for each group is provided in the name, with groups
separated with a forward slash / as in Unix directory names. For
example "/group1/subgrp1/subsubgrp1")

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_grpname_full(int ncid, size_t *lenp, char *full_name);

`ncid'
     The group id for this operation.

`lenp'
     Pointer to a size_t which will get the length. (Note that this does
     not include the NULL terminator byte.)

`full_name'
     Pointer to allocated space of correct length. The name of the
     group will be copied there. To find the required length, call
     nc_inq_grpname_len call this function with NULL for the full_name
     parameter, or call (*note nc_inq_grpname_len::).

`'

Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag HDF5. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

This example is from the test program libsrc4/tst_grps.c.

           int grpid_in[MAX_SIBLING_GROUPS];
           char full_name_in[NC_MAX_NAME * 10];
           size_t len;

           ...

           if (nc_inq_grpname_full(grpid_in[0], &len, full_name_in)) ERR;

3.7 Find the Length of a Group's Full Name: nc_inq_grpname_len
==============================================================

Given ncid, find len of the full name, as returned by
nc_inq_grpname_full *Note nc_inq_grpname_full::. (Root group is named
"/", with length 1.)

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_grpname_len(int ncid, size_t *lenp);

`ncid'
     The group id for this operation.

`lenp'
     Pointer to an int where the length will be placed. Length does not
     include NULL terminator.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag HDF5. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_grps.c.

           int ncid;
           size_t len;

           ...

           if (nc_inq_grpname_len(ncid, &len)) ERR;

3.8 Find a Group's Parent: nc_inq_grp_parent
============================================

Given ncid, find the ncid of the parent group.

   When used with the root group, this function returns the NC_ENOGRP
error (since the root group has no parent.)

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_grp_parent(int ncid, int *parent_ncid);

`ncid'
     The group id.

`parent_ncid'
     Pointer to an int. The ncid of the group will be copied there.

`'

Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENOGRP'
     No parent group found (i.e. this is the root group).

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag HDF5. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

        if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
        if (nc_def_grp(ncid, HENRY_VII, &henry_vii_id)) ERR;

        if (nc_inq_grp_parent(henry_vii_id, &parent_ncid)) ERR;
        if (parent_ncid != ncid) ERR;
        if (nc_close(ncid)) ERR;

3.9 Find a Group by Name: nc_inq_grp_ncid
=========================================

Given a group location id and the name of an immediate subgroup, find
the location id of the named subgroup.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_grp_ncid(int ncid, const char *grp_name, int *grp_ncid);

`ncid'
     The location id of the group in which to look.

`grp_name'
     The name of a subgroup.

`grp_ncid'
     A pointer to int which will get the group id of the named
     subgroup, if it is found.


Return Codes
============

The following return codes may be returned by this function.

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_EINVAL'
     No name provided or name longer than NC_MAX_NAME.

`NC_ENOGRP'
     Named subgroup not found.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag HDF5. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

This example is from test program libsrc4/tst_grps.c.

           /* Reopen and recheck. */
           if (nc_open(FILE_NAME, NC_NOWRITE, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_grp_ncid(ncid, SCI_FI, &g1id)) ERR;

3.10 Find a Group by its Fully-qualified Name: nc_inq_grp_full_ncid
===================================================================

Given a fully qualified group name an an ncid, find the ncid of the
group id.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_grp_full_ncid(int ncid, char *full_name, int *grp_ncid);

`ncid'
     The group id to look in.

`full_name'
     The fully-qualified group name.

`grp_ncid'
     A pointer to int which will get the group id, if it is found.


Return Codes
============

The following return codes may be returned by this function.

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_EINVAL'
     No name provided or name longer than NC_MAX_NAME.

`NC_ENOGRP'
     Named group not found.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag HDF5. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

This example is from test program libsrc4/tst_grps.c.

           /* Reopen and recheck. */
           if (nc_open(FILE_NAME, NC_NOWRITE, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_grp_ncid(ncid, SCI_FI, &g1id)) ERR;

3.11 Create a New Group: nc_def_grp
===================================

Create a group. Its location id is returned in the new_ncid pointer.

Usage
=====

     int nc_def_grp(int parent_ncid, const char *name, int *new_ncid);

`parent_ncid'
     The group id of the parent group.

`name'
     The name of the new group.  A group cannot have the same name as a
     variable within the same parent group.

`new_ncid'
     A pointer to an int. The ncid of the new group will be placed
     there.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENAMEINUSE'
     That name is in use. Group names must be unique within a group, and
     must not be the same as any variable or type in the group.

`NC_EMAXNAME'
     Name exceed max length NC_MAX_NAME.

`NC_EBADNAME'
     Name contains illegal characters.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag HDF5. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.

`NC_EPERM'
     Attempt to write to a read-only file.

`NC_ENOTINDEFINE'
     Not in define mode.


Example
=======

           int ncid, a1_ncid;
           char grpname[] = "assimilation1";

           /* Create a group. */
           if ((res = nc_def_grp(ncid, grpname, &a1_ncid)))
              return res;

4 Dimensions
************

4.1 Dimensions Introduction
===========================

Dimensions for a netCDF dataset are defined when it is created, while
the netCDF dataset is in define mode. Additional dimensions may be
added later by reentering define mode. A netCDF dimension has a name
and a length. In a netCDF classic or 64-bit offset file, at most one
dimension can have the unlimited length, which means variables using
this dimension can grow along this dimension. In a netCDF-4 file
multiple unlimited dimensions are supported.

   There is a suggested limit (100) to the number of dimensions that can
be defined in a single netCDF dataset. The limit is the value of the
predefined macro NC_MAX_DIMS. The purpose of the limit is to make
writing generic applications simpler. They need only provide an array
of NC_MAX_DIMS dimensions to handle any netCDF dataset. The
implementation of the netCDF library does not enforce this advisory
maximum, so it is possible to use more dimensions, if necessary, but
netCDF utilities that assume the advisory maximums may not be able to
handle the resulting netCDF datasets.

   Ordinarily, the name and length of a dimension are fixed when the
dimension is first defined. The name may be changed later, but the
length of a dimension (other than the unlimited dimension) cannot be
changed without copying all the data to a new netCDF dataset with a
redefined dimension length.

   Dimension lengths in the C interface are type size_t rather than type
int to make it possible to access all the data in a netCDF dataset on a
platform that only supports a 16-bit int data type, for example MSDOS.
If dimension lengths were type int instead, it would not be possible to
access data from variables with a dimension length greater than a
16-bit int can accommodate.

   A netCDF dimension in an open netCDF dataset is referred to by a
small integer called a dimension ID. In the C interface, dimension IDs
are 0, 1, 2, ..., in the order in which the dimensions were defined.

   Operations supported on dimensions are:
   * Create a dimension, given its name and length.

   * Get a dimension ID from its name.

   * Get a dimension's name and length from its ID.

   * Rename a dimension.

4.2 Create a Dimension: nc_def_dim
==================================

The function nc_def_dim adds a new dimension to an open netCDF dataset
in define mode. It returns (as an argument) a dimension ID, given the
netCDF ID, the dimension name, and the dimension length. At most one
unlimited length dimension, called the record dimension, may be defined
for each classic or 64-bit offset netCDF dataset. NetCDF-4 datasets may
have multiple unlimited dimensions.

Usage
=====

     int nc_def_dim (int ncid, const char *name, size_t len, int *dimidp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF group ID, from a previous call to nc_open, nc_create,
     nc_def_grp, etc.

`name'
     Dimension name.

`len'
     Length of dimension; that is, number of values for this dimension
     as an index to variables that use it. This should be either a
     positive integer (of type size_t) or the predefined constant
     NC_UNLIMITED.

`dimidp'
     Pointer to location for returned dimension ID.

Errors
======

nc_def_dim returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Otherwise,
the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of errors
include:
   * The netCDF dataset is not in definition mode.

   * The specified dimension name is the name of another existing
     dimension.

   * The specified length is not greater than zero.

   * The specified length is unlimited, but there is already an
     unlimited length dimension defined for this netCDF dataset.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_def_dim to create a dimension named lat of
length 18 and a unlimited dimension named rec in a new netCDF dataset
named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status, ncid, latid, recid;
        ...
     status = nc_create("foo.nc", NC_NOCLOBBER, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_def_dim(ncid, "lat", 18L, &latid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_def_dim(ncid, "rec", NC_UNLIMITED, &recid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

4.3 Get a Dimension ID from Its Name: nc_inq_dimid
==================================================

The function nc_inq_dimid returns (as an argument) the ID of a netCDF
dimension, given the name of the dimension. If ndims is the number of
dimensions defined for a netCDF dataset, each dimension has an ID
between 0 and ndims-1.

Usage
=====

When searching for a dimension, the specified group is searched, and
then its parent group, and then its grandparent group, etc., up to the
root group.

     int nc_inq_dimid (int ncid, const char *name, int *dimidp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`name'
     Dimension name.

`dimidp'
     Pointer to location for the returned dimension ID.


Errors
======

nc_inq_dimid returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of
errors include:

   The name that was specified is not the name of a dimension in the
netCDF dataset.  The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open
netCDF dataset.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_inq_dimid to determine the dimension ID of
a dimension named lat, assumed to have been defined previously in an
existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status, ncid, latid;
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, &ncid);  /* open for reading */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_dimid(ncid, "lat", &latid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

4.4 Inquire about a Dimension: nc_inq_dim Family
================================================

This family of functions returns information about a netCDF dimension.
Information about a dimension includes its name and its length. The
length for the unlimited dimension, if any, is the number of records
written so far.

   The functions in this family include nc_inq_dim, nc_inq_dimname, and
nc_inq_dimlen. The function nc_inq_dim returns all the information
about a dimension; the other functions each return just one item of
information.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_dim     (int ncid, int dimid, char* name, size_t* lengthp);
     int nc_inq_dimname (int ncid, int dimid, char *name);
     int nc_inq_dimlen  (int ncid, int dimid, size_t *lengthp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`dimid'
     Dimension ID, from a previous call to nc_inq_dimid or nc_def_dim.

`name'
     Returned dimension name. The caller must allocate space for the
     returned name. The maximum possible length, in characters, of a
     dimension name is given by the predefined constant NC_MAX_NAME.
     (This doesn't include the null terminator, so declare your array
     to be size NC_MAX_NAME+1). The returned character array will be
     null-terminated.

`lengthp'
     Pointer to location for returned length of dimension. For the
     unlimited dimension, this is the number of records written so far.


Errors
======

These functions return the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of
errors include:

   * The dimension ID is invalid for the specified netCDF dataset.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_inq_dim to determine the length of a
dimension named lat, and the name and current maximum length of the
unlimited dimension for an existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status, ncid, latid, recid;
     size_t latlength, recs;
     char recname[NC_MAX_NAME+1];
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, &ncid);  /* open for reading */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_inq_unlimdim(ncid, &recid); /* get ID of unlimited dimension */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_dimid(ncid, "lat", &latid);  /* get ID for lat dimension */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_inq_dimlen(ncid, latid, &latlength); /* get lat length */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     /* get unlimited dimension name and current length */
     status = nc_inq_dim(ncid, recid, recname, &recs);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

4.5 Rename a Dimension: nc_rename_dim
=====================================

The function nc_rename_dim renames an existing dimension in a netCDF
dataset open for writing. You cannot rename a dimension to have the
same name as another dimension.

   For netCDF classic and 64-bit offset files, if the new name is longer
than the old name, the netCDF dataset must be in define mode.

   For netCDF-4 files the dataset is switched to define more for the
rename, regardless of the name length.

Usage
=====

int nc_rename_dim(int ncid, int dimid, const char* name);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`dimid'
     Dimension ID, from a previous call to nc_inq_dimid or nc_def_dim.

`name'
     New dimension name.


Errors
======

nc_rename_dim returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of
errors include:

   * The new name is the name of another dimension.

   * The dimension ID is invalid for the specified netCDF dataset.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

   * The new name is longer than the old name and the netCDF dataset is
     not in define mode.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_rename_dim to rename the dimension lat to
latitude in an existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int status, ncid, latid;
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);  /* open for writing */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_redef(ncid);  /* put in define mode to rename dimension */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_inq_dimid(ncid, "lat", &latid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_rename_dim(ncid, latid, "latitude");
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_enddef(ncid); /* leave define mode */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

4.6 Find All Unlimited Dimension IDs: nc_inq_unlimdims
======================================================

In netCDF-4 files, it's possible to have multiple unlimited dimensions.
This function returns a list of the unlimited dimension ids visible in
a group.

   Dimensions are visible in a group if they have been defined in that
group, or any ancestor group.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_unlimdims(int ncid, int *nunlimdimsp, int *unlimdimidsp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF group ID, from a previous call to nc_open, nc_create,
     nc_def_grp, etc.

`nunlimdimsp'
     A pointer to an int which will get the number of visible unlimited
     dimensions. Ignored if NULL.

`unlimdimidsp'
     A pointer to an already allocated array of int which will get the
     ids of all visible unlimited dimensions. Ignored if NULL. To
     allocate the correct length for this array, call nc_inq_unlimdims
     with a NULL for this parameter and use the nunlimdimsp parameter
     to get the number of visible unlimited dimensions.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag HDF5. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

        int root_ncid, num_unlimdims, unlimdims[NC_MAX_DIMS];
        char file[] = "nc4_test.nc";
        int res;

        /* Open the file. */
        if ((res = nc_open(file, NC_NOWRITE, &root_ncid)))
           return res;

        /* Find out if there are any unlimited dimensions in the root
           group. */
        if ((res = nc_inq_unlimdims(root_ncid, &num_unlimdims, unlimdims)))
           return res;

        printf("nc_inq_unlimdims reports %d unlimited dimensions\n", num_unlimdims);

5 User Defined Data Types
*************************

5.1 User Defined Types Introduction
===================================

NetCDF-4 has added support for four different user defined data types.
User defined type may only be used in files created with the NC_NETCDF4
and without NC_CLASSIC_MODEL.

`compound type'
     Like a C struct, a compound type is a collection of types,
     including other user defined types, in one package.

`variable length array type'
     The variable length array may be used to store ragged arrays.

`opaque type'
     This type has only a size per element, and no other type
     information.

`enum type'
     Like an enumeration in C, this type lets you assign text values to
     integer values, and store the integer values.


   Users may construct user defined type with the various nc_def_*
functions described in this section. They may learn about user defined
types by using the nc_inq_ functions defined in this section.

   Once types are constructed, define variables of the new type with
nc_def_var (*note nc_def_var::). Write to them with nc_put_var1,
nc_put_var, nc_put_vara, or nc_put_vars (*note Variables::). Read data
of user-defined type with nc_get_var1, nc_get_var, nc_get_vara, or
nc_get_vars (*note Variables::).

   Create attributes of the new type with nc_put_att (*note nc_put_att_
type::). Read attributes of the new type with nc_get_att (*note
nc_get_att_ type::).

5.2 Learn the IDs of All Types in Group: nc_inq_typeids
=======================================================

Learn the number of types defined in a group, and their IDs.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_typeids(int ncid, int *ntypes, int *typeids);

`ncid'
     The group id.

`ntypes'
     A pointer to int which will get the number of types defined in the
     group. If NULL, ignored.

`typeids'
     A pointer to an int array which will get the typeids. If NULL,
     ignored.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_BADID'
     Bad ncid.


Example
=======

The following example is from the test program libsrc4/tst_enums.c.

           if (nc_open(FILE_NAME, NC_NOWRITE, &ncid)) ERR;

           /* Get type info. */
           if (nc_inq_typeids(ncid, &ntypes, typeids)) ERR;
           if (ntypes != 1 || !typeids[0]) ERR;

5.3 Find a Typeid from Group and Name: nc_inq_typeid
====================================================

Given a group ID and a type name, find the ID of the type. If the type
is not found in the group, then the parents are searched. If still not
found, the entire file is searched.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_typeid(int ncid, const char *name, nc_type *typeidp);

`ncid'
     The group id.

`name'
     The name of a type.

`typeidp'
     A pointer to an int which will get the typeid.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_EBADTYPE'
     Can't find type.


Example
=======

The following example is from the test program libsrc4/tst_vars.c. It
tests that the correct names are given for atomic types.

     	 /* Check inquire of atomic types */
     	 if (nc_inq_type(ncid, NC_BYTE, name_in, &size_in)) ERR;
     	 if (strcmp(name_in, "byte") || size_in != sizeof(char)) ERR;
     	 if (nc_inq_type(ncid, NC_CHAR, name_in, &size_in)) ERR;
     	 if (strcmp(name_in, "char") || size_in != sizeof(char)) ERR;
     	 if (nc_inq_type(ncid, NC_SHORT, name_in, &size_in)) ERR;
     	 if (strcmp(name_in, "short") || size_in != sizeof(short)) ERR;
     	 if (nc_inq_type(ncid, NC_INT, name_in, &size_in)) ERR;
     	 if (strcmp(name_in, "int") || size_in != sizeof(int)) ERR;
     	 if (nc_inq_type(ncid, NC_FLOAT, name_in, &size_in)) ERR;
     	 if (strcmp(name_in, "float") || size_in != sizeof(float)) ERR;
     	 if (nc_inq_type(ncid, NC_DOUBLE, name_in, &size_in)) ERR;
     	 if (strcmp(name_in, "double") || size_in != sizeof(double)) ERR;
     	 if (nc_inq_type(ncid, NC_UBYTE, name_in, &size_in)) ERR;
     	 if (strcmp(name_in, "ubyte") || size_in != sizeof(unsigned char)) ERR;
     	 if (nc_inq_type(ncid, NC_USHORT, name_in, &size_in)) ERR;
     	 if (strcmp(name_in, "ushort") || size_in != sizeof(unsigned short)) ERR;
     	 if (nc_inq_type(ncid, NC_UINT, name_in, &size_in)) ERR;
     	 if (strcmp(name_in, "uint") || size_in != sizeof(unsigned int)) ERR;
     	 if (nc_inq_type(ncid, NC_INT64, name_in, &size_in)) ERR;
     	 if (strcmp(name_in, "int64") || size_in != sizeof(long long)) ERR;
     	 if (nc_inq_type(ncid, NC_UINT64, name_in, &size_in)) ERR;
     	 if (strcmp(name_in, "uint64") || size_in != sizeof(unsigned long long)) ERR;
     	 if (nc_inq_type(ncid, NC_STRING, name_in, &size_in)) ERR;
     	 if (strcmp(name_in, "string") || size_in != 0) ERR;
     	 if (xtype_in != NC_SHORT) ERR;

5.4 Learn About a User Defined Type: nc_inq_type
================================================

Given an ncid and a typeid, get the information about a type. This
function will work on any type, including atomic and any user defined
type, whether compound, opaque, enumeration, or variable length array.

   For even more information about a user defined type *note
nc_inq_user_type::.

Usage
=====

     nc_inq_type(int ncid, nc_type xtype, char *name, size_t *sizep);

`ncid'
     The ncid for the group containing the type (ignored for atomic
     types).

`xtype'
     The typeid for this type, as returned by nc_def_compound,
     nc_def_opaque, nc_def_enum, nc_def_vlen, or nc_inq_var, or as
     found in netcdf.h in the list of atomic types (NC_CHAR, NC_INT,
     etc.).

`name'
     If non-NULL, the name of the user defined type will be copied
     here. It will be NC_MAX_NAME bytes or less. For atomic types, the
     type name from CDL will be given.

`sizep'
     If non-NULL, the (in-memory) size of the type in bytes will be
     copied here. VLEN type size is the size of nc_vlen_t. String size
     is returned as the size of a character pointer. The size may be
     used to malloc space for the data, no matter what the type.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad typeid.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Seeking a user-defined type in a netCDF-3 file.

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     Seeking a user-defined type in a netCDF-4 file for which classic
     model has been turned on.

`NC_EBADGRPID'
     Bad group ID in ncid.

`NC_EBADID'
     Type ID not found.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

This example is from the test program tst_enums.c, and it uses all the
possible inquiry functions on an enum type.

           /* Check it out. */
           if (nc_inq_user_type(ncid, typeids[0], name_in, &base_size_in, &base_nc_type_in,
                                &nfields_in, &class_in)) ERR;
           if (strcmp(name_in, TYPE_NAME) || base_size_in != sizeof(int) ||
               base_nc_type_in != NC_INT || nfields_in != NUM_MEMBERS || class_in != NC_ENUM) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_type(ncid, typeids[0], name_in, &base_size_in)) ERR;
           if (strcmp(name_in, TYPE_NAME) || base_size_in != sizeof(int)) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_enum(ncid, typeids[0], name_in, &base_nc_type, &base_size_in, &num_members)) ERR;
           if (strcmp(name_in, TYPE_NAME) || base_nc_type != NC_INT || num_members != NUM_MEMBERS) ERR;
           for (i = 0; i < NUM_MEMBERS; i++)
           {
              if (nc_inq_enum_member(ncid, typeid, i, name_in, &value_in)) ERR;
              if (strcmp(name_in, member_name[i]) || value_in != member_value[i]) ERR;
              if (nc_inq_enum_ident(ncid, typeid, member_value[i], name_in)) ERR;
              if (strcmp(name_in, member_name[i])) ERR;
           }

           if (nc_close(ncid)) ERR;

5.5 Learn About a User Defined Type: nc_inq_user_type
=====================================================

Given an ncid and a typeid, get the information about a user defined
type. This function will work on any user defined type, whether
compound, opaque, enumeration, or variable length array.

Usage
=====

     nc_inq_user_type(int ncid, nc_type xtype, char *name, size_t *sizep,
                      nc_type *base_nc_typep, size_t *nfieldsp, int *classp);

`ncid'
     The ncid for the group containing the user defined type.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this type, as returned by nc_def_compound,
     nc_def_opaque, nc_def_enum, nc_def_vlen, or nc_inq_var.

`name'
     If non-NULL, the name of the user defined type will be copied
     here. It will be NC_MAX_NAME bytes or less.

`sizep'
     If non-NULL, the (in-memory) size of the type in bytes will be
     copied here. VLEN type size is the size of nc_vlen_t. String size
     is returned as the size of a character pointer. The size may be
     used to malloc space for the data, no matter what the type.

`nfieldsp'
     If non-NULL, the number of fields will be copied here for enum and
     compound types.

`classp'
     Return the class of the user defined type, NC_VLEN, NC_OPAQUE,
     NC_ENUM, or NC_COMPOUND.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad typeid.

`NC_EBADFIELDID'
     Bad fieldid.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

           /* Create a file. */
           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;

           /* Create an enum type. */
           if (nc_def_enum(ncid, NC_INT, TYPE_NAME, &typeid)) ERR;
           for (i = 0; i < NUM_MEMBERS; i++)
              if (nc_insert_enum(ncid, typeid, member_name[i],
                                 &member_value[i])) ERR;

           /* Check it out. */
           if (nc_inq_user_type(ncid, typeid, name_in, &base_size_in, &base_nc_type_in,
                                &nfields_in, &class_in)) ERR;
           if (strcmp(name_in, TYPE_NAME) || base_size_in != sizeof(int) ||
               base_nc_type_in != NC_INT || nfields_in != NUM_MEMBERS || class_in != NC_ENUM) ERR;

5.6 Compound Types Introduction
===============================

Compound data types can be defined for netCDF-4/HDF5 format files. A
compound datatype is similar to a struct in C and contains a collection
of one or more atomic or user-defined types. The netCDF-4 compound data
must comply with the properties and constraints of the HDF5 compound
data type in terms of which it is implemented.

   In summary these are:
   * It has a fixed total size.

   * It consists of zero or more named members that do not overlap with
     other members.

   * Each member has a name distinct from other members.

   * Each member has its own datatype.

   * Each member is referenced by an index number between zero and N-1,
     where N is the number of members in the compound datatype.

   * Each member has a fixed byte offset, which is the first byte
     (smallest byte address) of that member in the compound datatype.

   * In addition to other other user-defined data types or atomic
     datatypes, a member can be a small fixed-size array of any type
     with up to four fixed-size "dimensions" (not associated with named
     netCDF dimensions).

   Currently there is an HDF5 restriction on total size of a compound
type to not larger than 2^16 = 65536 bytes. Attempts to exceed this
limit result in an NC_EHDFERR error.

   Compound types are not supported in classic or 64-bit offset format
files.

   To write data in a compound type, first use nc_def_compound to
create the type, multiple calls to nc_insert_compound to add to the
compound type, and then write data with the appropriate nc_put_var1,
nc_put_vara, nc_put_vars, or nc_put_varm call.

   To read data written in a compound type, you must know its
structure. Use the nc_inq_compound functions to learn about the compound
type.

5.7 Creating a Compound Type: nc_def_compound
=============================================

Create a compound type. Provide an ncid, a name, and a total size (in
bytes) of one element of the completed compound type.

   After calling this function, fill out the type with repeated calls to
nc_insert_compound (*note nc_insert_compound::). Call
nc_insert_compound once for each field you wish to insert into the
compound type.

   Note that there does not seem to be a way to read such types into
structures in Fortran 90 (and there are no structures in Fortran 77).

Usage
=====

     int nc_def_compound(int ncid, size_t size, const char *name, nc_type *typeidp);

`ncid'
     The groupid where this compound type will be created.

`size'
     The size, in bytes, of the compound type.

`name'
     The name of the new compound type.

`typeidp'
     A pointer to an nc_type. The typeid of the new type will be placed
     there.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENAMEINUSE'
     That name is in use.

`NC_EMAXNAME'
     Name exceeds max length NC_MAX_NAME.

`NC_EBADNAME'
     Name contains illegal characters.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag NC_NETCDF4. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.

`NC_EPERM'
     Attempt to write to a read-only file.

`NC_ENOTINDEFINE'
     Not in define mode.


Example
=======

           struct s1
           {
                 int i1;
                 int i2;
           };
           struct s1 data[DIM_LEN], data_in[DIM_LEN];

           /* Create a file with a compound type. Write a little data. */
           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_compound(ncid, sizeof(struct s1), SVC_REC, &typeid)) ERR;
           if (nc_insert_compound(ncid, typeid, BATTLES_WITH_KLINGONS,
                                  HOFFSET(struct s1, i1), NC_INT)) ERR;
           if (nc_insert_compound(ncid, typeid, DATES_WITH_ALIENS,
                                  HOFFSET(struct s1, i2), NC_INT)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_dim(ncid, STARDATE, DIM_LEN, &dimid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var(ncid, SERVICE_RECORD, typeid, 1, dimids, &varid)) ERR;
           if (nc_put_var(ncid, varid, data)) ERR;
           if (nc_close(ncid)) ERR;

5.8 Inserting a Field into a Compound Type: nc_insert_compound
==============================================================

Insert a named field into a compound type.

Usage
=====

     int nc_insert_compound(int ncid, nc_type typeid, const char *name, size_t offset,
                            nc_type field_typeid);

`ncid'
     The groupid where a field for this compound type will be inserted.

`typeid'
     The typeid for this compound type, as returned by nc_def_compound,
     or nc_inq_var.

`name'
     The name of the new field.

`offset'
     Offset in byte from the beginning of the compound type for this
     field.

`field_typeid'
     The type of the field to be inserted.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENAMEINUSE'
     That name is in use. Field names must be unique within a compound
     type.

`NC_EMAXNAME'
     Name exceed max length NC_MAX_NAME.

`NC_EBADNAME'
     Name contains illegal characters.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag NC_NETCDF4. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.

`NC_ENOTINDEFINE'
     Not in define mode.


Example
=======


5.9 Inserting an Array Field into a Compound Type: nc_insert_array_compound
===========================================================================

Insert a named field into a compound type.

Usage
=====

     int nc_insert_array_compound(int ncid, nc_type xtype, const char *name,
                              size_t offset, nc_type field_typeid,
                              int ndims, const int *dim_sizes);

`ncid'
     The ID of the file that contains the array type and the compound
     type.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this compound type, as returned by nc_def_compound,
     or nc_inq_var.

`name'
     The name of the new field.

`offset'
     Offset in byte from the beginning of the compound type for this
     field.

`field_typeid'
     The base type of the array to be inserted.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENAMEINUSE'
     That name is in use. Field names must be unique within a compound
     type.

`NC_EMAXNAME'
     Name exceed max length NC_MAX_NAME.

`NC_EBADNAME'
     Name contains illegal characters.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag NC_NETCDF4. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.

`NC_ENOTINDEFINE'
     Not in define mode.

`NC_ETYPEDEFINED'
     Attempt to change type that has already been committed. The first
     time the file leaves define mode, all defined types are committed,
     and can't be changed. If you wish to add an array to a compound
     type, you must do so before the compound type is committed.


Example
=======

This example comes from the test file libsrc4/tst_compounds.c, which
writes data about some Star Fleet officers who are known to use netCDF
data.

        /* Since some aliens exists in different, or more than one,
         * dimensions, StarFleet keeps track of the dimensional abilities
         * of everyone on 7 dimensions. */
     #define NUM_DIMENSIONS 7
        struct dim_rec
        {
              int starfleet_id;
              int abilities[NUM_DIMENSIONS];
        };
        struct dim_rec dim_data_out[DIM_LEN], dim_data_in[DIM_LEN];

        /* Create some phoney data. */
        for (i=0; i<DIM_LEN; i++)
        {
           /* snip */
           /* Dimensional data. */
           dim_data_out[i].starfleet_id = i;
           for (j = 0; j < NUM_DIMENSIONS; j++)
              dim_data_out[i].abilities[j] = j;
           /* snip */
        }

        printf("*** testing compound variable containing an array of ints...");
        {
           nc_type field_typeid;
           int dim_sizes[] = {NUM_DIMENSIONS};

           /* Create a file with a compound type which contains an array of
            * int. Write a little data. */
           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_compound(ncid, sizeof(struct dim_rec), "SFDimRec", &typeid)) ERR;
           if (nc_insert_compound(ncid, typeid, "starfleet_id",
                                  HOFFSET(struct dim_rec, starfleet_id), NC_INT)) ERR;
           if (nc_insert_array_compound(ncid, typeid, "abilities",
                                  HOFFSET(struct dim_rec, abilities), NC_INT, 1, dim_sizes)) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_compound_field(ncid, xtype, 1, name, &offset, &field_typeid,
                                     &field_ndims, field_sizes)) ERR;
           if (strcmp(name, "abilities") || offset != 4 || field_typeid != NC_INT ||
               field_ndims != 1 || field_sizes[0] != dim_sizes[0]) ERR;
           if (nc_def_dim(ncid, STARDATE, DIM_LEN, &dimid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var(ncid, "dimension_data", typeid, 1, dimids, &varid)) ERR;
           if (nc_put_var(ncid, varid, dim_data_out)) ERR;
           if (nc_close(ncid)) ERR;

           /* Open the file and take a look. */
           if (nc_open(FILE_NAME, NC_WRITE, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_var(ncid, 0, name, &xtype, &ndims, dimids, &natts)) ERR;
           if (strcmp(name, "dimension_data") || ndims != 1 || natts != 0 || dimids[0] != 0) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_compound(ncid, xtype, name, &size, &nfields)) ERR;
           if (nfields != 2 || size != sizeof(struct dim_rec) || strcmp(name, "SFDimRec")) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_compound_field(ncid, xtype, 1, name, &offset, &field_typeid,
                                     &field_ndims, field_sizes)) ERR;
           if (strcmp(name, "abilities") || offset != 4 || field_typeid != NC_INT ||
               field_ndims != 1 || field_sizes[0] != NUM_DIMENSIONS) ERR;
           if (nc_get_var(ncid, varid, dim_data_in)) ERR;
           for (i=0; i<DIM_LEN; i++)
           {
              if (dim_data_in[i].starfleet_id != dim_data_out[i].starfleet_id) ERR;
              for (j = 0; j < NUM_DIMENSIONS; j++)
                 if (dim_data_in[i].abilities[j] != dim_data_out[i].abilities[j]) ERR;
           }
           if (nc_close(ncid)) ERR;
        }

5.10 Learn About a Compound Type: nc_inq_compound
=================================================

Get the number of fields, len, and name of a compound type.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_compound(int ncid, nc_type xtype, char *name, size_t *sizep,
                         size_t *nfieldsp);

`ncid'
     The ID of any group in the file that contains the compound type.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this compound type, as returned by nc_def_compound,
     or nc_inq_var.

`name'
     Pointer to an already allocated char array which will get the
     name, as a null terminated string. It will have a maximum length of
     NC_MAX_NAME + 1. Ignored if NULL.

`sizep'
     A pointer to a size_t. The size of the compound type will be put
     here. Ignored if NULL.

`nfieldsp'
     A pointer to a size_t. The number of fields in the compound type
     will be placed here. Ignored if NULL.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Couldn't find this ncid.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Not a netCDF-4/HDF5 file.

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     A netCDF-4/HDF5 file, but with CLASSIC_MODEL. No user defined types
     are allowed in the classic model.

`NC_EBADTYPE'
     This type not a compound type.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad type id.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

The following example is from the test program libsrc4/tst_compounds.c.
See also the example for *Note nc_insert_array_compound::.

     #define BATTLES_WITH_KLINGONS "Number_of_Battles_with_Klingons"
     #define DATES_WITH_ALIENS "Dates_with_Alien_Hotties"

        struct s1
        {
              int i1;
              int i2;
        };

        /* Create a file with a compound type. */
        if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
        if (nc_def_compound(ncid, sizeof(struct s1), SVC_REC, &typeid)) ERR;
        if (nc_inq_compound(ncid, typeid, name, &size, &nfields)) ERR;
        if (nfields) ERR;
        if (nc_insert_compound(ncid, typeid, BATTLES_WITH_KLINGONS,
                          HOFFSET(struct s1, i1), NC_INT)) ERR;
        if (nc_insert_compound(ncid, typeid, DATES_WITH_ALIENS,
                          HOFFSET(struct s1, i2), NC_INT)) ERR;

        /* Check the compound type. */
        if (nc_inq_compound(ncid, xtype, name, &size, &nfields)) ERR;
        if (nfields != 2 || size != 8 || strcmp(name, SVC_REC)) ERR;
        if (nc_inq_compound_name(ncid, xtype, name)) ERR;
        if (strcmp(name, SVC_REC)) ERR;
        if (nc_inq_compound_size(ncid, xtype, &size)) ERR;
        if (size != 8) ERR;
        if (nc_inq_compound_nfields(ncid, xtype, &nfields)) ERR;
        if (nfields != 2) ERR;
        if (nc_inq_compound_field(ncid, xtype, 0, name, &offset, &field_xtype, &field_ndims, field_sizes)) ERR;
        if (strcmp(name, BATTLES_WITH_KLINGONS) || offset != 0 || (field_xtype != NC_INT || field_ndims != 0)) ERR;
        if (nc_inq_compound_field(ncid, xtype, 1, name, &offset, &field_xtype, &field_ndims, field_sizes)) ERR;
        if (strcmp(name, DATES_WITH_ALIENS) || offset != 4 || field_xtype != NC_INT) ERR;
        if (nc_inq_compound_fieldname(ncid, xtype, 1, name)) ERR;
        if (strcmp(name, DATES_WITH_ALIENS)) ERR;
        if (nc_inq_compound_fieldindex(ncid, xtype, BATTLES_WITH_KLINGONS, &fieldid)) ERR;
        if (fieldid != 0) ERR;
        if (nc_inq_compound_fieldoffset(ncid, xtype, 1, &offset)) ERR;
        if (offset != 4) ERR;
        if (nc_inq_compound_fieldtype(ncid, xtype, 1, &field_xtype)) ERR;
        if (field_xtype != NC_INT) ERR;

5.11 Learn the Name of a Compound Type: nc_inq_compound_name
============================================================

Get the name of a compound type.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_compound_name(int ncid, nc_type xtype, char *name);

`ncid'
     The groupid where this compound type exists.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this compound type.

`name'
     Pointer to an already allocated char array which will get the
     name, as a null terminated string. It will have a maximum length of
     NC_MAX_NAME+1.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad type id.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

See the example section for *note nc_inq_compound::.

5.12 Learn the Size of a Compound Type: nc_inq_compound_size
============================================================

Get the len of a compound type.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_compound_size(int ncid, nc_type xtype, size_t *sizep);

`ncid'
     The groupid where this compound type exists.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this compound type.

`size'
     A pointer, which, if not NULL, get the size of the compound type.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad type id.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

See the example section for *note nc_inq_compound::.

5.13 Learn the Number of Fields in a Compound Type: nc_inq_compound_nfields
===========================================================================

Get the number of fields of a compound type.

Usage
=====

     nc_inq_compound_nfields(int ncid, nc_type xtype, size_t *nfieldsp);

`ncid'
     The groupid where this compound type exists.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this compound type.

`nfieldsp'
     A pointer, which, if not NULL, get the number of fields of the
     compound type.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad type id.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

See the example section for *note nc_inq_compound::.

5.14 Learn About a Field of a Compound Type: nc_inq_compound_field
==================================================================

Get information about one of the fields of a compound type.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_compound_field(int ncid, nc_type xtype, int fieldid, char *name,
                           size_t *offsetp, nc_type *field_typeidp, int *ndimsp,
                           int *dim_sizesp);

`ncid'
     The groupid where this compound type exists.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this compound type, as returned by nc_def_compound,
     or nc_inq_var.

`fieldid'
     A zero-based index number specifying a field in the compound type.

`name'
     A pointer which, if non-NULL, will get the name of the field.

`offsetp'
     A pointer which, if non-NULL, will get the offset of the field.

`field_typeid'
     A pointer which, if non-NULL, will get the typeid of the field.

`ndimsp'
     A pointer which, if non-NULL, will get the number of dimensions of
     the field.

`dim_sizesp'
     A pointer which, if non-NULL, will get the dimension sizes of the
     field.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad type id.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

See the example section for *note nc_inq_compound::.

5.15 Find the Name of a Field in a Compound Type: nc_inq_compound_fieldname
===========================================================================

Given the typeid and the fieldid, get the name.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_compound_fieldname(nc_type typeid, int fieldid, char *name);

`typeid'
     The typeid for this compound type, as returned by nc_def_compound,
     or nc_inq_var.

`fieldid'
     The id of the field in the compound type. Fields are numbered
     starting with 0 for the first inserted field.

`name'
     Pointer to an already allocated char array which will get the
     name, as a null terminated string. It will have a maximum length of
     NC_MAX_NAME+1.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad type id.

`NC_EBADFIELDID'
     Bad field id.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

See the example section for *note nc_inq_compound::.

5.16 Get the FieldID of a Compound Type Field: nc_inq_compound_fieldindex
=========================================================================

Given the typeid and the name, get the fieldid.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_compound_fieldindex(nc_type typeid, const char *name, int *fieldidp);

`typeid'
     The typeid for this compound type, as returned by nc_def_compound,
     or nc_inq_var.

`name'
     The name of the field.

`fieldidp'
     A pointer to an int which will get the field id of the named field.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad type id.

`NC_EUNKNAME'
     Can't find field of this name.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

See the example section for *note nc_inq_compound::.

5.17 Get the Offset of a Field: nc_inq_compound_fieldoffset
===========================================================

Given the typeid and fieldid, get the offset.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_compound_fieldoffset(nc_type typeid, int fieldid,
                                     size_t *offsetp);

`typeid'
     The typeid for this compound type, as returned by nc_def_compound,
     or nc_inq_var.

`fieldid'
     The id of the field in the compound type. Fields are numbered
     starting with 0 for the first inserted field.

`offsetp'
     A pointer to a size_t. The offset of the field will be placed
     there.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad typeid.

`NC_EBADFIELDID'
     Bad fieldid.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

See the example section for *note nc_inq_compound::.

5.18 Find the Type of a Field: nc_inq_compound_fieldtype
========================================================

Given the typeid and the fieldid, get the type of that field.

Usage
=====

     nc_inq_compound_fieldtype(nc_type typeid, int fieldid, nc_type *field_typeidp);

`typeid'
     The typeid for this compound type, as returned by nc_def_compound,
     or nc_inq_var.

`fieldid'
     The id of the field in the compound type. Fields are numbered
     starting with 0 for the first inserted field.

`field_typeidp'
     Pointer to a nc_type which will get the typeid of the field.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad typeid.

`NC_EBADFIELDID'
     Bad fieldid.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

See the example section for *note nc_inq_compound::.

5.19 Find the Number of Dimensions in an Array Field: nc_inq_compound_fieldndims
================================================================================

Given the typeid and the fieldid, get the number of dimensions of that
field.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_compound_fieldndims(int ncid, nc_type xtype, int fieldid,
                                    int *ndimsp);

`ncid'
     The file or group ID.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this compound type, as returned by nc_def_compound,
     or nc_inq_var.

`fieldid'
     The id of the field in the compound type. Fields are numbered
     starting with 0 for the first inserted field.

`ndimsp'
     Pointer to an int which will get the number of dimensions of the
     field. Non-array fields have 0 dimensions.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad typeid.

`NC_EBADFIELDID'
     Bad fieldid.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

See the example section for *note nc_inq_compound::.

5.20 Find the Sizes of Dimensions in an Array Field: nc_inq_compound_fielddim_sizes
===================================================================================

Given the xtype and the fieldid, get the sizes of dimensions for that
field. User must have allocated storage for the dim_sizes.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_compound_fielddim_sizes(int ncid, nc_type xtype, int fieldid,
                                        int *dim_sizes);

`ncid'
     The file or group ID.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this compound type, as returned by nc_def_compound,
     or nc_inq_var.

`fieldid'
     The id of the field in the compound type. Fields are numbered
     starting with 0 for the first inserted field.

`dim_sizesp'
     Pointer to an array of int which will get the sizes of the
     dimensions of the field. Non-array fields have 0 dimensions.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad typeid.

`NC_EBADFIELDID'
     Bad fieldid.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

See the example section for *note nc_inq_compound::.

5.21 Variable Length Array Introduction
=======================================

NetCDF-4 added support for a variable length array type. This is not
supported in classic or 64-bit offset files, or in netCDF-4 files which
were created with the NC_CLASSIC_MODEL flag.

   A variable length array is represented in C as a structure from HDF5,
the nc_vlen_t structure. It contains a len member, which contains the
length of that array, and a pointer to the array.

   So an array of VLEN in C is an array of nc_vlen_t structures.

   VLEN arrays are handled differently with respect to allocation of
memory. Generally, when reading data, it is up to the user to malloc
(and subsequently free) the memory needed to hold the data. It is up to
the user to ensure that enough memory is allocated.

   With VLENs, this is impossible. The user cannot know the size of an
array of VLEN until after reading the array. Therefore when reading
VLEN arrays, the netCDF library will allocate the memory for the data
within each VLEN.

   It is up to the user, however, to eventually free this memory. This
is not just a matter of one call to free, with the pointer to the array
of VLENs; each VLEN contains a pointer which must be freed.

   When dynamically allocating space to hold an array of VLEN, allocate
storage for an array of nc_vlen_t.

   Compression is permitted but may not be effective for VLEN data,
because the compression is applied to the nc_vlen_t structs, rather
than the actual data.

5.22 Define a Variable Length Array (VLEN): nc_def_vlen
=======================================================

Use this function to define a variable length array type.

Usage
=====

     nc_def_vlen(int ncid, const char *name, nc_type base_typeid, nc_type *xtypep);

`ncid'
     The ncid of the file to create the VLEN type in.

`name'
     A name for the VLEN type.

`base_typeid'
     The typeid of the base type of the VLEN. For example, for a VLEN of
     shorts, the base type is NC_SHORT. This can be a user defined type.

`xtypep'
     A pointer to an nc_type variable. The typeid of the new VLEN type
     will be set here.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EMAXNAME'
     NC_MAX_NAME exceeded.

`NC_ENAMEINUSE'
     Name is already in use.

`NC_EBADNAME'
     Attribute or variable name contains illegal characters.

`NC_EBADID'
     ncid invalid.

`NC_EBADGRPID'
     Group ID part of ncid was invalid.

`NC_EINVAL'
     Size is invalid.

`NC_ENOMEM'
     Out of memory.


Example
=======

     #define DIM_LEN 3
     #define ATT_NAME "att_name"

        nc_vlen_t data[DIM_LEN];
        int *phony;

        /* Create phony data. */
        for (i=0; i<DIM_LEN; i++)
        {
           if (!(phony = malloc(sizeof(int) * i+1)))
              return NC_ENOMEM;
           for (j=0; j<i+1; j++)
              phony[j] = -99;
           data[i].p = phony;
           data[i].len = i+1;
        }

           /* Define a VLEN of NC_INT, and write an attribute of that
           type. */
           if (nc_def_vlen(ncid, "name1", NC_INT, &typeid)) ERR;
           if (nc_put_att(ncid, NC_GLOBAL, ATT_NAME, typeid, DIM_LEN, data)) ERR;

5.23 Learning about a Variable Length Array (VLEN) Type: nc_inq_vlen
====================================================================

Use this type to learn about a vlen.

Usage
=====

     nc_inq_vlen(int ncid, nc_type xtype, char *name, size_t *datum_sizep,
                 nc_type *base_nc_typep);

`ncid'
     The ncid of the file that contains the VLEN type.

`xtype'
     The type of the VLEN to inquire about.

`name'
     A pointer for storage for the types name. The name will be
     NC_MAX_NAME characters or less.

`datum_sizep'
     A pointer to a size_t, this will get the size of one element of
     this vlen.

`base_nc_typep'
     A pointer to an nc_type, this will get the type of the VLEN base
     type. (In other words, what type is this a VLEN of?)


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPE'
     Can't find the typeid.

`NC_EBADID'
     ncid invalid.

`NC_EBADGRPID'
     Group ID part of ncid was invalid.


Example
=======

           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_vlen(ncid, "name1", NC_INT, &typeid)) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_vlen(ncid, typeid, name_in, &size_in, &base_nc_type_in)) ERR;
           if (base_nc_type_in != NC_INT || (size_in != sizeof(int) || strcmp(name_in, VLEN_NAME))) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_user_type(ncid, typeid, name_in, &size_in, &base_nc_type_in, NULL, &class_in)) ERR;
           if (base_nc_type_in != NC_INT || (size_in != sizeof(int) || strcmp(name_in, VLEN_NAME))) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_compound(ncid, typeid, name_in, &size_in, NULL) != NC_EBADTYPE) ERR;
           if (nc_put_att(ncid, NC_GLOBAL, ATT_NAME, typeid, DIM_LEN, data)) ERR;
           if (nc_close(ncid)) ERR;

5.24 Releasing Memory for a Variable Length Array (VLEN) Type: nc_free_vlen
===========================================================================

When a VLEN is read into user memory from the file, the HDF5 library
performs memory allocations for each of the variable length arrays
contained within the VLEN structure. This memory must be freed by the
user to avoid memory leaks.

   This violates the normal netCDF expectation that the user is
responsible for all memory allocation. But, with VLEN arrays, the
underlying HDF5 library allocates the memory for the user, and the user
is responsible for deallocating that memory.

   To save the user the trouble calling free() on each element of the
VLEN array (i.e. the array of arrays), the nc_free_vlen function is
provided.

Usage
=====

     int nc_free_vlen(nc_vlen_t *vl);

`vl'
     A pointer to the variable length array structure which is to be
     freed.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPE'
     Can't find the typeid.


Example
=======

This example is from test program libsrc4/tst_vl.c.

        /* Free the memory used in our phony data. */
        for (i=0; i<DIM_LEN; i++)
           if (nc_free_vlen(&data[i])) ERR;

5.25 Releasing Memory for an Array of Variable Length Array (VLEN) Type: nc_free_vlen
=====================================================================================

When a VLEN is read into user memory from the file, the HDF5 library
performs memory allocations for each of the variable length arrays
contained within the VLEN structure. This memory must be freed by the
user to avoid memory leaks.

   This violates the normal netCDF expectation that the user is
responsible for all memory allocation. But, with VLEN arrays, the
underlying HDF5 library allocates the memory for the user, and the user
is responsible for deallocating that memory.

   To save the user the trouble calling free() on each element of the
VLEN array (i.e. the array of arrays), the nc_free_vlens function is
provided. It frees all the vlens in an array.

Usage
=====

     int nc_free_vlens(size_t len, nc_vlen_t vlens[])

`len'
     Length of the VLEN array to be freed.

`vlens'
     Array of VLENs to be freed.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.


5.26 Opaque Type Introduction
=============================

NetCDF-4 added support for the opaque type. This is not supported in
classic or 64-bit offset files.

   The opaque type is a type which is a collection of objects of a known
size. (And each object is the same size). Nothing is known to netCDF
about the contents of these blobs of data, except their size in bytes,
and the name of the type.

   To use an opaque type, first define it with *note nc_def_opaque::. If
encountering an enum type in a new data file, use *note nc_inq_opaque::
to learn its name and size.

5.27 Creating Opaque Types: nc_def_opaque
=========================================

Create an opaque type. Provide a size and a name.

Usage
=====

     nc_def_opaque(int ncid, size_t size, const char *name, nc_type *typeidp);

`ncid'
     The groupid where the type will be created. The type may be used
     anywhere in the file, no matter what group it is in.

`size'
     The size of each opaque object.

`name'
     The name for this type. Must be shorter than NC_MAX_NAME.

`typeidp'
     Pointer where the new typeid for this type is returned. Use this
     typeid when defining variables of this type with *note
     nc_def_var::.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad typeid.

`NC_EBADFIELDID'
     Bad fieldid.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

This example is from the test program libsrc4/tst_opaques.c.

           /* Create a file that has an opaque attribute. */
           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_opaque(ncid, BASE_SIZE, TYPE_NAME, &xtype)) ERR;

5.28 Learn About an Opaque Type: nc_inq_opaque
==============================================

Given a typeid, get the information about an opaque type.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_opaque(int ncid, nc_type xtype, char *name, size_t *sizep);

`ncid'
     The ncid for the group containing the opaque type.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this opaque type, as returned by nc_def_compound, or
     nc_inq_var.

`name'
     If non-NULL, the name of the opaque type will be copied here. It
     will be NC_MAX_NAME bytes or less.

`sizep'
     If non-NULL, the size of the opaque type will be copied here.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad typeid.

`NC_EBADFIELDID'
     Bad fieldid.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

This example is from test program libsrc4/tst_opaques.c:

           if (nc_def_opaque(ncid, BASE_SIZE, TYPE_NAME, &xtype)) ERR;

           if (nc_inq_opaque(ncid, xtype, name_in, &base_size_in)) ERR;
           if (strcmp(name_in, TYPE_NAME) || base_size_in != BASE_SIZE) ERR;

5.29 Enum Type Introduction
===========================

NetCDF-4 added support for the enum type. This is not supported in
classic or 64-bit offset files.

5.30 Creating a Enum Type: nc_def_enum
======================================

Create an enum type. Provide an ncid, a name, and a base integer type.

   After calling this function, fill out the type with repeated calls to
nc_insert_enum (*note nc_insert_enum::). Call nc_insert_enum once for
each value you wish to make part of the enumeration.

Usage
=====

     int nc_def_enum(int ncid, nc_type base_typeid, const char *name,
                     nc_type *typeidp);

`ncid'
     The groupid where this compound type will be created.

`base_typeid'
     The base integer type for this enum. Must be one of: NC_BYTE,
     NC_UBYTE, NC_SHORT, NC_USHORT, NC_INT, NC_UINT, NC_INT64,
     NC_UINT64.

`name'
     The name of the new enum type.

`typeidp'
     A pointer to an nc_type. The typeid of the new type will be placed
     there.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENAMEINUSE'
     That name is in use.

`NC_EMAXNAME'
     Name exceeds max length NC_MAX_NAME.

`NC_EBADNAME'
     Name contains illegal characters.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag NC_NETCDF4. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.

`NC_EPERM'
     Attempt to write to a read-only file.

`NC_ENOTINDEFINE'
     Not in define mode.


   The following example, from libsrc4/tst_enums.c, shows the creation
and use of an enum type, including the use of a fill value.

            int dimid, varid;
            size_t num_members_in;
            int class_in;
            unsigned char value_in;

            enum clouds {           /* a C enumeration */
                CLEAR=0,
                CUMULONIMBUS=1,
                STRATUS=2,
                STRATOCUMULUS=3,
                CUMULUS=4,
                ALTOSTRATUS=5,
                NIMBOSTRATUS=6,
                ALTOCUMULUS=7,
                CIRROSTRATUS=8,
                CIRROCUMULUS=9,
                CIRRUS=10,
                MISSING=255};

            struct {
                char *name;
                unsigned char value;
            } cloud_types[] = {
                {"Clear", CLEAR},
                {"Cumulonimbus", CUMULONIMBUS},
                {"Stratus", STRATUS},
                {"Stratocumulus", STRATOCUMULUS},
                {"Cumulus", CUMULUS},
                {"Altostratus", ALTOSTRATUS},
                {"Nimbostratus", NIMBOSTRATUS},
                {"Altocumulus", ALTOCUMULUS},
                {"Cirrostratus", CIRROSTRATUS},
                {"Cirrocumulus", CIRROCUMULUS},
                {"Cirrus", CIRRUS},
                {"Missing", MISSING}
            };
            int var_dims[VAR2_RANK];
            unsigned char att_val;
            unsigned char cloud_data[DIM2_LEN] = {
                CLEAR, STRATUS, CLEAR, CUMULONIMBUS, MISSING};
            unsigned char cloud_data_in[DIM2_LEN];

            if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_CLOBBER | NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;

            /* Create an enum type. */
            if (nc_def_enum(ncid, NC_UBYTE, TYPE2_NAME, &typeid)) ERR;
            num_members = (sizeof cloud_types) / (sizeof cloud_types[0]);
            for (i = 0; i < num_members; i++)
                if (nc_insert_enum(ncid, typeid, cloud_types[i].name,
                                   &cloud_types[i].value)) ERR;

            /* Declare a station dimension */
            if (nc_def_dim(ncid, DIM2_NAME, DIM2_LEN, &dimid)) ERR;
            /* Declare a variable of the enum type */
            var_dims[0] = dimid;
            if (nc_def_var(ncid, VAR2_NAME, typeid, VAR2_RANK, var_dims, &varid)) ERR;
            /* Create and write a variable attribute of the enum type */
            att_val = MISSING;
            if (nc_put_att(ncid, varid, ATT2_NAME, typeid, ATT2_LEN, &att_val)) ERR;
            if (nc_enddef(ncid)) ERR;
            /* Store some data of the enum type */
            if(nc_put_var(ncid, varid, cloud_data)) ERR;
            /* Write the file. */
            if (nc_close(ncid)) ERR;

5.31 Inserting a Field into a Enum Type: nc_insert_enum
=======================================================

Insert a named member into a enum type.

Usage
=====

     int nc_insert_enum(int ncid, nc_type xtype, const char *identifier,
                        const void *value);

`ncid'
     The ncid of the group which contains the type.

`typeid'
     The typeid for this enum type, as returned by nc_def_enum, or
     nc_inq_var.

`identifier'
     The identifier of the new member.

`value'
     The value that is to be associated with this member.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad group id.

`NC_ENAMEINUSE'
     That name is in use. Field names must be unique within a enum type.

`NC_EMAXNAME'
     Name exceed max length NC_MAX_NAME.

`NC_EBADNAME'
     Name contains illegal characters.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Attempting a netCDF-4 operation on a netCDF-3 file. NetCDF-4
     operations can only be performed on files defined with a create
     mode which includes flag NC_NETCDF4. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     This file was created with the strict netcdf-3 flag, therefore
     netcdf-4 operations are not allowed. (*note nc_open::).

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.

`NC_ENOTINDEFINE'
     Not in define mode.


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_enums.c; also see the example in *Note
nc_def_enum::.

           char brady_name[NUM_BRADYS][NC_MAX_NAME + 1] = {"Mike", "Carol", "Greg", "Marsha",
                                                            "Peter", "Jan", "Bobby", "Whats-her-face",
                                                            "Alice"};
           unsigned char brady_value[NUM_BRADYS] = {0, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8};
           unsigned char data[BRADY_DIM_LEN] = {0, 4, 8};
           unsigned char value_in;

           /* Create a file. */
           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;

           /* Create an enum type based on unsigned bytes. */
           if (nc_def_enum(ncid, NC_UBYTE, BRADYS, &typeid)) ERR;
           for (i = 0; i < NUM_BRADYS; i++)
              if (nc_insert_enum(ncid, typeid, brady_name[i],
                                 &brady_value[i])) ERR;

5.32 Learn About a Enum Type: nc_inq_enum
=========================================

Get information about a user-define enumeration type.

Usage
=====

     nc_inq_enum(int ncid, nc_type xtype, char *name, nc_type *base_nc_typep,
                 size_t *base_sizep, size_t *num_membersp);

`ncid'
     The group ID of the group which holds the enum type.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this enum type, as returned by nc_def_enum, or
     nc_inq_var.

`name'
     Pointer to an already allocated char array which will get the
     name, as a null terminated string. It will have a maximum length of
     NC_MAX_NAME+1.

`base_nc_typep'
     If non-NULL, a pointer to a nc_type, which will get the base
     integer type of this enum.

`base_sizep'
     If non-NULL, a size_t pointer, which will get the size (in bytes)
     of the base integer type of this enum.

`num_membersp'
     If non-NULL, a size_t pointer which will get the number of members
     defined for this enumeration type.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad type id.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_enums.c, and is a continuation of the
example above for nc_insert_enum. First an enum type is created, with
one element for each of the nine members of the Brady family on a
popular American television show which occupies far too much memory
space in my brain!

   In the example, the enum type is created, then checked using the
nc_inq_enum and nc_inq_enum_member functions. See *note
nc_inq_enum_member::.

           char brady_name[NUM_BRADYS][NC_MAX_NAME + 1] = {"Mike", "Carol", "Greg", "Marsha",
                                                            "Peter", "Jan", "Bobby", "Whats-her-face",
                                                            "Alice"};
           unsigned char brady_value[NUM_BRADYS] = {0, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8};
           unsigned char data[BRADY_DIM_LEN] = {0, 4, 8};
           unsigned char value_in;

           /* Create a file. */
           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;

           /* Create an enum type based on unsigned bytes. */
           if (nc_def_enum(ncid, NC_UBYTE, BRADYS, &typeid)) ERR;
           for (i = 0; i < NUM_BRADYS; i++)
              if (nc_insert_enum(ncid, typeid, brady_name[i],
                                 &brady_value[i])) ERR;

           /* Check it out. */
           if (nc_inq_enum(ncid, typeid, name_in, &base_nc_type, &base_size_in, &num_members)) ERR;
           if (strcmp(name_in, BRADYS) || base_nc_type != NC_UBYTE || base_size_in != 1 ||
               num_members != NUM_BRADYS) ERR;
           for (i = 0; i < NUM_BRADYS; i++)
           {
              if (nc_inq_enum_member(ncid, typeid, i, name_in, &value_in)) ERR;
              if (strcmp(name_in, brady_name[i]) || value_in != brady_value[i]) ERR;
              if (nc_inq_enum_ident(ncid, typeid, brady_value[i], name_in)) ERR;
              if (strcmp(name_in, brady_name[i])) ERR;
           }

5.33 Learn the Name of a Enum Type: nc_inq_enum_member
======================================================

Get information about a member of an enum type.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_enum_member(int ncid, nc_type xtype, int idx, char *name,
                            void *value);

`ncid'
     The groupid where this enum type exists.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this enum type.

`idx'
     The zero-based index number for the member of interest.

`name'
     If non-NULL, a pointer to an already allocated char array which
     will get the name, as a null terminated string. It will have a
     maximum length of NC_MAX_NAME+1.

`value'
     If non-NULL, a pointer to storage of the correct integer type
     (i.e. the base type of this enum type). It will get the value
     associated with this member.


Errors
======

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad type id.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.


Example
=======

This is the continuation of the example in *note nc_def_enum::. The file
is reopened and the cloud enum type is examined.

            /* Reopen the file. */
            if (nc_open(FILE_NAME, NC_NOWRITE, &ncid)) ERR;

            if (nc_inq_user_type(ncid, typeid, name_in, &base_size_in, &base_nc_type_in,
                                 &nfields_in, &class_in)) ERR;
            if (strcmp(name_in, TYPE2_NAME) ||
                base_size_in != sizeof(unsigned char) ||
                base_nc_type_in != NC_UBYTE ||
                nfields_in != num_members ||
                class_in != NC_ENUM) ERR;
            if (nc_inq_enum(ncid, typeid, name_in,
                            &base_nc_type_in, &base_size_in, &num_members_in)) ERR;
            if (strcmp(name_in, TYPE2_NAME) ||
                base_nc_type_in !=  NC_UBYTE ||
                num_members_in != num_members) ERR;
            for (i = 0; i < num_members; i++)
            {
                if (nc_inq_enum_member(ncid, typeid, i, name_in, &value_in)) ERR;
                if (strcmp(name_in, cloud_types[i].name) ||
                    value_in != cloud_types[i].value) ERR;
                if (nc_inq_enum_ident(ncid, typeid, cloud_types[i].value,
                                      name_in)) ERR;
                if (strcmp(name_in, cloud_types[i].name)) ERR;
            }
            if (nc_inq_varid(ncid, VAR2_NAME, &varid)) ERR;

            if (nc_get_att(ncid, varid, ATT2_NAME, &value_in)) ERR;
            if (value_in != MISSING) ERR;

            if(nc_get_var(ncid, varid, cloud_data_in)) ERR;
            for (i = 0; i < DIM2_LEN; i++) {
                if (cloud_data_in[i] != cloud_data[i]) ERR;
            }

            if (nc_close(ncid)) ERR;

5.34 Learn the Name of a Enum Type: nc_inq_enum_ident
=====================================================

Get the name which is associated with an enum member value.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_enum_ident(int ncid, nc_type xtype, long long value, char *identifier);

`ncid'
     The groupid where this enum type exists.

`xtype'
     The typeid for this enum type.

`value'
     The value for which an identifier is sought.

`identifier'
     If non-NULL, a pointer to an already allocated char array which
     will get the identifier, as a null terminated string. It will have
     a maximum length of NC_MAX_NAME+1.


Return Code
===========

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADTYPEID'
     Bad type id, or not an enum type.

`NC_EHDFERR'
     An error was reported by the HDF5 layer.

`NC_EINVAL'
     The value was not found in the enum.


Example
=======

See the example section for *note nc_inq_enum:: for a full example.

6 Variables
***********

6.1 Introduction
================

Variables for a netCDF dataset are defined when the dataset is created,
while the netCDF dataset is in define mode. Other variables may be
added later by reentering define mode. A netCDF variable has a name, a
type, and a shape, which are specified when it is defined. A variable
may also have values, which are established later in data mode.

   Ordinarily, the name, type, and shape are fixed when the variable is
first defined. The name may be changed, but the type and shape of a
variable cannot be changed. However, a variable defined in terms of the
unlimited dimension can grow without bound in that dimension.

   A netCDF variable in an open netCDF dataset is referred to by a small
integer called a variable ID.

   Variable IDs reflect the order in which variables were defined within
a netCDF dataset. Variable IDs are 0, 1, 2,..., in the order in which
the variables were defined. A function is available for getting the
variable ID from the variable name and vice-versa.

   Attributes (*note Attributes::) may be associated with a variable to
specify such properties as units.

   Operations supported on variables are:
   * Create a variable, given its name, data type, and shape.

   * Get a variable ID from its name.

   * Get a variable's name, data type, shape, and number of attributes
     from its ID.

   * Put a data value into a variable, given variable ID, indices, and
     value.

   * Put an array of values into a variable, given variable ID, corner
     indices, edge lengths, and a block of values.

   * Put a subsampled or mapped array-section of values into a variable,
     given variable ID, corner indices, edge lengths, stride vector,
     index mapping vector, and a block of values.

   * Get a data value from a variable, given variable ID and indices.

   * Get an array of values from a variable, given variable ID, corner
     indices, and edge lengths.

   * Get a subsampled or mapped array-section of values from a variable,
     given variable ID, corner indices, edge lengths, stride vector, and
     index mapping vector.

   * Rename a variable.

6.2 Language Types Corresponding to netCDF external data types
==============================================================

NetCDF supported six atomic data types through version 3.6.0 (char,
byte, short, int, float, and double). Starting with version 4.0, many
new atomic and user defined data types are supported (unsigned int
types, strings, compound types, variable length arrays, enums, opaque).

   The additional data types are only supported in netCDF-4/HDF5 files.
To create netCDF-4/HDF5 files, use the HDF5 flag in nc_create. (*note
nc_create::).

6.3 NetCDF-3 Classic and 64-Bit Offset Data Types
=================================================

NetCDF-3 classic and 64-bit offset files support 6 atomic data types,
and none of the user defined datatype introduced in NetCDF-4.

   The following table gives the netCDF-3 external data types and the
corresponding type constants for defining variables in the C interface:

Type               C #define                                   Bits
byte               NC_BYTE                                     8
char               NC_CHAR                                     8
short              NC_SHORT                                    16
int                NC_INT                                      32
float              NC_FLOAT                                    32
double             NC_DOUBLE                                   64

   The first column gives the netCDF external data type, which is the
same as the CDL data type. The next column gives the corresponding C
pre-processor macro for use in netCDF functions (the pre-processor
macros are defined in the netCDF C header-file netcdf.h). The last
column gives the number of bits used in the external representation of
values of the corresponding type.

6.4 NetCDF-4 Atomic Types
=========================

NetCDF-4 files support all of the atomic data types from netCDF-3, plus
additional unsigned integer types, 64-bit integer types, and a string
type.

Type               C #define                                   Bits
byte               NC_BYTE                                     8
unsigned byte      NC_UBYTE^                                   8
char               NC_CHAR                                     8
short              NC_SHORT                                    16
unsigned short     NC_USHORT^                                  16
int                NC_INT                                      32
unsigned int       NC_UINT^                                    32
unsigned long long NC_UINT64^                                  64
long long          NC_INT64^                                   64
float              NC_FLOAT                                    32
double             NC_DOUBLE                                   64
char **            NC_STRING^                                  string
                                                               length + 1

   ^This type was introduced in netCDF-4, and is not supported in netCDF
classic or 64-bit offset format files, or in netCDF-4 files if they are
created with the NC_CLASSIC_MODEL flags.

6.5 Create a Variable: `nc_def_var'
===================================

The function nc_def_var adds a new variable to an open netCDF dataset
in define mode. It returns (as an argument) a variable ID, given the
netCDF ID, the variable name, the variable type, the number of
dimensions, and a list of the dimension IDs.

Usage
=====

     int nc_def_var (int ncid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                     int ndims, const int dimids[], int *varidp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`name'
     Variable name.

`xtype'
     One of the set of predefined netCDF external data types. The type
     of this parameter, nc_type, is defined in the netCDF header file.
     The valid netCDF external data types are NC_BYTE, NC_CHAR,
     NC_SHORT, NC_INT, NC_FLOAT, and NC_DOUBLE. If the file is a
     NetCDF-4/HDF5 file, the additional types NC_UBYTE, NC_USHORT,
     NC_UINT, NC_INT64, NC_UINT64, and NC_STRING may be used, as well
     as a user defined type ID.

`ndims'
     Number of dimensions for the variable. For example, 2 specifies a
     matrix, 1 specifies a vector, and 0 means the variable is a scalar
     with no dimensions. Must not be negative or greater than the
     predefined constant NC_MAX_VAR_DIMS.

`dimids'
     Vector of ndims dimension IDs corresponding to the variable
     dimensions. For classic model netCDF files, if the ID of the
     unlimited dimension is included, it must be first. This argument
     is ignored if ndims is 0. For expanded model netCDF4/HDF5 files,
     there may be any number of unlimited dimensions, and they may be
     used in any element of the dimids array.

`varidp'
     Pointer to location for the returned variable ID.


Errors
======

nc_def_var returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Otherwise,
the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of errors
include:

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_BADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_ENOTINDEFINE'
     Not in define mode. This is returned for netCDF classic or 64-bit
     offset files, or for netCDF-4 files, when they were been created
     with NC_STRICT_NC3 flag. (*note nc_create::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     Trying to create a var some place other than the root group in a
     netCDF file with NC_STRICT_NC3 turned on.

`NC_MAX_VARS'
     Max number of variables exceeded in a classic or 64-bit offset
     file, or an netCDF-4 file with NC_STRICT_NC3 on.

`NC_EBADTYPE'
     Bad type.

`NC_EINVAL'
     Number of dimensions to large.

`NC_ENAMEINUSE'
     Name already in use.

`NC_EPERM'
     Attempt to create object in read-only file.


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_def_var to create a variable named rh of
type double with three dimensions, time, lat, and lon in a new netCDF
dataset named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  status;                       /* error status */
     int  ncid;                         /* netCDF ID */
     int  lat_dim, lon_dim, time_dim;   /* dimension IDs */
     int  rh_id;                        /* variable ID */
     int  rh_dimids[3];                 /* variable shape */
        ...
     status = nc_create("foo.nc", NC_NOCLOBBER, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
                                        /* define dimensions */
     status = nc_def_dim(ncid, "lat", 5L, &lat_dim);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_def_dim(ncid, "lon", 10L, &lon_dim);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_def_dim(ncid, "time", NC_UNLIMITED, &time_dim);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
                                        /* define variable */
     rh_dimids[0] = time_dim;
     rh_dimids[1] = lat_dim;
     rh_dimids[2] = lon_dim;
     status = nc_def_var (ncid, "rh", NC_DOUBLE, 3, rh_dimids, &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.6 Define Chunking Parameters for a Variable: `nc_def_var_chunking'
====================================================================

The function nc_def_var_chunking sets the chunking parameters for a
variable in a netCDF-4 file.  It can set the chunk sizes to get chunked
storage, or it can set the contiguous flag to get contiguous storage.

   Variables that make use of one or more unlimited dimensions,
compression, or checksums must use chunking.  Such variables are
created with default chunk sizes of 1 for each unlimited dimension and
the dimension length for other dimensions, except that if the resulting
chunks are too large, the default chunk sizes for non-record dimensions
are reduced.

   The total size of a chunk must be less than 4 GiB. That is, the
product of all chunksizes and the size of the data (or the size of
nc_vlen_t for VLEN types) must be less than 4 GiB.

   This function may only be called after the variable is defined, but
before nc_enddef is called.  Once the chunking parameters are set for a
variable, they cannot be changed.  This function can be used to change
the default chunking for record, compressed, or checksummed variables
before nc_enddef is called.

   Note that you cannot set chunking for scalar variables. Only
non-scalar variables can have chunking.

Usage
=====

     int nc_def_var_chunking(int ncid, int varid, int storage, size_t *chunksizesp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`storage'
     If NC_CONTIGUOUS, then contiguous storage is used for this
     variable. Variables with chunking, compression, checksums, or one
     or more unlimited dimensions cannot use contiguous storage.

     If NC_CHUNKED, then chunked storage is used for this variable.
     Chunk sizes may be specified with the chunksizes parameter or
     default sizes will be used if that parameter is NULL.

     By default contiguous storage is used for fix-sized variables when
     conpression, chunking, and checksums are not used.

`*chunksizes'
     A pointer to an array list of chunk sizes. The array must have one
     chunksize for each dimension of the variable.


Errors
======

nc_def_var_chunking returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error.

   Possible return codes include:

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EBADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_EINVAL'
     Invalid input. This can occur if contiguous storage is set on a
     variable which uses compression, checksums, or one or more
     unlimited dimensions.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Not a netCDF-4 file.

`NC_ENOTVAR'
     Can't find this variable.

`NC_ELATEDEF'
     This variable has already been the subject of a nc_enddef call. In
     netCDF-4 files nc_enddef will be called automatically for any data
     read or write. Once nc_enddef has been called after the nc_def_var
     call for a variable, it is impossible to set the chunking for that
     variable.

`NC_ENOTINDEFINE'
     Not in define mode. This is returned for netCDF classic or 64-bit
     offset files, or for netCDF-4 files, when they were been created
     with NC_STRICT_NC3 flag. (*note nc_create::).

`NC_ESTRICTNC3'
     Trying to create a var some place other than the root group in a
     netCDF file with NC_STRICT_NC3 turned on.

`NC_EPERM'
     Attempt to create object in read-only file.


Example
=======

In this example from libsrc4/tst_vars2.c, chunksizes are set with
nc_var_def_chunking, and checked with nc_var_inq_chunking.

        printf("**** testing chunking...");
        {
     #define NDIMS5 1
     #define DIM5_NAME "D5"
     #define VAR_NAME5 "V5"
     #define DIM5_LEN 1000

           int dimids[NDIMS5], dimids_in[NDIMS5];
           int varid;
           int ndims, nvars, natts, unlimdimid;
           nc_type xtype_in;
           char name_in[NC_MAX_NAME + 1];
           int data[DIM5_LEN], data_in[DIM5_LEN];
           size_t chunksize[NDIMS5] = {5};
           size_t chunksize_in[NDIMS5];
           int storage_in;
           int i, d;

           for (i = 0; i < DIM5_LEN; i++)
              data[i] = i;

           /* Create a netcdf-4 file with one dim and one var. */
           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_dim(ncid, DIM5_NAME, DIM5_LEN, &dimids[0])) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var(ncid, VAR_NAME5, NC_INT, NDIMS5, dimids, &varid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var_chunking(ncid, varid, NC_CHUNKED, chunksize)) ERR;
           if (nc_put_var_int(ncid, varid, data)) ERR;

           /* Check stuff. */
           if (nc_inq_var_chunking(ncid, varid, &storage_in, chunksize_in)) ERR;
           for (d = 0; d < NDIMS5; d++)
              if (chunksize[d] != chunksize_in[d]) ERR;
           if (storage_in != NC_CHUNKED) ERR;

6.7 Learn About Chunking Parameters for a Variable: `nc_inq_var_chunking'
=========================================================================

The function nc_inq_var_chunking returns the chunking settings for a
variable in a netCDF-4 file.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_var_chunking(int ncid, int varid, int *storagep, size_t *chunksizesp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`storagep'
     Address of returned storage property, returned as NC_CONTIGUOUS if
     this variable uses contiguous storage, or NC_CHUNKEDif it uses
     chunked storage.

`*chunksizesp'
     A pointer to an array list of chunk sizes. The array must have one
     chunksize for each dimension in the variable.


Errors
======

nc_inq_var_chunking returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error.

   Possible return codes include:

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_BADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Not a netCDF-4 file.

`NC_ENOTVAR'
     Can't find this variable.


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_vars2.c in which a variable with
contiguous storage is created, and then checked with
nc_inq_var_chunking:

        printf("**** testing contiguous storage...");
        {
     #define NDIMS6 1
     #define DIM6_NAME "D5"
     #define VAR_NAME6 "V5"
     #define DIM6_LEN 100

           int dimids[NDIMS6], dimids_in[NDIMS6];
           int varid;
           int ndims, nvars, natts, unlimdimid;
           nc_type xtype_in;
           char name_in[NC_MAX_NAME + 1];
           int data[DIM6_LEN], data_in[DIM6_LEN];
           size_t chunksize_in[NDIMS6];
           int storage_in;
           int i, d;

           for (i = 0; i < DIM6_LEN; i++)
              data[i] = i;

           /* Create a netcdf-4 file with one dim and one var. */
           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_dim(ncid, DIM6_NAME, DIM6_LEN, &dimids[0])) ERR;
           if (dimids[0] != 0) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var(ncid, VAR_NAME6, NC_INT, NDIMS6, dimids, &varid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var_chunking(ncid, varid, NC_CONTIGUOUS, NULL)) ERR;
           if (nc_put_var_int(ncid, varid, data)) ERR;

           /* Check stuff. */
           if (nc_inq_var_chunking(ncid, 0, &storage_in, chunksize_in)) ERR;
           if (storage_in != NC_CONTIGUOUS) ERR;

6.8 Set HDF5 Chunk Cache for a Variable: nc_set_var_chunk_cache
===============================================================

This function changes the chunk cache settings for a variable. The
change in cache size happens immediately. This is a property of the
open file - it does not persist the next time you open the file.

   For more information, see the documentation for the H5Pset_cache()
function in the HDF5 library at the HDF5 website:
`http://hdfgroup.org/HDF5/'.

Usage
=====

     nc_set_var_chunk_cache(int ncid, int varid, size_t size, size_t nelems,
     		       float preemption);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`size'
     The total size of the raw data chunk cache, in bytes. This should
     be big enough to hold multiple chunks of data.

`nelems'
     The number of chunk slots in the raw data chunk cache hash table.
     This should be a prime number larger than the number of chunks
     that will be in the cache.

`preemption'
     The preemtion value must be between 0 and 1 inclusive and indicates
     how much chunks that have been fully read are favored for
     preemption. A value of zero means fully read chunks are treated no
     differently than other chunks (the preemption is strictly LRU)
     while a value of one means fully read chunks are always preempted
     before other chunks.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EINVAL'
     Preemption must be between zero and one (inclusive).


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_vars2.c:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     #define CACHE_SIZE 32000000
     #define CACHE_NELEMS 1009
     #define CACHE_PREEMPTION .75
        ...

           /* Create a netcdf-4 file with one dim and one var. */
           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_dim(ncid, DIM5_NAME, DIM5_LEN, &dimids[0])) ERR;
           if (dimids[0] != 0) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var(ncid, VAR_NAME5, NC_INT, NDIMS5, dimids, &varid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var_chunking(ncid, varid, NC_CHUNKED, chunksize)) ERR;
           if (nc_set_var_chunk_cache(ncid, varid, CACHE_SIZE, CACHE_NELEMS, CACHE_PREEMPTION)) ERR;

6.9 Get the HDF5 Chunk Cache Settings for a Variable: nc_get_var_chunk_cache
============================================================================

This function gets the current chunk cache settings for a variable in a
netCDF-4/HDF5 file.

   For more information, see the documentation for the H5Pget_cache()
function in the HDF5 library at the HDF5 website:
`http://hdfgroup.org/HDF5/'.

Usage
=====

     int nc_get_var_chunk_cache(int ncid, int varid, size_t *sizep, size_t *nelemsp,
                                float *preemptionp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`sizep'
     The total size of the raw data chunk cache, in bytes, will be put
     here. If NULL, will be ignored.

`nelemsp'
     The number of chunk slots in the raw data chunk cache hash table
     will be put here.  If NULL, will be ignored.

`preemptionp'
     The preemption will be put here.  The preemtion value is between 0
     and 1 inclusive and indicates how much chunks that have been fully
     read are favored for preemption.  A value of zero means fully read
     chunks are treated no differently than other chunks (the
     preemption is strictly LRU) while a value of one means fully read
     chunks are always preempted before other chunks.  If NULL, will be
     ignored.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_vars2.c:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
           /* Create a netcdf-4 file with one dim and one var. */
           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_dim(ncid, DIM5_NAME, DIM5_LEN, &dimids[0])) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var(ncid, VAR_NAME5, NC_INT, NDIMS5, dimids, &varid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var_chunking(ncid, varid, NC_CHUNKED, chunksize)) ERR;
           if (nc_set_var_chunk_cache(ncid, varid, CACHE_SIZE, CACHE_NELEMS,
                                      CACHE_PREEMPTION)) ERR;
        ...
           if (nc_get_var_chunk_cache(ncid, varid, &cache_size_in, &cache_nelems_in,
     				 &cache_preemption_in)) ERR;
           if (cache_size_in != CACHE_SIZE || cache_nelems_in != CACHE_NELEMS ||
     	  cache_preemption_in != CACHE_PREEMPTION) ERR;

        ...

6.10 Define Fill Parameters for a Variable: `nc_def_var_fill'
=============================================================

The function nc_def_var_fill sets the fill parameters for a variable in
a netCDF-4 file.

   This function must be called after the variable is defined, but
before nc_enddef is called.

Usage
=====

     int nc_def_var_fill(int ncid, int varid, int no_fill, void *fill_value);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`no_fill'
     Set no_fill mode on a variable. When this mode is on, fill values
     will not be written for the variable. This is helpful in high
     performance applications. For netCDF-4/HDF5 files (whether classic
     model or not), this may only be changed after the variable is
     defined, but before it is committed to disk (i.e. before the first
     nc_enddef after the nc_def_var.) For classic and 64-bit offset
     file, the no_fill mode may be turned on and off at any time.

`*fill_value'
     A pointer to a value which will be used as the fill value for the
     variable. Must be the same type as the variable. This will be
     written to a _FillValue attribute, created for this purpose. If
     NULL, this argument will be ignored.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_BADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Not a netCDF-4 file.

`NC_ENOTVAR'
     Can't find this variable.

`NC_ELATEDEF'
     This variable has already been the subject of a nc_enddef call. In
     netCDF-4 files nc_enddef will be called automatically for any data
     read or write. Once enddef has been called, it is impossible to set
     the fill for a variable.

`NC_ENOTINDEFINE'
     Not in define mode. This is returned for netCDF classic or 64-bit
     offset files, or for netCDF-4 files, when they were been created
     with NC_STRICT_NC3 flag. (*note nc_create::).

`NC_EPERM'
     Attempt to create object in read-only file.


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_vars.c

           int dimids[NDIMS];
           size_t index[NDIMS];
           int varid;
           int no_fill;
           unsigned short ushort_data = 42, ushort_data_in, fill_value_in;

           /* Create a netcdf-4 file with one dim and 1 NC_USHORT var. */
           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_dim(ncid, DIM7_NAME, DIM7_LEN, &dimids[0])) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var(ncid, VAR7_NAME, NC_USHORT, NDIMS, dimids,
     		     &varid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var_fill(ncid, varid, 1, NULL)) ERR;

6.11 Learn About Fill Parameters for a Variable: `nc_inq_var_fill'
==================================================================

The function nc_inq_var_fill returns the fill settings for a variable
in a netCDF-4 file.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_var_fill(int ncid, int varid, int *no_fill, void *fill_value);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`*no_fill'
     Pointer to an integer which will get a 1 if no_fill mode is set for
     this variable. *Note nc_def_var_fill::. This parameter will be
     ignored if it is NULL.

`*fill_value'
     A pointer which will get the fill value for this variable. This
     parameter will be ignored if it is NULL.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_BADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Not a netCDF-4 file.

`NC_ENOTVAR'
     Can't find this variable.


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_vars.c

           int dimids[NDIMS];
           size_t index[NDIMS];
           int varid;
           int no_fill;
           unsigned short ushort_data = 42, ushort_data_in, fill_value_in;

           /* Create a netcdf-4 file with one dim and 1 NC_USHORT var. */
           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_dim(ncid, DIM7_NAME, DIM7_LEN, &dimids[0])) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var(ncid, VAR7_NAME, NC_USHORT, NDIMS, dimids,
     		     &varid)) ERR;
           if (nc_def_var_fill(ncid, varid, 1, NULL)) ERR;

           /* Check stuff. */
           if (nc_inq_var_fill(ncid, varid, &no_fill, &fill_value_in)) ERR;
           if (!no_fill) ERR;

6.12 Define Compression Parameters for a Variable: `nc_def_var_deflate'
=======================================================================

The function nc_def_var_deflate sets the deflate parameters for a
variable in a netCDF-4 file.

   This function must be called after the variable is defined, but
before nc_enddef is called.

   This does not work with scalar variables.

Usage
=====

     nc_def_var_deflate(int ncid, int varid, int shuffle, int deflate,
                        int deflate_level);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`shuffle'
     If non-zero, turn on the shuffle filter.

`deflate'
     If non-zero, turn on the deflate filter at the level specified by
     the deflate_level parameter.

`deflate_level'
     If the deflate parameter is non-zero, set the deflate level to this
     value. Must be between 0 and 9.


Errors
======

nc_def_var_deflate returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error.

   Possible return codes include:

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_BADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Not a netCDF-4 file.

`NC_ENOTVAR'
     Can't find this variable.

`NC_ELATEDEF'
     This variable has already been the subject of a nc_enddef call. In
     netCDF-4 files nc_enddef will be called automatically for any data
     read or write. Once enddef has been called, it is impossible to set
     the deflate for a variable.

`NC_ENOTINDEFINE'
     Not in define mode. This is returned for netCDF classic or 64-bit
     offset files, or for netCDF-4 files, when they were been created
     with NC_STRICT_NC3 flag. (*note nc_create::).

`NC_EPERM'
     Attempt to create object in read-only file.

`NC_EINVAL'
     Invalid deflate_level. The deflate level must be between 0 and 9,
     inclusive.


Example
=======


6.13 Learn About Deflate Parameters for a Variable: `nc_inq_var_deflate'
========================================================================

The function nc_inq_var_deflate returns the deflate settings for a
variable in a netCDF-4 file.

Usage
=====

     nc_inq_var_deflate(int ncid, int varid, int *shufflep,
                        int *deflatep, int *deflate_levelp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`*shufflep'
     If this pointer is non-NULL, the nc_inq_var_deflate function will
     write a 1 if the shuffle filter is turned on for this variable,
     and a 0 otherwise.

`*deflatep'
     If this pointer is non-NULL, the nc_inq_var_deflate function will
     write a 1 if the deflate filter is turned on for this variable,
     and a 0 otherwise.

`*deflate_levelp'
     If this pointer is non-NULL, and the deflate filter is in use for
     this variable, the nc_inq_var_deflate function will write the
     deflate_level here.


Errors
======

nc_inq_var_deflate returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error.

   Possible return codes include:

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_BADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Not a netCDF-4 file.

`NC_ENOTVAR'
     Can't find this variable.


Example
=======


6.14 Learn About Szip Parameters for a Variable: `nc_inq_var_szip'
==================================================================

The function nc_inq_var_szip returns the szip settings for a variable
in a netCDF-4 file.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_var_szip(int ncid, int varid, int *options_maskp, int *pixels_per_blockp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`*options_maskp'
     If this pointer is non-NULL, the nc_inq_var_szip function will put
     the options_mask here.

`*pixels_per_blockp'
     If this pointer is non-NULL, the nc_inq_var_szip function will
     write the bits per pixel here.


Errors
======

nc_inq_var_szip returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error.

   Possible return codes include:

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_BADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Not a netCDF-4 file.

`NC_ENOTVAR'
     Can't find this variable.


Example
=======

This example is from libsrc4/tst_vars3.c.

           /* Make sure we have the szip settings we expect. */
           if (nc_inq_var_szip(ncid, small_varid, &options_mask_in, &pixels_per_block_in)) ERR;
           if (options_mask_in != 0 || pixels_per_block_in !=0) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_var_szip(ncid, medium_varid, &options_mask_in, &pixels_per_block_in)) ERR;
           if (!(options_mask_in & NC_SZIP_EC_OPTION_MASK) || pixels_per_block_in != 32) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_var_szip(ncid, large_varid, &options_mask_in, &pixels_per_block_in)) ERR;
           if (!(options_mask_in & NC_SZIP_NN_OPTION_MASK) || pixels_per_block_in != 16) ERR;

6.15 Define Checksum Parameters for a Variable: `nc_def_var_fletcher32'
=======================================================================

The function nc_def_var_fletcher32 sets the checksum parameters for a
variable in a netCDF-4 file.

   This function may only be called after the variable is defined, but
before nc_enddef is called.

Usage
=====

     nc_def_var_fletcher32(int ncid, int varid, int checksum);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`checksum'
     If this is NC_FLETCHER32, fletcher32 checksums will be turned on
     for this variable.


Errors
======

nc_def_var_fletcher32 returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error.

   Possible return codes include:

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_BADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Not a netCDF-4 file.

`NC_ENOTVAR'
     Can't find this variable.

`NC_ELATEDEF'
     This variable has already been the subject of a nc_enddef call. In
     netCDF-4 files nc_enddef will be called automatically for any data
     read or write. Once enddef has been called, it is impossible to set
     the checksum property for a variable.

`NC_ENOTINDEFINE'
     Not in define mode. This is returned for netCDF classic or 64-bit
     offset files, or for netCDF-4 files, when they were been created
     with NC_STRICT_NC3 flag. (*note nc_create::).

`NC_EPERM'
     Attempt to create object in read-only file.


Example
=======


6.16 Learn About Checksum Parameters for a Variable: `nc_inq_var_fletcher32'
============================================================================

The function nc_inq_var_fletcher32 returns the checksum settings for a
variable in a netCDF-4 file.

Usage
=====

     nc_inq_var_fletcher32(int ncid, int varid, int *checksump);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`*checksump'
     If not-NULL, the nc_inq_var_fletcher32 function will set the int
     pointed at to NC_FLETCHER32 if the fletcher32 checksum filter is
     turned on for this variable, and NC_NOCHECKSUM if it is not.


Errors
======

nc_inq_var_fletcher32 returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error.

   Possible return codes include:

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_BADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Not a netCDF-4 file.

`NC_ENOTVAR'
     Can't find this variable.


Example
=======


6.17 Define Endianness of a Variable: `nc_def_var_endian'
=========================================================

The function nc_def_var_endian sets the endianness for a variable in a
netCDF-4 file.

   This function must be called after the variable is defined, but
before nc_enddef is called.

   By default, netCDF-4 variables are in native endianness. That is,
they are big-endian on a big-endian machine, and little-endian on a
little endian machine.

   In some cases a user might wish to change from native endianness to
either big or little-endianness. This function allows them to do that.

Usage
=====

     nc_def_var_endian(int ncid, int varid, int endian);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`endian'
     Set to NC_ENDIAN_NATIVE for native endianness. (This is the
     default). Set to NC_ENDIAN_LITTLE for little endian, or
     NC_ENDIAN_BIG for big endian.


Errors
======

nc_def_var_endian returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error.

   Possible return codes include:

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_BADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Not a netCDF-4 file.

`NC_ENOTVAR'
     Can't find this variable.

`NC_ELATEDEF'
     This variable has already been the subject of a nc_enddef call. In
     netCDF-4 files nc_enddef will be called automatically for any data
     read or write. Once enddef has been called, it is impossible to set
     the endianness of a variable.

`NC_ENOTINDEFINE'
     Not in define mode. This is returned for netCDF classic or 64-bit
     offset files, or for netCDF-4 files, when they were been created
     with NC_STRICT_NC3 flag, and the file is not in define mode.
     (*note nc_create::).

`NC_EPERM'
     Attempt to create object in read-only file.


Example
=======


6.18 Learn About Endian Parameters for a Variable: `nc_inq_var_endian'
======================================================================

The function nc_inq_var_endian returns the endianness settings for a
variable in a netCDF-4 file.

Usage
=====

     nc_inq_var_endian(int ncid, int varid, int *endianp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`*endianp'
     If not-NULL, the nc_inq_var_endian function will set the int
     pointed to this to NC_ENDIAN_LITTLE if this variable is stored in
     little-endian format, NC_ENDIAN_BIG if it is stored in big-endian
     format, and NC_ENDIAN_NATIVE if the endianness is not set, and the
     variable is not created yet.


Errors
======

nc_inq_var_endian returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error.

   Possible return codes include:

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_BADID'
     Bad ncid.

`NC_ENOTNC4'
     Not a netCDF-4 file.

`NC_ENOTVAR'
     Can't find this variable.


Example
=======


6.19 Get a Variable ID from Its Name: nc_inq_varid
==================================================

The function nc_inq_varid returns the ID of a netCDF variable, given
its name.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_varid (int ncid, const char *name, int *varidp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`name'
     Variable name for which ID is desired.

`varidp'
     Pointer to location for returned variable ID.

Errors
======

nc_inq_varid returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of
errors include:

   * The specified variable name is not a valid name for a variable in
     the specified netCDF dataset.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_inq_varid to find out the ID of a variable
named rh in an existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  status, ncid, rh_id;
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.20 Get Information about a Variable from Its ID: nc_inq_var
=============================================================

family &findex nc_inq_vardimid 

   A family of functions that returns information about a netCDF
variable, given its ID. Information about a variable includes its name,
type, number of dimensions, a list of dimension IDs describing the
shape of the variable, and the number of variable attributes that have
been assigned to the variable.

   The function nc_inq_var returns all the information about a netCDF
variable, given its ID. The other functions each return just one item
of information about a variable.

   These other functions include nc_inq_varname, nc_inq_vartype,
nc_inq_varndims, nc_inq_vardimid, and nc_inq_varnatts.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_var      (int ncid, int varid, char *name, nc_type *xtypep,
                          int *ndimsp, int dimids[], int *nattsp);
     int nc_inq_varname  (int ncid, int varid, char *name);
     int nc_inq_vartype  (int ncid, int varid, nc_type *xtypep);
     int nc_inq_varndims (int ncid, int varid, int *ndimsp);
     int nc_inq_vardimid (int ncid, int varid, int dimids[]);
     int nc_inq_varnatts (int ncid, int varid, int *nattsp);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`name'
     Returned variable name. The caller must allocate space for the
     returned name. The maximum possible length, in characters, of a
     variable name is given by the predefined constant NC_MAX_NAME.
     (This doesn't include the null terminator, so declare your array
     to be size NC_MAX_NAME+1). The returned character array will be
     null-terminated.

`xtypep'
     Pointer to location for returned variable type, one of the set of
     predefined netCDF external data types. The type of this parameter,
     nc_type, is defined in the netCDF header file. The valid netCDF
     external data types are NC_BYTE, NC_CHAR, NC_SHORT, NC_INT,
     NC_FLOAT, and NC_DOUBLE.

`ndimsp'
     Pointer to location for returned number of dimensions the variable
     was defined as using. For example, 2 indicates a matrix, 1
     indicates a vector, and 0 means the variable is a scalar with no
     dimensions.

`dimids'
     Returned vector of *ndimsp dimension IDs corresponding to the
     variable dimensions. The caller must allocate enough space for a
     vector of at least *ndimsp integers to be returned. The maximum
     possible number of dimensions for a variable is given by the
     predefined constant NC_MAX_VAR_DIMS.

`nattsp'
     Pointer to location for returned number of variable attributes
     assigned to this variable.

   These functions return the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of
errors include:

   The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF dataset.  The
specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_inq_var to find out about a variable named
rh in an existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  status                        /* error status */
     int  ncid;                         /* netCDF ID */
     int  rh_id;                        /* variable ID */
     nc_type rh_type;                   /* variable type */
     int rh_ndims;                      /* number of dims */
     int  rh_dimids[NC_MAX_VAR_DIMS];   /* dimension IDs */
     int rh_natts                       /* number of attributes */
        ...
     status = nc_open ("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     /* we don't need name, since we already know it */
     status = nc_inq_var (ncid, rh_id, 0, &rh_type, &rh_ndims, rh_dimids,
                          &rh_natts);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.21 Write a Single Data Value: nc_put_var1_ TYPE
=================================================

The functions nc_put_var1_ TYPE put a single data value of the
specified type into a variable of an open netCDF dataset that is in
data mode. Inputs are the netCDF ID, the variable ID, an index that
specifies which value to add or alter, and the data value. The value is
converted to the external data type of the variable, if necessary.

   The functions for types ubyte, ushort, uint, longlong, ulonglong, and
string are only available for netCDF-4/HDF5 files.

   The nc_put_var1() function will write a variable of any type,
including user defined type. For this function, the type of the data in
memory must match the type of the variable - no data conversion is done.

Usage
=====

     int nc_put_var1_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            const char *tp);
     int nc_put_var1_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            const unsigned char *up);
     int nc_put_var1_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            const signed char *cp);
     int nc_put_var1_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            const short *sp);
     int nc_put_var1_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            const int *ip);
     int nc_put_var1_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            const long *lp);
     int nc_put_var1_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            const float *fp);
     int nc_put_var1_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            const double *dp);
     int nc_put_var1_ushort(int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            const unsigned short *sp);
     int nc_put_var1_uint  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            const unsigned int *ip);
     int nc_put_var1_longlong(int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                              const long long *ip);
     int nc_put_var1_ulonglong(int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                              const unsigned long long *ip);
     int nc_put_var1_string(int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            const char **ip);
     int nc_put_var1(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                     const void *op);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`index[]'
     The index of the data value to be written. The indices are relative
     to 0, so for example, the first data value of a two-dimensional
     variable would have index (0,0). The elements of index must
     correspond to the variable's dimensions. Hence, if the variable
     uses the unlimited dimension, the first index would correspond to
     the unlimited dimension.

`tp'
`up'
`cp'
`sp'
`ip'
`lp'
`fp'
`dp'
     Pointer to the data value to be written. If the type of data values
     differs from the netCDF variable type, type conversion will occur.
     *Note Type Conversion: (netcdf)Type Conversion.


Return Codes
============

   * NC_NOERR No error.

   * NC_EHDFERR Error reported by HDF5 layer.

   * NC_ENOTVAR The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_EINVALCOORDS The specified indices were out of range for the
     rank of the specified variable. For example, a negative index or
     an index that is larger than the corresponding dimension length
     will cause an error.

   * NC_ERANGE The specified value is out of the range of values
     representable by the external data type of the variable. (Does not
     apply to nc_put_var1() function).

   * NC_EINDEFINE The specified netCDF is in define mode rather than
     data mode.

   * NC_EBADID The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF
     dataset.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_put_var1_double to set the (1,2,3) element
of the variable named rh to 0.5 in an existing netCDF dataset named
foo.nc. For simplicity in this example, we assume that we know that rh
is dimensioned with time, lat, and lon, so we want to set the value of
rh that corresponds to the second time value, the third lat value, and
the fourth lon value:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  status;                          /* error status */
     int  ncid;                            /* netCDF ID */
     int  rh_id;                           /* variable ID */
     static size_t rh_index[] = {1, 2, 3}; /* where to put value */
     static double rh_val = 0.5;           /* value to put */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_put_var1_double(ncid, rh_id, rh_index, &rh_val);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.22 Write an Entire Variable: nc_put_var_ TYPE
===============================================

The nc_put_var_ TYPE family of functions write all the values of a
variable into a netCDF variable of an open netCDF dataset. This is the
simplest interface to use for writing a value in a scalar variable or
whenever all the values of a multidimensional variable can all be
written at once. The values to be written are associated with the
netCDF variable by assuming that the last dimension of the netCDF
variable varies fastest in the C interface. The values are converted to
the external data type of the variable, if necessary.

   Take care when using the simplest forms of this interface with record
variables (variables that use the NC_UNLIMITED dimension) when you
don't specify how many records are to be written. If you try to write
all the values of a record variable into a netCDF file that has no
record data yet (hence has 0 records), nothing will be written.
Similarly, if you try to write all the values of a record variable but
there are more records in the file than you assume, more in-memory data
will be accessed than you supply, which may result in a segmentation
violation.  To avoid such problems, it is better to use the nc_put_vara
interfaces for variables that use the NC_UNLIMITED dimension.  *Note
nc_put_vara_ type::.

   The functions for types ubyte, ushort, uint, longlong, ulonglong, and
string are only available for netCDF-4/HDF5 files.

   The nc_put_var() function will write a variable of any type,
including user defined type. For this function, the type of the data in
memory must match the type of the variable - no data conversion is done.

Usage
=====

     int nc_put_var_text  (int ncid, int varid, const char *tp);
     int nc_put_var_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const unsigned char *up);
     int nc_put_var_schar (int ncid, int varid, const signed char *cp);
     int nc_put_var_short (int ncid, int varid, const short *sp);
     int nc_put_var_int   (int ncid, int varid, const int *ip);
     int nc_put_var_long  (int ncid, int varid, const long *lp);
     int nc_put_var_float (int ncid, int varid, const float *fp);
     int nc_put_var_double(int ncid, int varid, const double *dp);
     int nc_put_var_ushort(int ncid, int varid, const unsigned short *op);
     int nc_put_var_uint  (int ncid, int varid, const unsigned int *op);
     int nc_put_var_longlong (int ncid, int varid, const long long *op);
     int nc_put_var_ulonglong(int ncid, int varid, const unsigned long long *op);
     int nc_put_var_string(int ncid, int varid, const char **op);
     int nc_put_var       (int ncid, int varid,  const void *op);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`tp'
`up'
`cp'
`sp'
`ip'
`lp'
`fp'
`dp'
     Pointer to a block of contiguous data values to be written. The
     order in which the data will be written to the netCDF variable is
     with the last dimension of the specified variable varying fastest.
     If the type of data values differs from the netCDF variable type,
     type conversion will occur. *Note Type Conversion: (netcdf)Type
     Conversion.


Return Codes
============

   * NC_NOERR The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_EHDFERR Error reported by HDF5 layer.

   * NC_ERANGE One or more of the specified values are out of the range
     of values representable by the external data type of the variable.
     (Does not apply to nc_put_var() function).

   * NC_EINDEFINE The specified netCDF dataset is in define mode rather
     than data mode.

   * NC_BADID The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_ENOTVAR Bad variable ID.


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_put_var_double to add or change all the
values of the variable named rh to 0.5 in an existing netCDF dataset
named foo.nc. For simplicity in this example, we assume that we know
that rh is dimensioned with lat and lon, and that there are five lat
values and ten lon values.

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     #define LATS  5
     #define LONS  10
     int  status;                       /* error status */
     int  ncid;                         /* netCDF ID */
     int  rh_id;                        /* variable ID */
     double rh_vals[LATS*LONS];         /* array to hold values */
     int i;
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     for (i = 0; i < LATS*LONS; i++)
         rh_vals[i] = 0.5;
     /* write values into netCDF variable */
     status = nc_put_var_double(ncid, rh_id, rh_vals);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.23 Write an Array of Values: nc_put_vara_ TYPE
================================================

The function nc_put_vara_ TYPE writes values into a netCDF variable of
an open netCDF dataset. The part of the netCDF variable to write is
specified by giving a corner and a vector of edge lengths that refer to
an array section of the netCDF variable. The values to be written are
associated with the netCDF variable by assuming that the last dimension
of the netCDF variable varies fastest in the C interface. The netCDF
dataset must be in data mode.

   The functions for types ubyte, ushort, uint, longlong, ulonglong, and
string are only available for netCDF-4/HDF5 files.

   The nc_put_var() function will write a variable of any type,
including user defined type. For this function, the type of the data in
memory must match the type of the variable - no data conversion is done.

Usage
=====

     int nc_put_vara_ type (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const type *valuesp);
     int nc_put_vara_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const char *tp);
     int nc_put_vara_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const unsigned char *up);
     int nc_put_vara_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const signed char *cp);
     int nc_put_vara_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const short *sp);
     int nc_put_vara_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const int *ip);
     int nc_put_vara_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const long *lp);
     int nc_put_vara_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const float *fp);
     int nc_put_vara_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const double *dp);
     int nc_put_vara_ushort(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const unsigned short *op);
     int nc_put_vara_uint  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const unsigned int *op);
     int nc_put_vara_longlong (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                               const size_t *countp, const long long *op);
     int nc_put_vara_ulonglong(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                               const size_t *countp, const unsigned long long *op);
     int nc_put_vara_string(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const char **op);
     int nc_put_vara       (int ncid, int varid,  const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const void *op);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`start'
     A vector of size_t integers specifying the index in the variable
     where the first of the data values will be written. The indices are
     relative to 0, so for example, the first data value of a variable
     would have index (0, 0, ... , 0). The size of start must be the
     same as the number of dimensions of the specified variable. The
     elements of start must correspond to the variable's dimensions in
     order. Hence, if the variable is a record variable, the first
     index would correspond to the starting record number for writing
     the data values.

`count'
     A vector of size_t integers specifying the edge lengths along each
     dimension of the block of data values to be written. To write a
     single value, for example, specify count as (1, 1, ... , 1). The
     length of count is the number of dimensions of the specified
     variable. The elements of count correspond to the variable's
     dimensions. Hence, if the variable is a record variable, the first
     element of count corresponds to a count of the number of records
     to write.

     Note: setting any element of the count array to zero causes the
     function to exit without error, and without doing anything.

`tp'
`up'
`cp'
`sp'
`ip'
`lp'
`fp'
`dp'
     Pointer to a block of contiguous data values to be written. The
     order in which the data will be written to the netCDF variable is
     with the last dimension of the specified variable varying fastest.
     If the type of data values differs from the netCDF variable type,
     type conversion will occur. *Note Type Conversion: (netcdf)Type
     Conversion.


Return Codes
============

   * NC_NOERR No error.

   * NC_EHDFERR Error reported by HDF5 layer.

   * NC_ENOTVAR The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_EINVALCOORDS The specified corner indices were out of range for
     the rank of the specified variable. For example, a negative index,
     or an index that is larger than the corresponding dimension length
     will cause an error.

   * NC_EEDGE The specified edge lengths added to the specified corner
     would have referenced data out of range for the rank of the
     specified variable. For example, an edge length that is larger
     than the corresponding dimension length minus the corner index
     will cause an error.

   * NC_ERANGE One or more of the specified values are out of the range
     of values representable by the external data type of the variable.
     (Does not apply to the nc_put_vara() function).

   * NC_EINDEFINE The specified netCDF dataset is in define mode rather
     than data mode.

   * NC_EBADID The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_ECHAR Attempt to convert to or from char.

   * NC_ENOMEM Out of memory.

   * NC_EBADTYPE Bad type.


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_put_vara_double to add or change all the
values of the variable named rh to 0.5 in an existing netCDF dataset
named foo.nc. For simplicity in this example, we assume that we know
that rh is dimensioned with time, lat, and lon, and that there are
three time values, five lat values, and ten lon values.

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     #define TIMES 3
     #define LATS  5
     #define LONS  10
     int  status;                       /* error status */
     int  ncid;                         /* netCDF ID */
     int  rh_id;                        /* variable ID */
     static size_t start[] = {0, 0, 0}; /* start at first value */
     static size_t count[] = {TIMES, LATS, LONS};
     double rh_vals[TIMES*LATS*LONS];   /* array to hold values */
     int i;
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     for (i = 0; i < TIMES*LATS*LONS; i++)
         rh_vals[i] = 0.5;
     /* write values into netCDF variable */
     status = nc_put_vara_double(ncid, rh_id, start, count, rh_vals);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.24 Write a Subsampled Array of Values: nc_put_vars_ TYPE
==========================================================

Each member of the family of functions nc_put_vars_ TYPE writes a
subsampled (strided) array section of values into a netCDF variable of
an open netCDF dataset. The subsampled array section is specified by
giving a corner, a vector of counts, and a stride vector. The netCDF
dataset must be in data mode.

   The functions for types ubyte, ushort, uint, longlong, ulonglong, and
string are only available for netCDF-4/HDF5 files.

   The nc_put_vars() function will write a variable of any type,
including user defined type. For this function, the type of the data in
memory must match the type of the variable - no data conversion is done.

Usage
=====

     int nc_put_vars_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const char *tp);
     int nc_put_vars_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const unsigned char *up);
     int nc_put_vars_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const signed char *cp);
     int nc_put_vars_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const short *sp);
     int nc_put_vars_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const int *ip);
     int nc_put_vars_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const long *lp);
     int nc_put_vars_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const float *fp);
     int nc_put_vars_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const double *dp);
     int nc_put_vars_ushort(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const unsigned short *op);
     int nc_put_vars_uint  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const unsigned int *op);
     int nc_put_vars_longlong (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                               const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                               const long long *op);
     int nc_put_vars_ulonglong(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                               const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                               const unsigned long long *op);
     int nc_put_vars_string(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const char **op);
     int nc_put_vars       (int ncid, int varid,  const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const void *op);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`start'
     A vector of size_t integers specifying the index in the variable
     where the first of the data values will be written. The indices are
     relative to 0, so for example, the first data value of a variable
     would have index (0, 0, ... , 0). The elements of start
     correspond, in order, to the variable's dimensions. Hence, if the
     variable is a record variable, the first index corresponds to the
     starting record number for writing the data values.

`count'
     A vector of size_t integers specifying the number of indices
     selected along each dimension. To write a single value, for
     example, specify count as (1, 1, ... , 1). The elements of count
     correspond, in order, to the variable's dimensions. Hence, if the
     variable is a record variable, the first element of count
     corresponds to a count of the number of records to write.

     Note: setting any element of the count array to zero causes the
     function to exit without error, and without doing anything.

`stride'
     A vector of ptrdiff_t integers that specifies the sampling interval
     along each dimension of the netCDF variable. The elements of the
     stride vector correspond, in order, to the netCDF variable's
     dimensions (stride[0] gives the sampling interval along the most
     slowly varying dimension of the netCDF variable). Sampling
     intervals are specified in type-independent units of elements (a
     value of 1 selects consecutive elements of the netCDF variable
     along the corresponding dimension, a value of 2 selects every
     other element, etc.). A NULL stride argument is treated as (1, 1,
     ... , 1).

`tp'
`up'
`cp'
`sp'
`ip'
`lp'
`fp'
`dp'
     Pointer to a block of contiguous data values to be written. The
     order in which the data will be written to the netCDF variable is
     with the last dimension of the specified variable varying fastest.
     If the type of data values differs from the netCDF variable type,
     type conversion will occur. *Note Type Conversion: (netcdf)Type
     Conversion.


Return Codes
============

   * NC_NOERR No error.

   * NC_EHDFERR Error reported by HDF5 layer.

   * NC_ENOTVAR The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_EINVALCOORDS The specified corner indices were out of range for
     the rank of the specified variable. For example, a negative index,
     or an index that is larger than the corresponding dimension length
     will cause an error.

   * NC_EEDGE The specified edge lengths added to the specified corner
     would have referenced data out of range for the rank of the
     specified variable. For example, an edge length that is larger
     than the corresponding dimension length minus the corner index
     will cause an error.

   * NC_ERANGE One or more of the specified values are out of the range
     of values representable by the external data type of the variable.
     (Does not apply to the nc_put_vars() function).

   * NC_EINDEFINE The specified netCDF dataset is in define mode rather
     than data mode.

   * NC_EBADID The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_ECHAR Attempt to convert to or from char.

   * NC_ENOMEM Out of memory.

   * NC_EBADTYPE Bad type.


Example
=======

Here is an example of using nc_put_vars_float to write - from an
internal array - every other point of a netCDF variable named rh which
is described by the C declaration float rh[4][6] (note the size of the
dimensions):

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     #define NDIM 2                /* rank of netCDF variable */
     int ncid;                     /* netCDF ID */
     int status;                   /* error status */
     int rhid;                     /* variable ID */
     static size_t start[NDIM]     /* netCDF variable start point: */
                      = {0, 0};    /* first element */
     static size_t count[NDIM]     /* size of internal array: entire */
                        = {2, 3};  /* (subsampled) netCDF variable */
     static ptrdiff_t stride[NDIM] /* variable subsampling intervals: */
                      = {2, 2};    /* access every other netCDF element */
     float rh[2][3];               /* note subsampled sizes for */
                                   /* netCDF variable dimensions */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid(ncid, "rh", &rhid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_put_vars_float(ncid, rhid, start, count, stride, rh);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.25 Write a Mapped Array of Values: nc_put_varm_ TYPE
======================================================

The nc_put_varm_ TYPE family of functions writes a mapped array section
of values into a netCDF variable of an open netCDF dataset. The mapped
array section is specified by giving a corner, a vector of counts, a
stride vector, and an index mapping vector. The index mapping vector is
a vector of integers that specifies the mapping between the dimensions
of a netCDF variable and the in-memory structure of the internal data
array. No assumptions are made about the ordering or length of the
dimensions of the data array. The netCDF dataset must be in data mode.

   The functions for types ubyte, ushort, uint, longlong, ulonglong, and
string are only available for netCDF-4/HDF5 files.

   The nc_put_varm() function will write a variable of any type,
including user defined type. For this function, the type of the data in
memory must match the type of the variable - no data conversion is done.

Usage
=====

     int nc_put_varm_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], const char *tp);
     int nc_put_varm_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], const unsigned char *up);
     int nc_put_varm_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], const signed char *cp);
     int nc_put_varm_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], const short *sp);
     int nc_put_varm_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], const int *ip);
     int nc_put_varm_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], const long *lp);
     int nc_put_varm_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], const float *fp);
     int nc_put_varm_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], const double *dp);
     int nc_put_varm_ushort(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t * imapp, const unsigned short *op);
     int nc_put_varm_uint  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t * imapp, const unsigned int *op);
     int nc_put_varm_longlong (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                               const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                               const ptrdiff_t * imapp, const long long *op);
     int nc_put_varm_ulonglong(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                               const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                               const ptrdiff_t * imapp, const unsigned long long *op);
     int nc_put_varm_string(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t * imapp, const char **op);
     int nc_put_varm       (int ncid, int varid,  const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, const void *op);
     n

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`start'
     A vector of size_t integers specifying the index in the variable
     where the first of the data values will be written. The indices are
     relative to 0, so for example, the first data value of a variable
     would have index (0, 0, ... , 0). The elements of start
     correspond, in order, to the variable's dimensions. Hence, if the
     variable is a record variable, the first index corresponds to the
     starting record number for writing the data values.

`count'
     A vector of size_t integers specifying the number of indices
     selected along each dimension. To write a single value, for
     example, specify count as (1, 1, ... , 1). The elements of count
     correspond, in order, to the variable's dimensions. Hence, if the
     variable is a record variable, the first element of count
     corresponds to a count of the number of records to write.

     Note: setting any element of the count array to zero causes the
     function to exit without error, and without doing anything.

`stride'
     A vector of ptrdiff_t integers that specifies the sampling interval
     along each dimension of the netCDF variable. The elements of the
     stride vector correspond, in order, to the netCDF variable's
     dimensions (stride[0] gives the sampling interval along the most
     slowly varying dimension of the netCDF variable). Sampling
     intervals are specified in type-independent units of elements (a
     value of 1 selects consecutive elements of the netCDF variable
     along the corresponding dimension, a value of 2 selects every
     other element, etc.). A NULL stride argument is treated as (1, 1,
     ... , 1).

`imap'
     A vector of ptrdiff_t integers that specifies the mapping between
     the dimensions of a netCDF variable and the in-memory structure of
     the internal data array. The elements of the index mapping vector
     correspond, in order, to the netCDF variable's dimensions (imap[0]
     gives the distance between elements of the internal array
     corresponding to the most slowly varying dimension of the netCDF
     variable). Distances between elements are specified in
     type-independent units of elements (the distance between internal
     elements that occupy adjacent memory locations is 1 and not the
     element's byte-length as in netCDF 2). A NULL argument means the
     memory-resident values have the same structure as the associated
     netCDF variable.

`tp'
`up'
`cp'
`sp'
`ip'
`lp'
`fp'
`dp'
     Pointer to the location used for computing where the data values
     will be found; the data should be of the type appropriate for the
     function called. If the type of data values differs from the
     netCDF variable type, type conversion will occur. *Note Type
     Conversion: (netcdf)Type Conversion.


Return Codes
============

   * NC_NOERR No error.

   * NC_EHDFERR Error reported by HDF5 layer.

   * NC_ENOTVAR The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_EINVALCOORDS The specified corner indices were out of range for
     the rank of the specified variable. For example, a negative index,
     or an index that is larger than the corresponding dimension length
     will cause an error.

   * NC_EEDGE The specified edge lengths added to the specified corner
     would have referenced data out of range for the rank of the
     specified variable. For example, an edge length that is larger
     than the corresponding dimension length minus the corner index
     will cause an error.

   * NC_ERANGE One or more of the specified values are out of the range
     of values representable by the external data type of the variable.
     (Does not apply to the nc_put_vars() function).

   * NC_EINDEFINE The specified netCDF dataset is in define mode rather
     than data mode.

   * NC_EBADID The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_ECHAR Attempt to convert to or from char.

   * NC_ENOMEM Out of memory.


Example
=======

The following imap vector maps in the trivial way a 4x3x2 netCDF
variable and an internal array of the same shape:

     float a[4][3][2];       /* same shape as netCDF variable */
     int   imap[3] = {6, 2, 1};
                             /* netCDF dimension       inter-element distance */
                             /* ----------------       ---------------------- */
                             /* most rapidly varying       1                  */
                             /* intermediate               2 (=imap[2]*2)     */
                             /* most slowly varying        6 (=imap[1]*3)     */

   Using the imap vector above with nc_put_varm_float obtains the same
result as simply using nc_put_var_float.

   Here is an example of using nc_put_varm_float to write - from a
transposed, internal array - a netCDF variable named rh which is
described by the C declaration float rh[6][4] (note the size and order
of the dimensions):

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     #define NDIM 2               /* rank of netCDF variable */
     int ncid;                    /* netCDF ID */
     int status;                  /* error status */
     int rhid;                    /* variable ID */
     static size_t start[NDIM]    /* netCDF variable start point: */
                      = {0, 0};   /* first element */
     static size_t count[NDIM]    /* size of internal array: entire netCDF */
                      = {6, 4};   /* variable; order corresponds to netCDF */
                                  /* variable -- not internal array */
     static ptrdiff_t stride[NDIM]/* variable subsampling intervals: */
                      = {1, 1};   /* sample every netCDF element */
     static ptrdiff_t imap[NDIM]  /* internal array inter-element distances; */
                      = {1, 6};   /* would be {4, 1} if not transposing */
     float rh[4][6];              /* note transposition of netCDF variable */
                                  /* dimensions */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid(ncid, "rh", &rhid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_put_varm_float(ncid, rhid, start, count, stride, imap, rh);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

   Here is another example of using nc_put_varm_float to write - from a
transposed, internal array - a subsample of the same netCDF variable,
by writing every other point of the netCDF variable:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     #define NDIM 2                /* rank of netCDF variable */
     int ncid;                     /* netCDF ID */
     int status;                   /* error status */
     int rhid;                     /* variable ID */
     static size_t start[NDIM]     /* netCDF variable start point: */
                      = {0, 0};    /* first element */
     static size_t count[NDIM]     /* size of internal array: entire */
                        = {3, 2};  /* (subsampled) netCDF variable; order of */
                                   /* dimensions corresponds to netCDF */
                                   /* variable -- not internal array */
     static ptrdiff_t stride[NDIM] /* variable subsampling intervals: */
                      = {2, 2};    /* sample every other netCDF element */
     static ptrdiff_t imap[NDIM]   /* internal array inter-element distances; */
                      = {1, 3};    /* would be {2, 1} if not transposing */
     float rh[2][3];               /* note transposition of (subsampled) */
                                   /* netCDF variable dimensions */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid(ncid, "rh", &rhid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_put_varm_float(ncid, rhid, start, count, stride, imap, rh);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.26 Read a Single Data Value: nc_get_var1_ TYPE
================================================

The functions nc_get_var1_ TYPE get a single data value from a variable
of an open netCDF dataset that is in data mode. Inputs are the netCDF
ID, the variable ID, a multidimensional index that specifies which
value to get, and the address of a location into which the data value
will be read. The value is converted from the external data type of the
variable, if necessary.

   The functions for types ubyte, ushort, uint, longlong, ulonglong, and
string are only available for netCDF-4/HDF5 files.

   The nc_get_var1() function will read a variable of any type,
including user defined type. For this function, the type of the data in
memory must match the type of the variable - no data conversion is done.

Usage
=====

     int nc_get_var1_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            char *tp);
     int nc_get_var1_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            unsigned char *up);
     int nc_get_var1_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            signed char *cp);
     int nc_get_var1_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            short *sp);
     int nc_get_var1_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            int *ip);
     int nc_get_var1_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            long *lp);
     int nc_get_var1_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            float *fp);
     int nc_get_var1_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            double *dp);
     int nc_get_var1_ushort(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            unsigned short *ip);
     int nc_get_var1_uint  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            unsigned int *ip);
     int nc_get_var1_longlong (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                               long long *ip);
     int nc_get_var1_ulonglong(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                               unsigned long long *ip);
     int nc_get_var1_string(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            char **ip);
     int nc_get_var1       (int ncid, int varid,  const size_t *indexp,
                            void *ip);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`index[]'
     The index of the data value to be read. The indices are relative to
     0, so for example, the first data value of a two-dimensional
     variable would have index (0,0). The elements of index must
     correspond to the variable's dimensions. Hence, if the variable is
     a record variable, the first index is the record number.

`tp'
`up'
`cp'
`sp'
`ip'
`lp'
`fp'
`dp'
     Pointer to the location into which the data value is read. If the
     type of data value differs from the netCDF variable type, type
     conversion will occur. *Note Type Conversion: (netcdf)Type
     Conversion.


Return Codes
============

   * NC_NOERR No error.

   * NC_EHDFERR Error reported by HDF5 layer.

   * NC_ENOTVAR The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_EINVALCOORDS The specified corner indices were out of range for
     the rank of the specified variable. For example, a negative index,
     or an index that is larger than the corresponding dimension length
     will cause an error.

   * NC_EEDGE The specified edge lengths added to the specified corner
     would have referenced data out of range for the rank of the
     specified variable. For example, an edge length that is larger
     than the corresponding dimension length minus the corner index
     will cause an error.

   * NC_ERANGE One or more of the specified values are out of the range
     of values representable by the external data type of the variable.
     (Does not apply to the nc_put_vars() function).

   * NC_EINDEFINE The specified netCDF is in define mode rather than
     data mode.

   * NC_EBADID The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_ECHAR Attempt to convert to or from char.

   * NC_ENOMEM Out of memory.


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_get_var1_double to get the (1,2,3) element
of the variable named rh in an existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc.
For simplicity in this example, we assume that we know that rh is
dimensioned with time, lat, and lon, so we want to get the value of rh
that corresponds to the second time value, the third lat value, and the
fourth lon value:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  status;                           /* error status */
     int ncid;                              /* netCDF ID */
     int rh_id;                             /* variable ID */
     static size_t rh_index[] = {1, 2, 3};  /* where to get value from */
     double rh_val;                         /* where to put it */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_get_var1_double(ncid, rh_id, rh_index, &rh_val);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.27 Read an Entire Variable nc_get_var_ TYPE
=============================================

The members of the nc_get_var_ TYPE family of functions read all the
values from a netCDF variable of an open netCDF dataset. This is the
simplest interface to use for reading the value of a scalar variable or
when all the values of a multidimensional variable can be read at once.
The values are read into consecutive locations with the last dimension
varying fastest. The netCDF dataset must be in data mode.

   Take care when using the simplest forms of this interface with record
variables (variables that use the NC_UNLIMITED dimension) when you
don't specify how many records are to be read. If you try to read all
the values of a record variable into an array but there are more
records in the file than you assume, more data will be read than you
expect, which may cause a segmentation violation. To avoid such
problems, it is better to use the nc_get_vara interfaces for variables
that use the NC_UNLIMITED dimension.  *Note nc_get_vara_ type::.

   The functions for types ubyte, ushort, uint, longlong, ulonglong, and
string are only available for netCDF-4/HDF5 files.

   The nc_get_var() function will read a variable of any type,
including user defined type. For this function, the type of the data in
memory must match the type of the variable - no data conversion is done.

Usage
=====

     int nc_get_var_text  (int ncid, int varid, char *tp);
     int nc_get_var_uchar (int ncid, int varid, unsigned char *up);
     int nc_get_var_schar (int ncid, int varid, signed char *cp);
     int nc_get_var_short (int ncid, int varid, short *sp);
     int nc_get_var_int   (int ncid, int varid, int *ip);
     int nc_get_var_long  (int ncid, int varid, long *lp);
     int nc_get_var_float (int ncid, int varid, float *fp);
     int nc_get_var_double(int ncid, int varid, double *dp);
     int nc_get_var_ushort(int ncid, int varid, unsigned short *ip);
     int nc_get_var_uint  (int ncid, int varid, unsigned int *ip);
     int nc_get_var_longlong (int ncid, int varid, long long *ip);
     int nc_get_var_ulonglong(int ncid, int varid, unsigned long long *ip);
     int nc_get_var_string(int ncid, int varid, char **ip);
     int nc_get_var       (int ncid, int varid,  void *ip);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`tp'
`up'
`cp'
`sp'
`ip'
`lp'
`fp'
`dp'
     Pointer to a block of contiguous locations in memory into which
     the data values are read. If the type of data value differs from
     the netCDF variable type, type conversion will occur. *Note Type
     Conversion: (netcdf)Type Conversion.


Return Codes
============

   * NC_NOERR No error.

   * NC_EHDFERR Error reported by HDF5 layer.

   * NC_ENOTVAR The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_EINVALCOORDS The specified corner indices were out of range for
     the rank of the specified variable. For example, a negative index,
     or an index that is larger than the corresponding dimension length
     will cause an error.

   * NC_EEDGE The specified edge lengths added to the specified corner
     would have referenced data out of range for the rank of the
     specified variable. For example, an edge length that is larger
     than the corresponding dimension length minus the corner index
     will cause an error.

   * NC_ERANGE One or more of the specified values are out of the range
     of values representable by the external data type of the variable.
     (Does not apply to the nc_put_vars() function).

   * NC_EINDEFINE The specified netCDF is in define mode rather than
     data mode.

   * NC_EBADID The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_ECHAR Attempt to convert to or from char.

   * NC_ENOMEM Out of memory.


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_get_var_double to read all the values of
the variable named rh from an existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc. For
simplicity in this example, we assume that we know that rh is
dimensioned with lat and lon, and that there are five lat values and
ten lon values.

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     #define LATS 5
     #define LONS 10
     int  status;                       /* error status */
     int ncid;                          /* netCDF ID */
     int rh_id;                         /* variable ID */
     double rh_vals[LATS*LONS];         /* array to hold values */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     /* read values from netCDF variable */
     status = nc_get_var_double(ncid, rh_id, rh_vals);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.28 Read an Array of Values: nc_get_vara_ TYPE
===============================================

The members of the nc_get_vara_ TYPE family of functions read an array
of values from a netCDF variable of an open netCDF dataset. The array
is specified by giving a corner and a vector of edge lengths. The
values are read into consecutive locations with the last dimension
varying fastest. The netCDF dataset must be in data mode.

   The functions for types ubyte, ushort, uint, longlong, ulonglong, and
string are only available for netCDF-4/HDF5 files.

   The nc_get_vara() function will write a variable of any type,
including user defined type. For this function, the type of the data in
memory must match the type of the variable - no data conversion is done.

Usage
=====

     int nc_get_vara_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], char *tp);
     int nc_get_vara_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], unsigned char *up);
     int nc_get_vara_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], signed char *cp);
     int nc_get_vara_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], short *sp);
     int nc_get_vara_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], int *ip);
     int nc_get_vara_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], long *lp);
     int nc_get_vara_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], float *fp);
     int nc_get_vara_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], double *dp);
     int nc_get_vara_ushort(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, unsigned short *ip);
     int nc_get_vara_uint  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, unsigned int *ip);
     int nc_get_vara_longlong(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                              const size_t *countp, long long *ip);
     int nc_get_vara_ulonglong(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                               const size_t *countp, unsigned long long *ip);
     int nc_get_vara_string(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, char **ip);
     int nc_get_vara       (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], void *ip);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`start'
     A vector of size_t integers specifying the index in the variable
     where the first of the data values will be read. The indices are
     relative to 0, so for example, the first data value of a variable
     would have index (0, 0, ... , 0). The length of start must be the
     same as the number of dimensions of the specified variable. The
     elements of start correspond, in order, to the variable's
     dimensions. Hence, if the variable is a record variable, the first
     index would correspond to the starting record number for reading
     the data values.

`count'
     A vector of size_t integers specifying the edge lengths along each
     dimension of the block of data values to be read. To read a single
     value, for example, specify count as (1, 1, ... , 1). The length of
     count is the number of dimensions of the specified variable. The
     elements of count correspond, in order, to the variable's
     dimensions. Hence, if the variable is a record variable, the first
     element of count corresponds to a count of the number of records to
     read.

     Note: setting any element of the count array to zero causes the
     function to exit without error, and without doing anything.

`tp'
`up'
`cp'
`sp'
`ip'
`lp'
`fp'
`dp'
     Pointer to a block of contiguous locations in memory into which
     the data values are read.  If the type of data value differs from
     the netCDF variable type, type conversion will occur. *Note Type
     Conversion: (netcdf)Type Conversion.


Return Codes
============

   * NC_NOERR No error.

   * NC_ENOTVAR The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_EINVALCOORDS The specified corner indices were out of range for
     the rank of the specified variable. For example, a negative index
     or an index that is larger than the corresponding dimension length
     will cause an error.

   * NC_EEDGE The specified edge lengths added to the specified corner
     would have referenced data out of range for the rank of the
     specified variable. For example, an edge length that is larger
     than the corresponding dimension length minus the corner index
     will cause an error.

   * NC_ERANGE One or more of the values are out of the range of values
     representable by the desired type. (Does not apply to
     nc_get_vara() function).

   * NC_EINDEFINE The specified netCDF is in define mode rather than
     data mode.

   * NC_EBADID The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF
     dataset.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_get_vara_double to read all the values of
the variable named rh from an existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc. For
simplicity in this example, we assume that we know that rh is
dimensioned with time, lat, and lon, and that there are three time
values, five lat values, and ten lon values.

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     #define TIMES 3
      #define LATS 5
     #define LONS 10
     int  status;                       /* error status */
     int ncid;                          /* netCDF ID */
     int rh_id;                         /* variable ID */
     static size_t start[] = {0, 0, 0}; /* start at first value */
     static size_t count[] = {TIMES, LATS, LONS};
     double rh_vals[TIMES*LATS*LONS];   /* array to hold values */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     /* read values from netCDF variable */
     status = nc_get_vara_double(ncid, rh_id, start, count, rh_vals);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.29 Read a Subsampled Array of Values: nc_get_vars_ TYPE
=========================================================

The nc_get_vars_ TYPE family of functions read a subsampled (strided)
array section of values from a netCDF variable of an open netCDF
dataset. The subsampled array section is specified by giving a corner,
a vector of edge lengths, and a stride vector. The values are read with
the last dimension of the netCDF variable varying fastest. The netCDF
dataset must be in data mode.

   The functions for types ubyte, ushort, uint, longlong, ulonglong, and
string are only available for netCDF-4/HDF5 files.

   The nc_get_vars() function will read a variable of any type,
including user defined type. For this function, the type of the data in
memory must match the type of the variable - no data conversion is done.

Usage
=====

     int nc_get_vars_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            char *tp);
     int nc_get_vars_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            unsigned char *up);
     int nc_get_vars_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            signed char *cp);
     int nc_get_vars_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            short *sp);
     int nc_get_vars_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            int *ip);
     int nc_get_vars_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            long *lp);
     int nc_get_vars_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            float *fp);
     int nc_get_vars_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            double *dp)
     int nc_get_vars_ushort(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            unsigned short *ip);
     int nc_get_vars_uint  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            unsigned int *ip);
     int nc_get_vars_longlong (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                               const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                               long long *ip);
     int nc_get_vars_ulonglong(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                               const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                               unsigned long long *ip);
     int nc_get_vars_string(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            char **ip);
     int nc_get_vars       (int ncid, int varid,  const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            void *ip);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`start'
     A vector of size_t integers specifying the index in the variable
     where the first of the data values will be read. The indices are
     relative to 0, so for example, the first data value of a variable
     would have index (0, 0, ... , 0). The elements of start
     correspond, in order, to the variable's dimensions. Hence, if the
     variable is a record variable, the first index corresponds to the
     starting record number for reading the data values.

`count'
     A vector of size_t integers specifying the number of indices
     selected along each dimension. To read a single value, for
     example, specify count as (1, 1, ... , 1). The elements of count
     correspond, in order, to the variable's dimensions. Hence, if the
     variable is a record variable, the first element of count
     corresponds to a count of the number of records to read.

     Note: setting any element of the count array to zero causes the
     function to exit without error, and without doing anything.

`stride'
     A vector of ptrdiff_t integers specifying, for each dimension, the
     interval between selected indices. The elements of the stride
     vector correspond, in order, to the variable's dimensions. A value
     of 1 accesses adjacent values of the netCDF variable in the
     corresponding dimension; a value of 2 accesses every other value
     of the netCDF variable in the corresponding dimension; and so on.
     A NULL stride argument is treated as (1, 1, ... , 1).

`tp'
`up'
`cp'
`sp'
`ip'
`lp'
`fp'
`dp'
     Pointer to a block of contiguous locations in memory into which
     the data values are read.  If the type of data value differs from
     the netCDF variable type, type conversion will occur. *Note Type
     Conversion: (netcdf)Type Conversion.


Return Codes
============

   * NC_NOERR No error.

   * NC_EHDFERR Error reported by HDF5 layer.

   * NC_ENOTVAR The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_EINVALCOORDS The specified corner indices were out of range for
     the rank of the specified variable. For example, a negative index,
     or an index that is larger than the corresponding dimension length
     will cause an error.

   * NC_EEDGE The specified edge lengths added to the specified corner
     would have referenced data out of range for the rank of the
     specified variable. For example, an edge length that is larger
     than the corresponding dimension length minus the corner index
     will cause an error.

   * NC_ERANGE One or more of the specified values are out of the range
     of values representable by the external data type of the variable.
     (Does not apply to the nc_get_vars() function).

   * NC_EINDEFINE The specified netCDF is in define mode rather than
     data mode.

   * NC_EBADID The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_ECHAR Attempt to convert to or from char.

   * NC_ENOMEM Out of memory.


Example
=======

Here is an example that uses nc_get_vars_double to read every other
value in each dimension of the variable named rh from an existing
netCDF dataset named foo.nc. For simplicity in this example, we assume
that we know that rh is dimensioned with time, lat, and lon, and that
there are three time values, five lat values, and ten lon values.

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     #define TIMES 3
     #define LATS  5
     #define LONS 10
     int  status;                          /* error status */
     int ncid;                             /* netCDF ID */
     int rh_id;                            /* variable ID */
     static size_t start[] = {0, 0, 0};    /* start at first value */
     static size_t count[] = {TIMES, LATS, LONS};
     static ptrdiff_t stride[] = {2, 2, 2};/* every other value */
     double data[TIMES][LATS][LONS];       /* array to hold values */
      ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
      ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
      ...
     /* read subsampled values from netCDF variable into array */
     status = nc_get_vars_double(ncid, rh_id, start, count, stride,
                                 &data[0][0][0]);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
      ...

6.30 Read a Mapped Array of Values: nc_get_varm_ TYPE
=====================================================

The nc_get_varm_ TYPE family of functions reads a mapped array section
of values from a netCDF variable of an open netCDF dataset. The mapped
array section is specified by giving a corner, a vector of edge
lengths, a stride vector, and an index mapping vector. The index
mapping vector is a vector of integers that specifies the mapping
between the dimensions of a netCDF variable and the in-memory structure
of the internal data array. No assumptions are made about the ordering
or length of the dimensions of the data array. The netCDF dataset must
be in data mode.

   The functions for types ubyte, ushort, uint, longlong, ulonglong, and
string are only available for netCDF-4/HDF5 files.

   The nc_get_varm() function will read a variable of any type,
including user defined type. For this function, the type of the data in
memory must match the type of the variable - no data conversion is done.

Usage
=====

     int nc_get_varm_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], char *tp);
     int nc_get_varm_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], unsigned char *up);
     int nc_get_varm_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], signed char *cp);
     int nc_get_varm_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], short *sp);
     int nc_get_varm_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], int *ip);
     int nc_get_varm_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], long *lp);
     int nc_get_varm_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], float *fp);
     int nc_get_varm_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t start[],
                            const size_t count[], const ptrdiff_t stride[],
                            const ptrdiff_t imap[], double *dp);
     int nc_get_varm_ushort(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t * imapp, unsigned short *ip);
     int nc_get_varm_uint  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t * imapp, unsigned int *ip);
     int nc_get_varm_longlong (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                               const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                               const ptrdiff_t * imapp, long long *ip);
     int nc_get_varm_ulonglong(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                               const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                               const ptrdiff_t * imapp, unsigned long long *ip);
     int nc_get_varm_string(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t * imapp, char **ip);
     int nc_get_varm       (int ncid, int varid,  const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, void *ip);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`start'
     A vector of size_t integers specifying the index in the variable
     where the first of the data values will be read. The indices are
     relative to 0, so for example, the first data value of a variable
     would have index (0, 0, ... , 0). The elements of start
     correspond, in order, to the variable's dimensions. Hence, if the
     variable is a record variable, the first index corresponds to the
     starting record number for reading the data values.

`count'
     A vector of size_t integers specifying the number of indices
     selected along each dimension. To read a single value, for
     example, specify count as (1, 1, ... , 1). The elements of count
     correspond, in order, to the variable's dimensions. Hence, if the
     variable is a record variable, the first element of count
     corresponds to a count of the number of records to read.

     Note: setting any element of the count array to zero causes the
     function to exit without error, and without doing anything.

`stride'
     A vector of ptrdiff_t integers specifying, for each dimension, the
     interval between selected indices. The elements of the stride
     vector correspond, in order, to the variable's dimensions. A value
     of 1 accesses adjacent values of the netCDF variable in the
     corresponding dimension; a value of 2 accesses every other value
     of the netCDF variable in the corresponding dimension; and so on.
     A NULL stride argument is treated as (1, 1, ... , 1).

`imap'
     A vector of integers that specifies the mapping between the
     dimensions of a netCDF variable and the in-memory structure of the
     internal data array. imap[0] gives the distance between elements of
     the internal array corresponding to the most slowly varying
     dimension of the netCDF variable. imap[n-1] (where n is the rank
     of the netCDF variable) gives the distance between elements of the
     internal array corresponding to the most rapidly varying dimension
     of the netCDF variable. Intervening imap elements correspond to
     other dimensions of the netCDF variable in the obvious way.
     Distances between elements are specified in type-independent units
     of elements (the distance between internal elements that occupy
     adjacent memory locations is 1 and not the element's byte-length
     as in netCDF 2).

`tp'
`up'
`cp'
`sp'
`ip'
`lp'
`fp'
`dp'
     Pointer to the location used for computing where the data values
     are read; the data should be of the type appropriate for the
     function called. If the type of data value differs from the netCDF
     variable type, type conversion will occur. *Note Type Conversion:
     (netcdf)Type Conversion.


Return Codes
============

   * NC_NOERR No error.

   * NC_EHDFERR Error reported by HDF5 layer.

   * NC_ENOTVAR The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_EINVALCOORDS The specified corner indices were out of range for
     the rank of the specified variable. For example, a negative index,
     or an index that is larger than the corresponding dimension length
     will cause an error.

   * NC_EEDGE The specified edge lengths added to the specified corner
     would have referenced data out of range for the rank of the
     specified variable. For example, an edge length that is larger
     than the corresponding dimension length minus the corner index
     will cause an error.

   * NC_ERANGE One or more of the specified values are out of the range
     of values representable by the external data type of the variable.
     (Does not apply to the nc_get_vars() function).

   * NC_EINDEFINE The specified netCDF is in define mode rather than
     data mode.

   * NC_EBADID The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF
     dataset.

   * NC_ECHAR Attempt to convert to or from char.

   * NC_ENOMEM Out of memory.


Example
=======

The following imap vector maps in the trivial way a 4x3x2 netCDF
variable and an internal array of the same shape:

     float a[4][3][2];       /* same shape as netCDF variable */
     size_t imap[3] = {6, 2, 1};
                             /* netCDF dimension       inter-element distance */
                             /* ----------------       ---------------------- */
                             /* most rapidly varying       1                  */
                             /* intermediate               2 (=imap[2]*2)     */
                             /* most slowly varying        6 (=imap[1]*3)     */

   Using the imap vector above with nc_get_varm_float obtains the same
result as simply using nc_get_var_float.

   Here is an example of using nc_get_varm_float to transpose a netCDF
variable named rh which is described by the C declaration float
rh[6][4] (note the size and order of the dimensions):

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     #define NDIM 2                /* rank of netCDF variable */
     int ncid;                     /* netCDF ID */
     int status;                   /* error status */
     int rhid;                     /* variable ID */
     static size_t start[NDIM]     /* netCDF variable start point: */
                      = {0, 0};    /* first element */
     static size_t count[NDIM]     /* size of internal array: entire netCDF */
                      = {6, 4};    /* variable; order corresponds to netCDF */
                                   /* variable -- not internal array */
     static ptrdiff_t stride[NDIM] /* variable subsampling intervals: */
                      = {1, 1};    /* sample every netCDF element */
     static ptrdiff_t imap[NDIM]   /* internal array inter-element distances; */
                      = {1, 6};    /* would be {4, 1} if not transposing */
     float rh[4][6];               /* note transposition of netCDF variable */
                                   /* dimensions */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid(ncid, "rh", &rhid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_get_varm_float(ncid, rhid, start, count, stride, imap, rh);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

   Here is another example of using nc_get_varm_float to simultaneously
transpose and subsample the same netCDF variable, by accessing every
other point of the netCDF variable:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     #define NDIM 2               /* rank of netCDF variable */
     int ncid;                    /* netCDF ID */
     int status;                  /* error status */
     int rhid;                    /* variable ID */
     static size_t start[NDIM]    /* netCDF variable start point: */
                      = {0, 0};   /* first element */
     static size_t count[NDIM]    /* size of internal array: entire */
                        = {3, 2}; /* (subsampled) netCDF variable; order of */
                                  /* dimensions corresponds to netCDF */
                                  /* variable -- not internal array */
     static ptrdiff_t stride[NDIM]/* variable subsampling intervals: */
                      = {2, 2};   /* sample every other netCDF element */
     static ptrdiff_t imap[NDIM]  /* internal array inter-element distances; */
                      = {1, 3};   /* would be {2, 1} if not transposing */
     float rh[2][3];              /* note transposition of (subsampled) */
                                  /* netCDF variable dimensions */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid(ncid, "rh", &rhid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_get_varm_float(ncid, rhid, start, count, stride, imap, rh);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.31 Reading and Writing Character String Values
================================================

Prior to version 4.0, strings could only be stored as simple arrays of
characters. Users may still wish to store strings this way, as it
ensures maximum compatibility with other software.

   Starting in netCDF-4.0, the atomic string type allows a new way to
store strings, as a variable length array in the underlying HDF5 layer.
This allows arrays of strings to be stored compactly.

   For more information of classic models strings *note Classic
Strings::. For more information on the netCDF-4.0 string type *note
Arrays of Strings::.

6.31.1 Reading and Writing Character String Values in the Classic Model
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Character strings are not a primitive netCDF external data type, in
part because FORTRAN does not support the abstraction of
variable-length character strings (the FORTRAN LEN function returns the
static length of a character string, not its dynamic length). As a
result, a character string cannot be written or read as a single object
in the netCDF interface. Instead, a character string must be treated as
an array of characters, and array access must be used to read and write
character strings as variable data in netCDF datasets. Furthermore,
variable-length strings are not supported by the netCDF interface
except by convention; for example, you may treat a zero byte as
terminating a character string, but you must explicitly specify the
length of strings to be read from and written to netCDF variables.

   Character strings as attribute values are easier to use, since the
strings are treated as a single unit for access. However, the value of
a character-string attribute is still an array of characters with an
explicit length that must be specified when the attribute is defined.

   When you define a variable that will have character-string values,
use a character-position dimension as the most quickly varying dimension
for the variable (the last dimension for the variable in C). The length
of the character-position dimension will be the maximum string length
of any value to be stored in the character-string variable. Space for
maximum-length strings will be allocated in the disk representation of
character-string variables whether you use the space or not. If two or
more variables have the same maximum length, the same
character-position dimension may be used in defining the variable
shapes.

   To write a character-string value into a character-string variable,
use either entire variable access or array access. The latter requires
that you specify both a corner and a vector of edge lengths. The
character-position dimension at the corner should be zero for C. If the
length of the string to be written is n, then the vector of edge
lengths will specify n in the character-position dimension, and one for
all the other dimensions:(1, 1, ... , 1, n).

   In C, fixed-length strings may be written to a netCDF dataset without
the terminating zero byte, to save space. Variable-length strings
should be written with a terminating zero byte so that the intended
length of the string can be determined when it is later read.

   Here is an example that defines a record variable, tx, for character
strings and stores a character-string value into the third record using
nc_put_vara_text. In this example, we assume the string variable and
data are to be added to an existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc that
already has an unlimited record dimension time.

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  ncid;            /* netCDF ID */
     int  chid;            /* dimension ID for char positions */
     int  timeid;          /* dimension ID for record dimension */
     int  tx_id;           /* variable ID */
     #define TDIMS 2       /* rank of tx variable */
     int tx_dims[TDIMS];   /* variable shape */
     size_t tx_start[TDIMS];
     size_t tx_count[TDIMS];
     static char tx_val[] =
             "example string"; /* string to be put */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_redef(ncid);       /* enter define mode */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     /* define character-position dimension for strings of max length 40 */
     status = nc_def_dim(ncid, "chid", 40L, &chid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     /* define a character-string variable */
     tx_dims[0] = timeid;
     tx_dims[1] = chid;    /* character-position dimension last */
     status = nc_def_var (ncid, "tx", NC_CHAR, TDIMS, tx_dims, &tx_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_enddef(ncid);       /* leave define mode */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     /* write tx_val into tx netCDF variable in record 3 */
     tx_start[0] = 3;      /* record number to write */
     tx_start[1] = 0;      /* start at beginning of variable */
     tx_count[0] = 1;      /* only write one record */
     tx_count[1] = strlen(tx_val) + 1;  /* number of chars to write */
     status = nc_put_vara_text(ncid, tx_id, tx_start, tx_count, tx_val);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.31.2 Reading and Writing Arrays of Strings
--------------------------------------------

In netCDF-4, the NC_STRING type is introduced. It can store arrays of
strings compactly.

   By using the NC_STRING type, arrays of strings (char **) can be read
and written to the file.

   This allows attributes to hold more than one string. Since attributes
are one-dimensional, using the classic model, an attribute could only
hold one string, as an array of char. With the NC_STRING type, an array
of strings can be stored in one attribute.

   When reading data of type NC_STRING, the HDF5 layer will allocate
memory to hold the data. It is up to the user to free this memory with
the nc_free_string function. *Note nc_free_string::.

        int ncid, varid, i, dimids[NDIMS];
        char *data[DIM_LEN] = {"Let but your honour know",
                           "Whom I believe to be most strait in virtue",
                           "That, in the working of your own affections",
                           "Had time cohered with place or place with wishing",
                           "Or that the resolute acting of your blood",
                           "Could have attain'd the effect of your own purpose",
                           "Whether you had not sometime in your life",
                           "Err'd in this point which now you censure him",
                           "And pull'd the law upon you."};
        char *data_in[DIM_LEN];

        printf("*** testing string attribute...");
        {
           size_t att_len;
           int ndims, nvars, natts, unlimdimid;
           nc_type att_type;

           if (nc_create(FILE_NAME, NC_NETCDF4, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_put_att(ncid, NC_GLOBAL, ATT_NAME, NC_STRING, DIM_LEN, data)) ERR;
           if (nc_inq(ncid, &ndims, &nvars, &natts, &unlimdimid)) ERR;
           if (ndims != 0 || nvars != 0 || natts != 1 || unlimdimid != -1) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_att(ncid, NC_GLOBAL, ATT_NAME, &att_type, &att_len)) ERR;
           if (att_type != NC_STRING || att_len != DIM_LEN) ERR;
           if (nc_close(ncid)) ERR;
           nc_exit();

           /* Check it out. */
           if (nc_open(FILE_NAME, NC_NOWRITE, &ncid)) ERR;
           if (nc_inq(ncid, &ndims, &nvars, &natts, &unlimdimid)) ERR;
           if (ndims != 0 || nvars != 0 || natts != 1 || unlimdimid != -1) ERR;
           if (nc_inq_att(ncid, NC_GLOBAL, ATT_NAME, &att_type, &att_len)) ERR;
           if (att_type != NC_STRING || att_len != DIM_LEN) ERR;
           if (nc_get_att(ncid, NC_GLOBAL, ATT_NAME, data_in)) ERR;
           for (i=0; i<att_len; i++)
              if (strcmp(data_in[i], data[i])) ERR;
           if (nc_free_string(att_len, (char **)data_in)) ERR;
           if (nc_close(ncid)) ERR;
           nc_exit();
        }

6.32 Releasing Memory for a NC_STRING: nc_free_string
=====================================================

When a STRING is read into user memory from the file, the HDF5 library
performs memory allocations for each of the variable length character
arrays contained within the STRING structure. This memory must be freed
by the user to avoid memory leaks.

   This violates the normal netCDF expectation that the user is
responsible for all memory allocation. But, with NC_STRING arrays, the
underlying HDF5 library allocates the memory for the user, and the user
is responsible for deallocating that memory.

   To save the user the trouble calling free() on each element of the
NC_STRING array (i.e. the array of arrays), the nc_free_string function
is provided.

Usage
=====

     int nc_free_string(size_t len, char **data);

`len'
     The number of character arrays in the array.

`**data'
     The pointer to the data array.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.


Example
=======

           if (nc_get_att(ncid, NC_GLOBAL, ATT_NAME, data_in)) ERR;
           ...
           if (nc_free_string(att_len, (char **)data_in)) ERR;

6.33 Fill Values
================

What happens when you try to read a value that was never written in an
open netCDF dataset? You might expect that this should always be an
error, and that you should get an error message or an error status
returned. You do get an error if you try to read data from a netCDF
dataset that is not open for reading, if the variable ID is invalid for
the specified netCDF dataset, or if the specified indices are not
properly within the range defined by the dimension lengths of the
specified variable. Otherwise, reading a value that was not written
returns a special fill value used to fill in any undefined values when
a netCDF variable is first written.

   You may ignore fill values and use the entire range of a netCDF
external data type, but in this case you should make sure you write all
data values before reading them. If you know you will be writing all
the data before reading it, you can specify that no prefilling of
variables with fill values will occur by calling nc_set_fill before
writing. This may provide a significant performance gain for netCDF
writes.

   The variable attribute _FillValue may be used to specify the fill
value for a variable. Their are default fill values for each type,
defined in the include file netcdf.h: NC_FILL_CHAR, NC_FILL_BYTE,
NC_FILL_SHORT, NC_FILL_INT, NC_FILL_FLOAT, and NC_FILL_DOUBLE.

   The netCDF byte and character types have different default fill
values. The default fill value for characters is the zero byte, a
useful value for detecting the end of variable-length C character
strings. If you need a fill value for a byte variable, it is
recommended that you explicitly define an appropriate _FillValue
attribute, as generic utilities such as ncdump will not assume a
default fill value for byte variables.

   Type conversion for fill values is identical to type conversion for
other values: attempting to convert a value from one type to another
type that can't represent the value results in a range error. Such
errors may occur on writing or reading values from a larger type (such
as double) to a smaller type (such as float), if the fill value for the
larger type cannot be represented in the smaller type.

6.34 Rename a Variable: nc_rename_var
=====================================

The function nc_rename_var changes the name of a netCDF variable in an
open netCDF dataset. If the new name is longer than the old name, the
netCDF dataset must be in define mode. You cannot rename a variable to
have the name of any existing variable.

Usage
=====

int nc_rename_var(int ncid, int varid, const char* name);

   ncid  NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

   varid  Variable ID.

   name  New name for the specified variable.

Errors
======

nc_rename_var returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of
errors include:

   The new name is in use as the name of another variable.  The
variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF dataset.  The specified
netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_rename_var to rename the variable rh to
rel_hum in an existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  status;              /* error status */
     int  ncid;                /* netCDF ID */
     int  rh_id;               /* variable ID */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_redef(ncid);  /* put in define mode to rename variable */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_rename_var (ncid, rh_id, "rel_hum");
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_enddef(ncid); /* leave define mode */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

6.35 Copy a Variable from One File to Another: nc_copy_var
==========================================================

This function will copy a variable from one file to another.

   It works even if the files are different formats, (i.e. classic vs.
netCDF-4/HDF5.)

   If you're copying into a netCDF-3 file, from a netCDF-4 file, you
must be copying a var of one of the six netCDF-3 types. Similarly for
the attributes.

   For large netCDF-3 files, this can be a very inefficient way to copy
data from one file to another, because adding a new variable to the
target file may require more space in the header and thus result in
moving data for other variables in the target file.  This is not a
problem for netCDF-4 files, which support efficient addition of
variables without moving data for other variables.

Usage
=====

     nc_copy_var(int ncid_in, int varid_in, int ncid_out)

   * ncid_in The file ID for the file that contains the variable to be
     copied.

   * varid_in The variable ID for the variable to be copied.

   * ncid_out The file ID for the file where the variable should be
     copied to.


Return Codes
============

   * NC_NOERR No error.

   * NC_EBADID Bad ncid.

   * NC_EBADVAR Bad varid.

   * NC_EHDFERR HDF5 layer error.

   * NC_ENOMEM Out of memory.

   * NC_ERANGE One or more values out of range.


Example
=======


6.36 Change between Collective and Independent Parallel Access: nc_var_par_access
=================================================================================

The function nc_var_par_access changes whether read/write operations on
a parallel file system are performed collectively or independently (the
default) on the variable. This function can only be called if the file
was created with nc_create_par (see *note nc_create_par::) or opened
with nc_open_par (see *note nc_open_par::).

   Calling this function affects only the open file - information about
whether a variable is to be accessed collectively or independently is
not written to the data file. Every time you open a file on a parallel
file system, all variables default to independent operations. The
change a variable to collective I/O lasts only as long as that file is
open.

   The variable can be changed from collective to independent, and back,
as often as desired.

   Note that classic and 64-bit offset files are access using the
parallel-netcdf library, which does not allow per-variable setting of
the parallel access mode. For these files, calling nc_var_par_access
sets the access for all of the variables in the file.

Usage
=====

int nc_var_par_access(int ncid, int varid, int access);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open_par (see *note
     nc_open_par::) or nc_create_par (see *note nc_create_par::).

`varid'
     Variable ID.

`access'
     NC_INDEPENDENT to set this variable to independent
     operations.NC_COLLECTIVE to set it to collective operations.


Return Values
=============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_var_par_access:

     #include <netcdf.h>

         ...
         int ncid, v1id, dimids[NDIMS];
         int data[DIMSIZE*DIMSIZE], j, i, res;
         ...

         /* Create a parallel netcdf-4 file. */
         if ((res = nc_create_par(FILE, NC_NETCDF4|NC_MPIIO, comm, info, &ncid)))
             BAIL(res);

         /* Create two dimensions. */
         if ((res = nc_def_dim(ncid, "d1", DIMSIZE, dimids)))
            BAIL(res);
         if ((res = nc_def_dim(ncid, "d2", DIMSIZE, &dimids[1])))
            BAIL(res);

         /* Create one var. */
         if ((res = nc_def_var(ncid, "v1", NC_INT, NDIMS, dimids, &v1id)))
            BAIL(res);

         if ((res = nc_enddef(ncid)))
            BAIL(res);

         /* Tell HDF5 to use independent parallel access for this var. */
         if ((res = nc_var_par_access(ncid, v1id, NC_INDEPENDENT)))
            BAIL(res);

         /* Write slabs of phony data. */
         if ((res = nc_put_vara_int(ncid, v1id, start, count,
                                    &data[mpi_rank*QTR_DATA])))
            BAIL(res);

6.37 Deprecated "_ubyte" variable functions
===========================================

Note: the following functions are also defined but deprecated, as they
are identical in arguments and behavior to the corresponding functions
with "uchar" substituted for "ubyte" in the function name.

     int nc_put_var1_ubyte (int ncid, int varid, const size_t index[],
                            const unsigned char *up);
     int nc_put_var_ubyte (int ncid, int varid, const unsigned char *op);
     int nc_put_vara_ubyte (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const unsigned char *op);
     int nc_put_vars_ubyte (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const unsigned char *op);
     int nc_put_varm_ubyte (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t * imapp, const unsigned char *op);
     int nc_get_var1_ubyte (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            unsigned char *ip);
     int nc_get_var_ubyte (int ncid, int varid, unsigned char *ip);
     int nc_get_vara_ubyte (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, unsigned char *ip);
     int nc_get_vars_ubyte (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            unsigned char *ip);
     int nc_get_varm_ubyte (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t * imapp, unsigned char *ip);

7 Attributes
************

7.1 Introduction
================

Attributes may be associated with each netCDF variable to specify such
properties as units, special values, maximum and minimum valid values,
scaling factors, and offsets. Attributes for a netCDF dataset are
defined when the dataset is first created, while the netCDF dataset is
in define mode. Additional attributes may be added later by reentering
define mode. A netCDF attribute has a netCDF variable to which it is
assigned, a name, a type, a length, and a sequence of one or more
values. An attribute is designated by its variable ID and name. When an
attribute name is not known, it may be designated by its variable ID
and number in order to determine its name, using the function
nc_inq_attname.

   The attributes associated with a variable are typically defined
immediately after the variable is created, while still in define mode.
The data type, length, and value of an attribute may be changed even
when in data mode, as long as the changed attribute requires no more
space than the attribute as originally defined.

   It is also possible to have attributes that are not associated with
any variable. These are called global attributes and are identified by
using NC_GLOBAL as a variable pseudo-ID. Global attributes are usually
related to the netCDF dataset as a whole and may be used for purposes
such as providing a title or processing history for a netCDF dataset.

   Operations supported on attributes are:
   * Create an attribute, given its variable ID, name, data type,
     length, and value.

   * Get attribute's data type and length from its variable ID and name.

   * Get attribute's value from its variable ID and name.

   * Copy attribute from one netCDF variable to another.

   * Get name of attribute from its number.

   * Rename an attribute.

   * Delete an attribute.

7.2 Create an Attribute: nc_put_att_ TYPE
=========================================

The function nc_put_att_ TYPE adds or changes a variable attribute or
global attribute of an open netCDF dataset. If this attribute is new,
or if the space required to store the attribute is greater than before,
the netCDF dataset must be in define mode.

Usage
=====

With netCDF-4 files, nc_put_att will notice if you are writing a
_Fill_Value_ attribute, and will tell the HDF5 layer to use the
specified fill value for that variable.

   Although it's possible to create attributes of all types, text and
double attributes are adequate for most purposes.

   Use the nc_put_att function to create attributes of any type,
including user-defined types. We recommend using the type safe versions
of this function whenever possible.

     int nc_put_att_text      (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                               size_t len, const char *tp);
     int nc_put_att_uchar     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len, const unsigned char *up);
     int nc_put_att_schar     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len, const signed char *cp);
     int nc_put_att_short     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len, const short *sp);
     int nc_put_att_int       (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len, const int *ip);
     int nc_put_att_long      (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len, const long *lp);
     int nc_put_att_float     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len, const float *fp);
     int nc_put_att_double    (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len, const double *dp);
     int nc_put_att_ushort    (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len, const unsigned short *op);
     int nc_put_att_uint      (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len, const unsigned int *op);
     int nc_put_att_longlong  (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len, const long long *op);
     int nc_put_att_ulonglong (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len,
                               const unsigned long long *op);
     int nc_put_att_string    (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, size_t len,
                               const char **op);
     int nc_put_att           (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len, const void *op);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID of the variable to which the attribute will be
     assigned or NC_GLOBAL for a global attribute.

`name'
     Attribute name.  Attribute name conventions are assumed by some
     netCDF generic applications, e.g., `units' as the name for a string
     attribute that gives the units for a netCDF variable. For examples
     of attribute conventions see *note Attribute Conventions:
     (netcdf)Attribute Conventions.

`xtype'
     One of the set of predefined netCDF external data types. The type
     of this parameter, nc_type, is defined in the netCDF header file.
     The valid netCDF external data types are NC_BYTE, NC_CHAR,
     NC_SHORT, NC_INT, NC_FLOAT, and NC_DOUBLE. Although it's possible
     to create attributes of all types, NC_CHAR and NC_DOUBLE
     attributes are adequate for most purposes.

`len'
     Number of values provided for the attribute.

`tp, up, cp, sp, ip, lp, fp, or dp'
     Pointer to one or more values. If the type of values differs from
     the netCDF attribute type specified as xtype, type conversion will
     occur. *Note Type Conversion: (netcdf)Type Conversion.

Errors
======

nc_put_att_ TYPE returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of
errors include:

   * The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF dataset.

   * The specified netCDF type is invalid.

   * The specified length is negative.

   * The specified open netCDF dataset is in data mode and the specified
     attribute would expand.

   * The specified open netCDF dataset is in data mode and the specified
     attribute does not already exist.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

   * The number of attributes for this variable exceeds NC_MAX_ATTRS.


Return Codes
============

`NC_NOERR'
     No error.

`NC_EINVAL'
     Trying to set global _FillValue. (NetCDF-4 files only).

`NC_ENOTVAR'
     Couldn't find varid.

`NC_EBADTYPE'
     Fill value must be same type as variable. (NetCDF-4 files only).

`NC_ENOMEM'
     Out of memory

`NC_EFILLVALUE'
     Fill values must be written while the file is still in initial
     define mode, that is, after the file is created, but before it
     leaves define mode for the first time. NC_EFILLVALUE is returned
     when the user attempts to set the fill value after it's too late.


Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_put_att_double to add a variable attribute
named valid_range for a netCDF variable named rh and a global attribute
named title to an existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  status;                            /* error status */
     int  ncid;                              /* netCDF ID */
     int  rh_id;                             /* variable ID */
     static double rh_range[] = {0.0, 100.0};/* attribute vals */
     static char title[] = "example netCDF dataset";
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_redef(ncid);                /* enter define mode */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_put_att_double (ncid, rh_id, "valid_range",
                                 NC_DOUBLE, 2, rh_range);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_put_att_text (ncid, NC_GLOBAL, "title",
                               strlen(title), title)
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_enddef(ncid);               /* leave define mode */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

7.3 Get Information about an Attribute: nc_inq_att Family
=========================================================

This family of functions returns information about a netCDF attribute.
All but one of these functions require the variable ID and attribute
name; the exception is nc_inq_attname. Information about an attribute
includes its type, length, name, and number. See the nc_get_att family
for getting attribute values.

   The function nc_inq_attname gets the name of an attribute, given its
variable ID and number. This function is useful in generic applications
that need to get the names of all the attributes associated with a
variable, since attributes are accessed by name rather than number in
all other attribute functions. The number of an attribute is more
volatile than the name, since it can change when other attributes of
the same variable are deleted. This is why an attribute number is not
called an attribute ID.

   The function nc_inq_att returns the attribute's type and length. The
other functions each return just one item of information about an
attribute.

Usage
=====

     int nc_inq_att    (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                        nc_type *xtypep, size_t *lenp);
     int nc_inq_atttype(int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                        nc_type *xtypep);
     int nc_inq_attlen  (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, size_t *lenp);
     int nc_inq_attname(int ncid, int varid, int attnum, char *name);
     int nc_inq_attid   (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, int *attnump);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID of the attribute's variable, or NC_GLOBAL for a global
     attribute.

`name'
     Attribute name. For nc_inq_attname, this is a pointer to the
     location for the returned attribute name.

`xtypep'
     Pointer to location for returned attribute type, one of the set of
     predefined netCDF external data types. The type of this parameter,
     nc_type, is defined in the netCDF header file. The valid netCDF
     external data types are NC_BYTE, NC_CHAR, NC_SHORT, NC_INT,
     NC_FLOAT, and NC_DOUBLE. If this parameter is given as '0' (a null
     pointer), no type will be returned so no variable to hold the type
     needs to be declared.

`lenp'
     Pointer to location for returned number of values currently stored
     in the attribute. For attributes of type NC_CHAR, you should not
     assume that this includes a trailing zero byte; it doesn't if the
     attribute was stored without a trailing zero byte, for example
     from a FORTRAN program. Before using the value as a C string, make
     sure it is null-terminated. If this parameter is given as '0' (a
     null pointer), no length will be returned so no variable to hold
     this information needs to be declared.

`attnum'
     For nc_inq_attname, attribute number. The attributes for each
     variable are numbered from 0 (the first attribute) to natts-1,
     where natts is the number of attributes for the variable, as
     returned from a call to nc_inq_varnatts.

`attnump'
     For nc_inq_attid, pointer to location for returned attribute number
     that specifies which attribute this is for this variable (or which
     global attribute). If you already know the attribute name, knowing
     its number is not very useful, because accessing information about
     an attribute requires its name.


Errors
======

Each function returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of
errors include:
   * The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF dataset.

   * The specified attribute does not exist.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

   * For nc_inq_attname, the specified attribute number is negative or
     more than the number of attributes defined for the specified
     variable.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_inq_att to find out the type and length of
a variable attribute named valid_range for a netCDF variable named rh
and a global attribute named title in an existing netCDF dataset named
foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  status;               /* error status */
     int  ncid;                 /* netCDF ID */
     int  rh_id;                /* variable ID */
     nc_type vr_type, t_type;   /* attribute types */
     size_t  vr_len, t_len;     /* attribute lengths */

        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_att (ncid, rh_id, "valid_range", &vr_type, &vr_len);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_inq_att (ncid, NC_GLOBAL, "title", &t_type, &t_len);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

7.4 Get Attribute's Values:nc_get_att_ TYPE
===========================================

Members of the nc_get_att_ TYPE family of functions get the value(s) of
a netCDF attribute, given its variable ID and name.

   The nc_get_att() functions works for any type of attribute, and must
be used to get attributes of user-defined type. We recommend that they
type safe versions of this function be used where possible.

Usage
=====

     int nc_get_att_text      (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, char *tp);
     int nc_get_att_uchar     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, unsigned char *up);
     int nc_get_att_schar     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, signed char *cp);
     int nc_get_att_short     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, short *sp);
     int nc_get_att_int       (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, int *ip);
     int nc_get_att_long      (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, long *lp);
     int nc_get_att_float     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, float *fp);
     int nc_get_att_double    (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, double *dp);
     int nc_get_att_ushort    (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, unsigned short *ip);
     int nc_get_att_uint      (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, unsigned int *ip);
     int nc_get_att_longlong  (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, long long *ip);
     int nc_get_att_ulonglong (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, unsigned long long *ip);
     int nc_get_att_string    (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, char **ip);
     int nc_get_att           (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, void *ip);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     Variable ID of the attribute's variable, or NC_GLOBAL for a global
     attribute.

`name'
     Attribute name.

`tp'
`up'
`cp'
`sp'
`ip'
`lp'
`fp'
`dp'
     Pointer to location for returned attribute value(s). All elements
     of the vector of attribute values are returned, so you must
     allocate enough space to hold them. For attributes of type
     NC_CHAR, you should not assume that the returned values include a
     trailing zero byte; they won't if the attribute was stored without
     a trailing zero byte, for example from a FORTRAN program. Before
     using the value as a C string, make sure it is null-terminated. If
     you don't know how much space to reserve, call nc_inq_attlen first
     to find out the length of the attribute.


Errors
======

nc_get_att_ TYPE returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of
errors include:
   * The variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF dataset.

   * The specified attribute does not exist.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

   * One or more of the attribute values are out of the range of values
     representable by the desired type.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_get_att_double to determine the values of a
variable attribute named valid_range for a netCDF variable named rh and
a global attribute named title in an existing netCDF dataset named
foo.nc. In this example, it is assumed that we don't know how many
values will be returned, but that we do know the types of the
attributes. Hence, to allocate enough space to store them, we must
first inquire about the length of the attributes.

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  status;               /* error status */
     int  ncid;                 /* netCDF ID */
     int  rh_id;                /* variable ID */
     int  vr_len, t_len;        /* attribute lengths */
     double *vr_val;            /* ptr to attribute values */
     char *title;               /* ptr to attribute values */
     extern char *malloc();     /* memory allocator */

        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     /* find out how much space is needed for attribute values */
     status = nc_inq_attlen (ncid, rh_id, "valid_range", &vr_len);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_inq_attlen (ncid, NC_GLOBAL, "title", &t_len);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

     /* allocate required space before retrieving values */
     vr_val = (double *) malloc(vr_len * sizeof(double));
     title = (char *) malloc(t_len + 1);  /* + 1 for trailing null */

     /* get attribute values */
     status = nc_get_att_double(ncid, rh_id, "valid_range", vr_val);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_get_att_text(ncid, NC_GLOBAL, "title", title);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     title[t_len] = '\0';       /* null terminate */
        ...

7.5 Copy Attribute from One NetCDF to Another: nc_copy_att
==========================================================

The function nc_copy_att copies an attribute from one open netCDF
dataset to another. It can also be used to copy an attribute from one
variable to another within the same netCDF.

   If used to copy an attribute of user-defined type, then that
user-defined type must already be defined in the target file. In the
case of user-defined attributes, enddef/redef is called for ncid_in and
ncid_out if they are in define mode. (This is the ensure that all
user-defined types are committed to the file(s) before the copy is
attempted.)

Usage
=====

     int nc_copy_att (int ncid_in, int varid_in, const char *name,
                      int ncid_out, int varid_out);

`ncid_in'
     The netCDF ID of an input netCDF dataset from which the attribute
     will be copied, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid_in'
     ID of the variable in the input netCDF dataset from which the
     attribute will be copied, or NC_GLOBAL for a global attribute.

`name'
     Name of the attribute in the input netCDF dataset to be copied.

`ncid_out'
     The netCDF ID of the output netCDF dataset to which the attribute
     will be copied, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create. It is
     permissible for the input and output netCDF IDs to be the same. The
     output netCDF dataset should be in define mode if the attribute to
     be copied does not already exist for the target variable, or if it
     would cause an existing target attribute to grow.

`varid_out'
     ID of the variable in the output netCDF dataset to which the
     attribute will be copied, or NC_GLOBAL to copy to a global
     attribute.

Errors
======

nc_copy_att returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of
errors include:

   * The input or output variable ID is invalid for the specified netCDF
     dataset.

   * The specified attribute does not exist.

   * The output netCDF is not in define mode and the attribute is new
     for the output dataset is larger than the existing attribute.

   * The input or output netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF
     dataset.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_copy_att to copy the variable attribute
units from the variable rh in an existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc
to the variable avgrh in another existing netCDF dataset named bar.nc,
assuming that the variable avgrh already exists, but does not yet have
a units attribute:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  status;               /* error status */
     int  ncid1, ncid2;         /* netCDF IDs */
     int  rh_id, avgrh_id;      /* variable IDs */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, ncid1);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_open("bar.nc", NC_WRITE, ncid2);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid1, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid2, "avgrh", &avgrh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_redef(ncid2);  /* enter define mode */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     /* copy variable attribute from "rh" to "avgrh" */
     status = nc_copy_att(ncid1, rh_id, "units", ncid2, avgrh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_enddef(ncid2); /* leave define mode */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

7.6 Rename an Attribute: nc_rename_att
======================================

The function nc_rename_att changes the name of an attribute. If the new
name is longer than the original name, the netCDF dataset must be in
define mode. You cannot rename an attribute to have the same name as
another attribute of the same variable.

Usage
=====

     int nc_rename_att (int ncid, int varid, const char* name,
                        const char* newname);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create

`varid'
     ID of the attribute's variable, or NC_GLOBAL for a global attribute

`name'
     The current attribute name.

`newname'
     The new name to be assigned to the specified attribute. If the new
     name is longer than the current name, the netCDF dataset must be in
     define mode.

Errors
======

nc_rename_att returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred.
Otherwise, the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of
errors include:
   * The specified variable ID is not valid.

   * The new attribute name is already in use for another attribute of
     the specified variable.

   * The specified netCDF dataset is in data mode and the new name is
     longer than the old name.

   * The specified attribute does not exist.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_rename_att to rename the variable attribute
units to Units for a variable rh in an existing netCDF dataset named
foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  status;      /* error status */
     int  ncid;        /* netCDF ID */
     int  rh_id;       /* variable id */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_NOWRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     /* rename attribute */
     status = nc_rename_att(ncid, rh_id, "units", "Units");
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

7.7 Delete an Attribute: nc_del_att
===================================

The function nc_del_att deletes a netCDF attribute from an open netCDF
dataset. The netCDF dataset must be in define mode.

Usage
=====

int nc_del_att (int ncid, int varid, const char* name);

`ncid'
     NetCDF ID, from a previous call to nc_open or nc_create.

`varid'
     ID of the attribute's variable, or NC_GLOBAL for a global
     attribute.

`name'
     The name of the attribute to be deleted.

Errors
======

nc_del_att returns the value NC_NOERR if no errors occurred. Otherwise,
the returned status indicates an error. Possible causes of errors
include:

   * The specified variable ID is not valid.

   * The specified netCDF dataset is in data mode.

   * The specified attribute does not exist.

   * The specified netCDF ID does not refer to an open netCDF dataset.

Example
=======

Here is an example using nc_del_att to delete the variable attribute
Units for a variable rh in an existing netCDF dataset named foo.nc:

     #include <netcdf.h>
        ...
     int  status;      /* error status */
     int  ncid;        /* netCDF ID */
     int  rh_id;       /* variable ID */
        ...
     status = nc_open("foo.nc", NC_WRITE, &ncid);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     status = nc_inq_varid (ncid, "rh", &rh_id);
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
        ...
     /* delete attribute */
     status = nc_redef(ncid);        /* enter define mode */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_del_att(ncid, rh_id, "Units");
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);
     status = nc_enddef(ncid);       /* leave define mode */
     if (status != NC_NOERR) handle_error(status);

   Note: the following functions are also defined but deprecated, as
they are identical in arguments and behavior to the corresponding
functions with "uchar" substituted for "ubyte" in the function name.

     int nc_put_att_ubyte     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                               size_t len, const unsigned char *op);
     int nc_get_att_ubyte     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, unsigned char *ip);

Appendix A Summary of C Interface
*********************************

     const char* nc_inq_libvers (void);
     const char* nc_strerror    (int ncerr);

     int nc_create         (const char *path, int cmode, int *ncidp);
     int nc_open           (const char *path, int mode, int *ncidp);
     int nc_set_fill       (int ncid, int fillmode, int *old_modep);
     int nc_redef          (int ncid);
     int nc_enddef         (int ncid);
     int nc_sync           (int ncid);
     int nc_abort          (int ncid);
     int nc_close          (int ncid);
     int nc_inq            (int ncid, int *ndimsp, int *nvarsp,
                            int *ngattsp, int *unlimdimidp);
     int nc_inq_ndims      (int ncid, int *ndimsp);
     int nc_inq_nvars      (int ncid, int *nvarsp);
     int nc_inq_natts      (int ncid, int *ngattsp);
     int nc_inq_unlimdim   (int ncid, int *unlimdimidp);

     int nc_def_dim        (int ncid, const char *name, size_t len,
                            int *idp);
     int nc_inq_dimid      (int ncid, const char *name, int *idp);
     int nc_inq_dim        (int ncid, int dimid, char *name, size_t *lenp);
     int nc_inq_dimname    (int ncid, int dimid, char *name);
     int nc_inq_dimlen     (int ncid, int dimid, size_t *lenp);
     int nc_rename_dim     (int ncid, int dimid, const char *name);

     int nc_def_var        (int ncid, const char *name, nc_type xtype,
                            int ndims, const int *dimidsp, int *varidp);
     int nc_inq_var        (int ncid, int varid, char *name,
                            nc_type *xtypep, int *ndimsp, int *dimidsp,
                            int *nattsp);
     int nc_inq_varid      (int ncid, const char *name, int *varidp);
     int nc_inq_varname    (int ncid, int varid, char *name);
     int nc_inq_vartype    (int ncid, int varid, nc_type *xtypep);
     int nc_inq_varndims   (int ncid, int varid, int *ndimsp);
     int nc_inq_vardimid   (int ncid, int varid, int *dimidsp);
     int nc_inq_varnatts   (int ncid, int varid, int *nattsp);
     int nc_rename_var     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name);
     int nc_put_var_text   (int ncid, int varid, const char *op);
     int nc_get_var_text   (int ncid, int varid,       char *ip);
     int nc_put_var_uchar  (int ncid, int varid, const unsigned char *op);
     int nc_get_var_uchar  (int ncid, int varid,       unsigned char *ip);
     int nc_put_var_schar  (int ncid, int varid, const signed char *op);
     int nc_get_var_schar  (int ncid, int varid,       signed char *ip);
     int nc_put_var_short  (int ncid, int varid, const short *op);
     int nc_get_var_short  (int ncid, int varid,       short *ip);
     int nc_put_var_int    (int ncid, int varid, const int *op);
     int nc_get_var_int    (int ncid, int varid,       int *ip);
     int nc_put_var_long   (int ncid, int varid, const long *op);
     int nc_get_var_long   (int ncid, int varid,       long *ip);
     int nc_put_var_float  (int ncid, int varid, const float *op);
     int nc_get_var_float  (int ncid, int varid,       float *ip);
     int nc_put_var_double (int ncid, int varid, const double *op);
     int nc_get_var_double (int ncid, int varid,       double *ip);
     int nc_put_var1_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            const char *op);
     int nc_get_var1_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            char *ip);
     int nc_put_var1_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            const unsigned char *op);
     int nc_get_var1_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            unsigned char *ip);
     int nc_put_var1_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            const signed char *op);
     int nc_get_var1_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            signed char *ip);
     int nc_put_var1_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            const short *op);
     int nc_get_var1_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            short *ip);
     int nc_put_var1_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            const int *op);
     int nc_get_var1_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            int *ip);
     int nc_put_var1_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            const long *op);
     int nc_get_var1_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            long *ip);
     int nc_put_var1_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            const float *op);
     int nc_get_var1_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            float *ip);
     int nc_put_var1_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            const double *op);
     int nc_get_var1_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *indexp,
                            double *ip);
     int nc_put_vara_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const char *op);
     int nc_get_vara_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, char *ip);
     int nc_put_vara_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const unsigned char *op);
     int nc_get_vara_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, unsigned char *ip);
     int nc_put_vara_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const signed char *op);
     int nc_get_vara_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, signed char *ip);
     int nc_put_vara_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const short *op);
     int nc_get_vara_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, short *ip);
     int nc_put_vara_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const int *op);
     int nc_get_vara_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, int *ip);
     int nc_put_vara_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const long *op);
     int nc_get_vara_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, long *ip);
     int nc_put_vara_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const float *op);
     int nc_get_vara_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, float *ip);
     int nc_put_vara_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const double *op);
     int nc_get_vara_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, double *ip);
     int nc_put_vars_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const char *op);
     int nc_get_vars_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            char *ip);
     int nc_put_vars_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const unsigned char *op);
     int nc_get_vars_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            unsigned char *ip);
     int nc_put_vars_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const signed char *op);
     int nc_get_vars_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            signed char *ip);
     int nc_put_vars_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const short *op);
     int nc_get_vars_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            short *ip);
     int nc_put_vars_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const int *op);
     int nc_get_vars_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            int *ip);
     int nc_put_vars_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const long *op);
     int nc_get_vars_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            long *ip);
     int nc_put_vars_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const float *op);
     int nc_get_vars_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            float *ip);
     int nc_put_vars_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const double *op);
     int nc_get_vars_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            double *ip);
     int nc_put_varm_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, const char *op);
     int nc_get_varm_text  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, char *ip);
     int nc_put_varm_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, const unsigned char *op);
     int nc_get_varm_uchar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, unsigned char *ip);
     int nc_put_varm_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, const signed char *op);
     int nc_get_varm_schar (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, signed char *ip);
     int nc_put_varm_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, const short *op);
     int nc_get_varm_short (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, short *ip);
     int nc_put_varm_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, const int *op);
     int nc_get_varm_int   (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, int *ip);
     int nc_put_varm_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, const long *op);
     int nc_get_varm_long  (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, long *ip);
     int nc_put_varm_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, const float *op);
     int nc_get_varm_float (int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, float *ip);
     int nc_put_varm_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t *imapp, const double *op);
     int nc_get_varm_double(int ncid, int varid, const size_t *startp,
                            const size_t *countp, const ptrdiff_t *stridep,
                            const ptrdiff_t * imap, double *ip);

     int nc_inq_att        (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            nc_type *xtypep, size_t *lenp);
     int nc_inq_attid      (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, int *idp);
     int nc_inq_atttype    (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            nc_type *xtypep);
     int nc_inq_attlen     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            size_t *lenp);
     int nc_inq_attname    (int ncid, int varid, int attnum, char *name);
     int nc_copy_att       (int ncid_in, int varid_in, const char *name,
                            int ncid_out, int varid_out);
     int nc_rename_att     (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            const char *newname);
     int nc_del_att        (int ncid, int varid, const char *name);
     int nc_put_att_text   (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, size_t len,
                            const char *op);
     int nc_get_att_text   (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, char *ip);
     int nc_put_att_uchar  (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            nc_type xtype, size_t len, const unsigned char *op);
     int nc_get_att_uchar  (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            unsigned char *ip);
     int nc_put_att_schar  (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            nc_type xtype, size_t len, const signed char *op);
     int nc_get_att_schar  (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            signed char *ip);
     int nc_put_att_short  (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            nc_type xtype, size_t len, const short *op);
     int nc_get_att_short  (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, short *ip);
     int nc_put_att_int    (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            nc_type xtype,size_t len, const int *op);
     int nc_get_att_int    (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, int *ip);
     int nc_put_att_long   (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            nc_type xtype, size_t len, const long *op);
     int nc_get_att_long   (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, long *ip);
     int nc_put_att_float  (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                             nc_type xtype, size_t len, const float *op);
     int nc_get_att_float  (int ncid, int varid, const char *name, float *ip);
     int nc_put_att_double (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            nc_type xtype, size_t len, const double *op);
     int nc_get_att_double (int ncid, int varid, const char *name,
                            double *ip);

Appendix B NetCDF 3 to NetCDF 4 Transition Guide
************************************************

B.1 Introduction
================

The release of netCDF-4 represents a substantial increase in the
capabilities of the netCDF C and Fortran APIs.

   The netCDF-4.0 release (June, 2008) allows the use of the popular
HDF5 data format as a storage layer. The HDF5 format has many features,
and only a subset of them are exposed in the netCDF-4 API. This
represents a deliberate selection process by netCDF-4 developers to
choose the most useful features of the HDF5 model, while retaining the
simplicity of the netCDF APIs.

   Despite many new features, full backward compatibility is assured
(and extensively tested). Existing software and data files will
continue to work with netCDF-4.0, just as with previous releases of the
netCDF library.

   The use of netCDF-4 files allows the use of the expanded data model,
including user-defined types, groups, the new unsigned, 64-bit, and
string types.

   Using netCDF-4 files also allows the use of such features as
endianness control, per-variable data compression, chunking, parallel
I/O, and checksums. These features fit neatly within the classic netCDF
data model.

   Although the expanded data model offers many exciting new features,
we expect and encourage users to proceed with care - it also allows the
creation of needlessly, even horribly complex files. This would
decrease interoperability and increase the work of the poor programmers
trying to use the data file.

   There are many netCDF-4 features which fit comfortably within the
classic netCDF model. Existing programs can be very quickly converted
to use features such as compression, endianness control, and chunking.
This allows users to gain immediate performance pay off, with minimal
software development effort.

B.2 NetCDF-4 and HDF5
=====================

NetCDF-4 depends on HDF5 to deliver the new features of the expanded
data model, as well as the features required to support the classic
data model.

   NetCDF-4 users must have at least HDF5 version 1.8.1 (and at least
zlib-1.2.3) to use HDF5 with netCDF-4.0. If these packages are not
found when netCDF is built, then the netCDF library may still be built
(without the -enable-netcdf-4 option), but will not allow users to
create netCDF-4/HDF5 files, or use the expanded data model. Only
classic and 64-bit offset format netCDF files will be created or
readable. (*note Configure: (netcdf-install)Configure.).

   The HDF5 files created by netCDF-4 will be readable (and writable) by
any HDF5 application. However, netCDF-4.0 cannot read any HDF5 file,
only those created by netCDF-4.

B.3 Backward Compatibility
==========================

In the context of netCDF, backward compatibility has several meanings.

`Data Compatibility'
     NetCDF-4 provides backward compatibility for existing data. All
     netCDF data files remain readable and writable to the netCDF
     library. When a file is opened, the library detects the underlying
     format of the file; this is transparent to the programmer and user.

`Code Compatibility'
     NetCDF-4 provides backward compatibility for existing software.
     Programs using the 4.0 release can use it as a drop-in replacement
     for netCDF-3.x. Existing programs will continue to create netCDF
     classic or 64-bit offset files.

`Model Compatibility'
     NetCDF-4 introduces an expanded model of a netCDF data file
     (include such new elements as groups, user-defined types,
     multiple-unlimited dimensions, etc.) This expanded model is a
     super-set of the classic netCDF model. Everything that works in
     the classic model works in the expanded model as well. (The
     reverse is not true - code using the expanded data model will fail
     if run on classic model netCDF files.)


B.4 The Classic and the Expanded NetCDF Data Models
===================================================

The classic netCDF data model consists of variables, dimensions, and
attributes.

   The netCDF-4.0 release introduces an expanded data model, which
offers many new features. These features will only work on files which
have been created with the NC_NETCDF4 flag, and without the
NC_CLASSIC_MODEL flag (*note nc_create::).

`New Types'
     New data types are introduced: NC_UBYTE, NC_USHORT, NC_UINT,
     NC_INT64, NC_UINT64, and NC_STRING. These types many be used for
     attributes and variables. *Note nc_def_var::.

`Groups'
     NetCDF objects may now be organizes into a hierarchical set of
     groups. Groups are organized much line a UNIX file system, with
     each group capable of containing more groups.  Within each group a
     classic model netCDF "file" exists, with its own dimensions,
     variables, and attributes. *Note nc_def_grp::.

`User Defined Types'
     NetCDF-4 allows the user to define new data types, including a
     compound type (*note nc_def_compound::), a variable length array
     type (*note nc_def_vlen::), an enumerated type (*note
     nc_def_enum::), and an opaque type (*note nc_def_opaque::).

`Multiple Unlimited Dimensions'
     NetCDF-4/HDF5 data files may use multiple unlimited dimensions
     with a file, and even within a variable.


B.5 Using NetCDF-4.0 with the Classic and 64-bit Offset Formats
===============================================================

Prior to the 4.0 release, two underlying data formats were available
for the netCDF user, the classic, and the 64-bit offset format. (The
64-bit offset format was introduced in the 3.6.0 release, and allows
the use of larger variables and files).

   Software using netCDF, relinked against the netCDF-4.0 library, will
continue to work exactly as before. Since the default create mode in
nc_create is to create a classic format file, using unmodified netCDF-3
code with the netCDF-4 library will result in the exact same output - a
classic netCDF file or 64-bit offset file.

   When writing or reading classic and 64-bit offset files, the
netCDF-4.0 library relies on the core netCDF-3.x code.

B.6 Creating a NetCDF-4/HDF5 File
=================================

The extra features of netCDF-4 can only be accessed by adding the
NC_NETCDF4 flag to the create mode of nc_create. Files created with the
NC_NETCDF4 flag can have multiple unlimited dimensions, use the new
atomic types, use compound and opaque types, and take advantage of the
other features of netCDF-4. (*note nc_create::).

B.7 Using NetCDF-4.0 with the Classic Model
===========================================

By changing your nc_create call to create a netCDF-4/HDF5 file you gain
access to many new features - perhaps too many! Using groups or
user-defined types will make the file unreadable to existing netCDF
applications, until they are updated to handle the new netCDF-4 model.

   Using the NC_CLASSIC_MODEL flag with the NC_NETCDF4 flag tells the
library to create a netCDF-4/HDF5 file which must abide by the rules of
the classic netCDF data model. Such a file many not contain groups,
user defined types, multiple unlimited dimensions, etc.

   But a classic model file is guaranteed to be compatible with existing
netCDF software, once relinked to the netCDF 4.0 library.

   Some features of netCDF-4 are transparent to the user when the file
is read. For example, a netCDF-4/HDF5 file may contain compressed data.
When such a file is read, the decompression of the data takes place
transparently. This means that data may use the data compression
feature, and still conform to the classic netCDF data model, and thus
retain compatibility with existing netCDF software (*note
nc_def_var_deflate::). The same applies for control of endianness
(*note nc_def_var_endian::), chunking (*note nc_def_var_chunking::),
checksums (*note nc_def_var_fletcher32::), and parallel I/O, if
netCDF-4 was built on a system with the MPI libraries.

   To use these feature, change your nc_create calls to use the
NC_NETCDF4 and NC_CLASSIC_MODEL flags. Then call the appropriate
nc_dev_var_* function after the variable is defined, but before the
next call to nc_enddef.

B.8 Use of the Expanded Model Impacts Fortran Portability
=========================================================

Using expanded model features impacts portability for Fortran
programmers.

   Fortran compilers do not always agree as to how data should be laid
out in memory. This makes handling compound and variable length array
types compiler and platform dependant.

   (This is also true for C, but the clever HDF5 configuration has
solved this problem for C. Alas, not for Fortran.)

   Despite this, Fortran programs can take advantage of the new data
model. The portability challenge is no different from that which
Fortran programmers already deal with when doing data I/O.

B.9 The C++ API Does Not Handle Expanded Model in this Release
==============================================================

Unfortunately, the C++ API does not support the netCDF-4 expanded data
model. A new C++ API is being developed and may be built by adventurous
users using the -enable-cxx4 option to configure (*note Configure:
(netcdf-install)Configure.).

Appendix C NetCDF 2 to NetCDF 3 C Transition Guide
**************************************************

C.1 Overview of C interface changes
===================================

NetCDF version 3 includes a complete rewrite of the netCDF library. It
is about twice as fast as the previous version. The netCDF file format
is unchanged, so files written with version 3 can be read with version
2 code and vice versa.

   The core library is now written in ANSI C. For example, prototypes
are used throughout as well as const qualifiers where appropriate. You
must have an ANSI C compiler to compile this version.

   Rewriting the library offered an opportunity to implement improved C
and FORTRAN interfaces that provide some significant benefits:

   type safety, by eliminating the need to use generic void* pointers;

   automatic type conversions, by eliminating the undesirable coupling
between the language-independent external netCDF types (NC_BYTE, ...,
NC_DOUBLE) and language-dependent internal data types (char, ...,
double);

   support for future enhancements, by eliminating obstacles to the
clean addition of support for packed data and multithreading;

   more standard error behavior, by uniformly communicating an error
status back to the calling program in the return value of each function.

   It is not necessary to rewrite programs that use the version 2 C
interface, because the netCDF-3 library includes a backward
compatibility interface that supports all the old functions, globals,
and behavior. We are hoping that the benefits of the new interface will
be an incentive to use it in new netCDF applications. It is possible to
convert old applications to the new interface incrementally, replacing
netCDF-2 calls with the corresponding netCDF-3 calls one at a time. If
you want to check that only netCDF-3 calls are used in an application,
a preprocessor macro (NO_NETCDF_2) is available for that purpose.

   Other changes in the implementation of netCDF result in improved
portability, maintainability, and performance on most platforms. A
clean separation between I/O and type layers facilitates
platform-specific optimizations. The new library no longer uses a
vendor-provided XDR library, which simplifies linking programs that use
netCDF and speeds up data access significantly in most cases.

C.2 The New C Interface
=======================

First, here's an example of C code that uses the netCDF-2 interface:

     void *bufferp;
     nc_type xtype;
     ncvarinq(ncid, varid, ..., &xtype, ...
     ...
     /* allocate bufferp based on dimensions and type */
     ...
     if (ncvarget(ncid, varid, start, count, bufferp) == -1) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Can't get data, error code = %d\n",ncerr);
         /* deal with it */
         ...
     }
     switch(xtype) {
         /* deal with the data, according to type */
     ...
     case  NC_FLOAT:
         fanalyze((float *)bufferp);
         break;
     case NC_DOUBLE:
         danalyze((double *)bufferp);
         break;
     }

   Here's how you might handle this with the new netCDF-3 C interface:

     /*
      * I want to use doubles for my analysis.
      */
     double dbuf[NDOUBLES];
     int status;

     /* So, I use the function that gets the data as doubles. */
     status = nc_get_vara_double(ncid, varid, start, count, dbuf)
     if (status != NC_NOERR) {
        fprintf(stderr, "Can't get data: %s\n", nc_strerror(status));
         /* deal with it */
         ...
     }
     danalyze(dbuf);

   The example above illustrates changes in function names, data type
conversion, and error handling, discussed in detail in the sections
below.

C.3 Function Naming Conventions
===============================

The netCDF-3 C library employs a new naming convention, intended to
make netCDF programs more readable. For example, the name of the
function to rename a variable is now nc_rename_var instead of the
previous ncvarrename.

   All netCDF-3 C function names begin with the nc_ prefix. The second
part of the name is a verb, like get, put, inq (for inquire), or open.
The third part of the name is typically the object of the verb: for
example dim, var, or att for functions dealing with dimensions,
variables, or attributes. To distinguish the various I/O operations for
variables, a single character modifier is appended to var:

var
     entire variable access

var1
     single value access

vara
     array or array section access

vars
     strided access to a subsample of values

varm
     mapped access to values not contiguous in memory


   At the end of the name for variable and attribute functions, there is
a component indicating the type of the final argument: text, uchar,
schar, short, int, long, float, or double. This part of the function
name indicates the type of the data container you are using in your
program: character string, unsigned char, signed char, and so on.

   Also, all macro names in the public C interface begin with the prefix
NC_. For example, the macro which was formerly MAX_NC_NAME is now
NC_MAX_NAME, and the former FILL_FLOAT is now NC_FILL_FLOAT.

   As previously mentioned, all the old names are still supported for
backward compatibility.

C.4 Type Conversion
===================

With the new interface, users need not be aware of the external type of
numeric variables, since automatic conversion to or from any desired
numeric type is now available. You can use this feature to simplify
code, by making it independent of external types. The elimination of
void* pointers provides detection of type errors at compile time that
could not be detected with the previous interface. Programs may be made
more robust with the new interface, because they need not be changed to
accommodate a change to the external type of a variable.

   If conversion to or from an external numeric type is necessary, it is
handled by the library. This automatic conversion and separation of
external data representation from internal data types will become even
more important in netCDF version 4, when new external types will be
added for packed data for which there is no natural corresponding
internal type, for example, arrays of 11-bit values.

   Converting from one numeric type to another may result in an error if
the target type is not capable of representing the converted value. (In
netCDF-2, such overflows can only happen in the XDR layer.)  For
example, a float may not be able to hold data stored externally as an
NC_DOUBLE (an IEEE floating-point number). When accessing an array of
values, an NC_ERANGE error is returned if one or more values are out of
the range of representable values, but other values are converted
properly.

   Note that mere loss of precision in type conversion does not return
an error. Thus, if you read double precision values into an int, for
example, no error results unless the magnitude of the double precision
value exceeds the representable range of ints on your platform.
Similarly, if you read a large integer into a float incapable of
representing all the bits of the integer in its mantissa, this loss of
precision will not result in an error. If you want to avoid such
precision loss, check the external types of the variables you access to
make sure you use an internal type that has a compatible precision.

   The new interface distinguishes arrays of characters intended to
represent text strings from arrays of 8-bit bytes intended to represent
small integers. The interface supports the internal types text, uchar,
and schar, intended for text strings, unsigned byte values, and signed
byte values.

   The _uchar and _schar functions were introduced in netCDF-3 to
eliminate an ambiguity, and support both signed and unsigned byte data.
In netCDF-2, whether the external NC_BYTE type represented signed or
unsigned values was left up to the user. In netcdf-3, we treat NC_BYTE
as signed for the purposes of conversion to short, int, long, float, or
double. (Of course, no conversion takes place when the internal type is
signed char.) In the _uchar functions, we treat NC_BYTE as if it were
unsigned. Thus, no NC_ERANGE error can occur converting between NC_BYTE
and unsigned char.  The _uchar and _schar functions will behave
differently when writing data or attribute values to a larger type,
because the type conversion is from unsigned or signed to the larger
type, respectively.

C.5 Error handling
==================

The new interface handles errors differently than netCDF-2. In the old
interface, the default behavior when an error was detected was to print
an error message and exit. To get control of error handling, you had to
set flag bits in a global variable, ncopts, and to determine the cause
of an error, you had to test the value of another global variable ncerr.

   In the new interface, functions return an integer status that
indicates not only success or failure, but also the cause of the error.
The global variables ncerr and ncopt have been eliminated. The library
will never try to print anything, nor will it call exit (unless you are
using the netCDF version 2 compatibility functions). You will have to
check the function return status and do this yourself. We eliminated
these globals in the interest of supporting parallel (multiprocessor)
execution cleanly, as well as reducing the number of assumptions about
the environment where netCDF is used. The new behavior should provide
better support for using netCDF as a hidden layer in applications that
have their own GUI interface.

C.6 NC_LONG and NC_INT
======================

Where the netCDF-2 interface used NC_LONG to identify an external data
type corresponding to 32-bit integers, the new interface uses NC_INT
instead. NC_LONG is defined to have the same value as NC_INT for
backward compatibility, but it should not be used in new code. With new
64-bit platforms using long for 64-bit integers, we would like to
reduce the confusion caused by this name clash. Note that there is
still no netCDF external data type corresponding to 64-bit integers.

C.7 What's Missing?
===================

The new C interface omits three "record I/O" functions, ncrecput,
ncrecget, and ncrecinq, from the netCDF-2 interface, although these
functions are still supported via the netCDF-2 compatibility interface.

   This means you may have to replace one record-oriented call with
multiple type-specific calls, one for each record variable. For
example, a single call to ncrecput can always be replaced by multiple
calls to the appropriate nc_put_var functions, one call for each
variable accessed. The record-oriented functions were omitted, because
there is no simple way to provide type-safety and automatic type
conversion for such an interface.

   There is no function corresponding to the nctypelen function from the
version 2 interface. The separation of internal and external types and
the new type-conversion interfaces make nctypelen unnecessary. Since
users read into and write out of native types, the sizeof operator is
perfectly adequate to determine how much space to allocate for a value.

   In the previous library, there was no checking that the characters
used in the name of a netCDF object were compatible with CDL
restrictions. The ncdump and ncgen utilities now properly escape and
handle escaped special characters in names, so that all valid netCDF
names are representable in CDL.

C.8 Other Changes
=================

There are two new functions in netCDF-3 that don't correspond to any
netCDF-2 functions: nc_inq_libvers and nc_strerror. The version of the
netCDF library in use is returned as a string by nc_inq_libvers. An
error message corresponding to the status returned by a netCDF function
call is returned as a string by the nc_strerror function.

   A new NC_SHARE flag is available for use in an nc_open or nc_create
call, to suppress the default buffering of accesses. The use of
NC_SHARE for concurrent access to a netCDF dataset means you don't have
to call nc_sync after every access to make sure that disk updates are
synchronous. It is important to note that changes to ancillary data,
such as attribute values, are not propagated automatically by use of
the NC_SHARE flag. Use of the nc_sync function is still required for
this purpose.

   The version 2 interface had a single inquiry function, ncvarinq for
getting the name, type, and shape of a variable. Similarly, only a
single inquiry function was available for getting information about a
dimension, an attribute, or a netCDF dataset. When you only wanted a
subset of this information, you had to provide NULL arguments as
placeholders for the unneeded information. The new interface includes
additional inquire functions that return each item separately, so
errors are less likely from miscounting arguments.

   The previous implementation returned an error when 0-valued count
components were specified in ncvarput and ncvarget calls. This
restriction has been removed, so that now functions in the nc_put_var
and nc_get_var families may be called with 0-valued count components,
resulting in no data being accessed. Although this may seem useless, it
simplifies some programs to not treat 0-valued counts as a special case.

   The previous implementation returned an error when the same dimension
was used more than once in specifying the shape of a variable in
ncvardef. This restriction is relaxed in the netCDF-3 implementation,
because an auto-correlation matrix is a good example where using the
same dimension twice makes sense.

   In the new interface, units for the imap argument to the nc_put_varm
and nc_get_varm families of functions are now in terms of the number of
data elements of the desired internal type, not in terms of bytes as in
the netCDF version-2 mapped access interfaces.

   Following is a table of netCDF-2 function names and names of the
corresponding netCDF-3 functions. For parameter lists of netCDF-2
functions, see the netCDF-2 User's Guide.

`ncabort'
     nc_abort

`ncattcopy'
     nc_copy_att

`ncattdel'
     nc_del_att

`ncattget'
     nc_get_att_double, nc_get_att_float, nc_get_att_int,
     nc_get_att_long, nc_get_att_schar, nc_get_att_short,
     nc_get_att_text, nc_get_att_uchar

`ncattinq'
     nc_inq_att, nc_inq_attid, nc_inq_attlen, nc_inq_atttype

`ncattname'
     nc_inq_attname

`ncattput'
     nc_put_att_double, nc_put_att_float, nc_put_att_int,
     nc_put_att_long, nc_put_att_schar, nc_put_att_short,
     nc_put_att_text, nc_put_att_uchar

`ncattrename'
     nc_rename_att

`ncclose'
     nc_close

`nccreate'
     nc_create

`ncdimdef'
     nc_def_dim

`ncdimid'
     nc_inq_dimid

`ncdiminq'
     nc_inq_dim, nc_inq_dimlen, nc_inq_dimname

`ncdimrename'
     nc_rename_dim

`ncendef'
     nc_enddef

`ncinquire'
     nc_inq, nc_inq_natts, nc_inq_ndims, nc_inq_nvars, nc_inq_unlimdim

`ncopen'
     nc_open

`ncrecget'
     (none)

`ncrecinq'
     (none)

`ncrecput'
     (none)

`ncredef'
     nc_redef

`ncsetfill'
     nc_set_fill

`ncsync'
     nc_sync

`nctypelen'
     (none)

`ncvardef'
     nc_def_var

`ncvarget'
     nc_get_vara_double, nc_get_vara_float, nc_get_vara_int,
     nc_get_vara_long, nc_get_vara_schar, nc_get_vara_short,
     nc_get_vara_text, nc_get_vara_uchar

`ncvarget1'
     nc_get_var1_double, nc_get_var1_float, nc_get_var1_int,
     nc_get_var1_long, nc_get_var1_schar, nc_get_var1_short,
     nc_get_var1_text, nc_get_var1_uchar

`ncvargetg'
     nc_get_varm_double, nc_get_varm_float, nc_get_varm_int,
     nc_get_varm_long, nc_get_varm_schar, nc_get_varm_short,
     nc_get_varm_text, nc_get_varm_uchar, nc_get_vars_double,
     nc_get_vars_float, nc_get_vars_int, nc_get_vars_long,
     nc_get_vars_schar, nc_get_vars_short, nc_get_vars_text,
     nc_get_vars_uchar

`ncvarid'
     nc_inq_varid

`ncvarinq'
     nc_inq_var, nc_inq_vardimid, nc_inq_varname, nc_inq_varnatts,
     nc_inq_varndims, nc_inq_vartype

`ncvarput'
     nc_put_vara_double, nc_put_vara_float, nc_put_vara_int,
     nc_put_vara_long, nc_put_vara_schar, nc_put_vara_short,
     nc_put_vara_text, nc_put_vara_uchar

`ncvarput1'
     nc_put_var1_double, nc_put_var1_float, nc_put_var1_int,
     nc_put_var1_long, nc_put_var1_schar, nc_put_var1_short,
     nc_put_var1_text, nc_put_var1_uchar

`ncvarputg'
     nc_put_varm_double, nc_put_varm_float, nc_put_varm_int,
     nc_put_varm_long, nc_put_varm_schar, nc_put_varm_short,
     nc_put_varm_text, nc_put_varm_uchar, nc_put_vars_double,
     nc_put_vars_float, nc_put_vars_int, nc_put_vars_long,
     nc_put_vars_schar, nc_put_vars_short, nc_put_vars_text,
     nc_put_vars_uchar

`ncvarrename'
     nc_rename_var

`(none)'
     nc_inq_libvers

`(none)'
     nc_strerror


Appendix D NetCDF-3 Error Codes
*******************************

     #define NC_NOERR        0       /* No Error */

     #define NC_EBADID       (-33)   /* Not a netcdf id */
     #define NC_ENFILE       (-34)   /* Too many netcdfs open */
     #define NC_EEXIST       (-35)   /* netcdf file exists && NC_NOCLOBBER */
     #define NC_EINVAL       (-36)   /* Invalid Argument */
     #define NC_EPERM        (-37)   /* Write to read only */
     #define NC_ENOTINDEFINE (-38)   /* Operation not allowed in data mode */
     #define NC_EINDEFINE    (-39)   /* Operation not allowed in define mode */
     #define NC_EINVALCOORDS (-40)   /* Index exceeds dimension bound */
     #define NC_EMAXDIMS     (-41)   /* NC_MAX_DIMS exceeded */
     #define NC_ENAMEINUSE   (-42)   /* String match to name in use */
     #define NC_ENOTATT      (-43)   /* Attribute not found */
     #define NC_EMAXATTS     (-44)   /* NC_MAX_ATTRS exceeded */
     #define NC_EBADTYPE     (-45)   /* Not a netcdf data type */
     #define NC_EBADDIM      (-46)   /* Invalid dimension id or name */
     #define NC_EUNLIMPOS    (-47)   /* NC_UNLIMITED in the wrong index */
     #define NC_EMAXVARS     (-48)   /* NC_MAX_VARS exceeded */
     #define NC_ENOTVAR      (-49)   /* Variable not found */
     #define NC_EGLOBAL      (-50)   /* Action prohibited on NC_GLOBAL varid */
     #define NC_ENOTNC       (-51)   /* Not a netcdf file */
     #define NC_ESTS         (-52)   /* In Fortran, string too short */
     #define NC_EMAXNAME     (-53)   /* NC_MAX_NAME exceeded */
     #define NC_EUNLIMIT     (-54)   /* NC_UNLIMITED size already in use */
     #define NC_ENORECVARS   (-55)   /* nc_rec op when there are no record vars */
     #define NC_ECHAR        (-56)   /* Attempt to convert between text & numbers */
     #define NC_EEDGE        (-57)   /* Edge+start exceeds dimension bound */
     #define NC_ESTRIDE      (-58)   /* Illegal stride */
     #define NC_EBADNAME     (-59)   /* Attribute or variable name
                                              contains illegal characters */
     /* N.B. following must match value in ncx.h */
     #define NC_ERANGE       (-60)   /* Math result not representable */
     #define NC_ENOMEM       (-61)   /* Memory allocation (malloc) failure */

     #define NC_EVARSIZE     (-62)   /* One or more variable sizes violate
                                        format constraints */
     #define NC_EDIMSIZE     (-63)   /* Invalid dimension size */
     #define NC_ETRUNC       (-64)   /* File likely truncated or possibly corrupted */

Appendix E NetCDF-4 Error Codes
*******************************

NetCDF-4 uses all error codes from NetCDF-3 (*note NetCDF-3 Error
Codes::). The following additional error codes were added for new
errors unique to netCDF-4.

     #define NC_EHDFERR       (-101)
     #define NC_ECANTREAD     (-102)
     #define NC_ECANTWRITE    (-103)
     #define NC_ECANTCREATE   (-104)
     #define NC_EFILEMETA     (-105)
     #define NC_EDIMMETA      (-106)
     #define NC_EATTMETA      (-107)
     #define NC_EVARMETA      (-108)
     #define NC_ENOCOMPOUND   (-109)
     #define NC_EATTEXISTS    (-110)
     #define NC_ENOTNC4       (-111) /* Attempting netcdf-4 operation on netcdf-3 file. */
     #define NC_ESTRICTNC3    (-112) /* Attempting netcdf-4 operation on strict nc3 netcdf-4 file. */
     #define NC_EBADGRPID     (-113) /* Bad group id. Bad! */
     #define NC_EBADTYPEID    (-114) /* Bad type id. */
     #define NC_EBADFIELDID   (-115) /* Bad field id. */
     #define NC_EUNKNAME      (-116)

Appendix F DAP Error Codes
**************************

If the DAP client is enabled, then the following additional error codes
may occur.

     #define NC_EDAP         (-66)   /* Generic DAP error */
     #define NC_ECURL        (-67)   /* Generic libcurl error */
     #define NC_EIO          (-68)   /* Generic IO error */
     #define NC_ENODATA      (-69)   /* Attempt to access variable with no data */
     #define NC_EDAPSVC      (-70)   /* DAP Server side error */
     #define NC_EDAS         (-71)   /* Malformed or inaccessible DAS */
     #define NC_EDDS         (-72)   /* Malformed or inaccessible DDS */
     #define NC_EDATADDS     (-73)   /* Malformed or inaccessible DATADDS */
     #define NC_EDAPURL      (-74)   /* Malformed DAP URL */
     #define NC_EDAPCONSTRAINT (-75) /* Malformed DAP Constraint*/
     #define NC_EDAP         (-66)   /* Generic DAP error */
     #define NC_ECURL        (-67)   /* Generic libcurl error */
     #define NC_EIO          (-68)   /* Generic IO error */
     #define NC_ENODATA      (-69)   /* Attempt to access variable with no data */
     #define NC_EDAPSVC      (-70)   /* DAP Server side error */
     #define NC_EDAS         (-71)   /* Malformed or inaccessible DAS */
     #define NC_EDDS         (-72)   /* Malformed or inaccessible DDS */
     #define NC_EDATADDS     (-73)   /* Malformed or inaccessible DATADDS */
     #define NC_EDAPURL      (-74)   /* Malformed DAP URL */
     #define NC_EDAPCONSTRAINT (-75) /* Malformed DAP Constraint*/

7 Index
*******

abnormal termination:                          See 1.       (line    13)
aborting define mode:                          See 1.4.     (line   199)
aborting definitions:                          See 1.4.     (line   199)
adding attributes:                             See 1.4.     (line   199)
adding attributes using nc_redef:              See 2.11.    (line  1297)
adding dimensions:                             See 1.4.     (line   199)
adding dimensions using nc_redef:              See 2.11.    (line  1297)
adding variables:                              See 1.4.     (line   199)
adding variables using nc_redef:               See 2.11.    (line  1297)
API, C summary:                                See Appendix A.
                                                            (line  9497)
appending data to variable:                    See 6.1.     (line  5306)
array section, reading mapped:                 See 6.28.    (line  7760)
array section, reading subsampled:             See 6.29.    (line  7912)
array section, writing:                        See 6.23.    (line  6887)
array section, writing mapped:                 See 6.28.    (line  7760)
array section, writing subsampled:             See 6.29.    (line  7912)
array, writing mapped:                         See 6.25.    (line  7243)
attnum:                                        See 7.3.     (line  9083)
attnump:                                       See 7.3.     (line  9089)
attributes, adding:                            See 1.4.     (line   199)
attributes, array of strings:                  See 6.31.    (line  8341)
attributes, character string:                  See 6.31.1.  (line  8356)
attributes, copying:                           See 7.5.     (line  9262)
attributes, creating:                          See 7.2.     (line  8859)
attributes, deleting:                          See 7.7.     (line  9427)
attributes, deleting, introduction:            See 1.4.     (line   199)
attributes, finding length:                    See 7.3.     (line  9023)
attributes, getting information about:         See 7.3.     (line  9023)
attributes, ID:                                See 7.3.     (line  9023)
attributes, inquiring about:                   See 7.3.     (line  9023)
attributes, introduction:                      See 7.1.     (line  8816)
attributes, number of:                         See 2.15.    (line  1622)
attributes, operations on:                     See 7.1.     (line  8816)
attributes, reading:                           See 7.4.     (line  9144)
attributes, renaming:                          See 7.6.     (line  9358)
attributes, writing:                           See 7.2.     (line  8859)
backing out of definitions:                    See 2.17.    (line  1815)
backward compatibility with v2 API:            See Appendix C.
                                                            (line  9961)
big-endian:                                    See 6.17.    (line  6366)
bit lengths of data types:                     See 6.2.     (line  5360)
bit lengths of netcdf-3 data types:            See 6.3.     (line  5372)
bit lengths of netcdf-4 data types:            See 6.4.     (line  5396)
byte vs. char fill values:                     See 6.33.    (line  8548)
byte, zero:                                    See 6.31.1.  (line  8356)
C API summary:                                 See Appendix A.
                                                            (line  9497)
call sequence, typical:                        See 1.       (line    13)
canceling definitions:                         See 2.17.    (line  1815)
character-string data, writing:                See 6.31.1.  (line  8356)
checksum:                                      See 6.15.    (line  6254)
chunking:                                      See 6.6.     (line  5541)
code templates:                                See 1.       (line    13)
compiling with netCDF library:                 See 1.6.     (line   290)
compound types, overview:                      See 5.6.     (line  3586)
compression, setting parameters:               See 6.12.    (line  6057)
contiguous:                                    See 6.6.     (line  5541)
copying attributes:                            See 7.5.     (line  9262)
create flag, setting default:                  See 2.19.    (line  1982)
creating a dataset:                            See 1.       (line    13)
creating variables:                            See 6.5.     (line  5422)
DAP error codes:                               See Appendix F.
                                                            (line 10464)
datasets, overview:                            See 2.       (line   387)
deflate:                                       See 6.12.    (line  6057)
deleting attributes:                           See 7.7.     (line  9427)
dimensions, adding:                            See 1.4.     (line   199)
dimensions, number of:                         See 2.15.    (line  1622)
endianness:                                    See 6.17.    (line  6366)
entire variable, reading:                      See 6.27.    (line  7632)
entire variable, writing:                      See 6.22.    (line  6764)
enum type:                                     See 5.29.    (line  4858)
error codes:                                   See 2.3.     (line   564)
error codes, DAP:                              See Appendix F.
                                                            (line 10464)
error codes, netcdf-3:                         See Appendix D.
                                                            (line 10398)
error codes, netcdf-4:                         See Appendix E.
                                                            (line 10440)
error handling:                                See 1.5.     (line   267)
file name:                                     See 2.15.    (line  1622)
file path:                                     See 2.15.    (line  1622)
fill:                                          See 6.10.    (line  5908)
fill values:                                   See 6.33.    (line  8548)
fletcher32:                                    See 6.15.    (line  6254)
format version:                                See 2.15.    (line  1622)
groups, overview:                              See 3.       (line  2193)
handle_err:                                    See 2.3.     (line   564)
HDF5 chunk cache <1>:                          See 6.9.     (line  5839)
HDF5 chunk cache <2>:                          See 2.21.    (line  2135)
HDF5 chunk cache:                              See 2.20.    (line  2070)
HDF5 chunk cache, per-variable:                See 6.8.     (line  5768)
HDF5 errors, first create <1>:                 See 2.8.     (line  1044)
HDF5 errors, first create:                     See 2.5.     (line   633)
inquiring about attributes:                    See 7.3.     (line  9023)
inquiring about variables:                     See 6.19.    (line  6489)
interface descriptions:                        See 2.1.     (line   432)
length of attributes:                          See 7.3.     (line  9023)
lenp:                                          See 7.3.     (line  9073)
linking to netCDF library:                     See 1.6.     (line   290)
little-endian:                                 See 6.17.    (line  6366)
mapped array section, writing:                 See 6.30.    (line  8094)
mapped array, writing:                         See 6.25.    (line  7243)
name:                                          See 7.3.     (line  9060)
NC_64BIT_OFFSET <1>:                           See 2.6.     (line   797)
NC_64BIT_OFFSET:                               See 2.5.     (line   633)
nc__create:                                    See 2.6.     (line   797)
nc__create, example:                           See 2.6.     (line   797)
nc__create, flags:                             See 2.6.     (line   797)
nc__enddef:                                    See 2.13.    (line  1442)
nc__enddef, example:                           See 2.13.    (line  1442)
nc__open:                                      See 2.9.     (line  1137)
nc__open, example:                             See 2.9.     (line  1137)
nc_abort:                                      See 2.17.    (line  1815)
nc_abort, example:                             See 2.17.    (line  1815)
NC_CLOBBER <1>:                                See 2.7.     (line   961)
NC_CLOBBER <2>:                                See 2.6.     (line   797)
NC_CLOBBER:                                    See 2.5.     (line   633)
nc_close:                                      See 2.14.    (line  1558)
nc_close, example:                             See 2.14.    (line  1558)
nc_close, root group:                          See 2.14.    (line  1558)
nc_close, typical use:                         See 1.       (line    13)
nc_copy_att:                                   See 7.5.     (line  9262)
nc_copy_att, example:                          See 7.5.     (line  9262)
nc_copy_var:                                   See 6.35.    (line  8644)
nc_create:                                     See 2.5.     (line   633)
nc_create, example:                            See 2.5.     (line   633)
nc_create, flags:                              See 2.5.     (line   633)
nc_create, typical use:                        See 1.       (line    13)
nc_create_par:                                 See 2.7.     (line   961)
nc_create_par, example:                        See 2.7.     (line   961)
nc_create_par, flags:                          See 2.7.     (line   961)
nc_def_compound:                               See 5.7.     (line  3632)
nc_def_dim:                                    See 4.2.     (line  2936)
nc_def_dim, example:                           See 4.2.     (line  2936)
nc_def_dim, typical use <1>:                   See 1.4.     (line   199)
nc_def_dim, typical use:                       See 1.       (line    13)
nc_def_enum:                                   See 5.30.    (line  4864)
nc_def_grp:                                    See 3.11.    (line  2816)
nc_def_opaque:                                 See 5.27.    (line  4756)
nc_def_var:                                    See 6.5.     (line  5422)
nc_def_var, example:                           See 6.5.     (line  5422)
nc_def_var, typical use:                       See 1.       (line    13)
nc_def_var_chunking:                           See 6.6.     (line  5541)
nc_def_var_deflate:                            See 6.12.    (line  6057)
nc_def_var_endian:                             See 6.17.    (line  6366)
nc_def_var_fill:                               See 6.10.    (line  5908)
nc_def_var_fletcher32:                         See 6.15.    (line  6254)
nc_def_vlen <1>:                               See 5.23.    (line  4600)
nc_def_vlen:                                   See 5.22.    (line  4522)
nc_del_att:                                    See 7.7.     (line  9427)
nc_del_att, example:                           See 7.7.     (line  9427)
nc_enddef:                                     See 2.12.    (line  1373)
nc_enddef, example:                            See 2.12.    (line  1373)
nc_enddef, typical use:                        See 1.       (line    13)
nc_free_string:                                See 6.32.    (line  8505)
nc_free_vlen <1>:                              See 5.25.    (line  4705)
nc_free_vlen:                                  See 5.24.    (line  4659)
nc_get_att, typical use <1>:                   See 1.3.     (line   133)
nc_get_att, typical use:                       See 1.2.     (line    92)
nc_get_att_ type:                              See 7.4.     (line  9144)
nc_get_att_ type, example:                     See 7.4.     (line  9144)
nc_get_att_ubyte:                              See 7.7.     (line  9486)
nc_get_chunk_cache <1>:                        See 6.9.     (line  5839)
nc_get_chunk_cache:                            See 2.21.    (line  2135)
nc_get_var:                                    See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var, typical use <1>:                   See 1.3.     (line   133)
nc_get_var, typical use:                       See 1.2.     (line    92)
nc_get_var1:                                   See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_ type:                             See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_ type, example:                    See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_double:                            See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_float:                             See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_int:                               See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_long:                              See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_longlong:                          See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_schar:                             See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_short:                             See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_string:                            See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_text:                              See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_ubyte:                             See 6.37.    (line  8783)
nc_get_var1_uchar:                             See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_uint:                              See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_ulonglong:                         See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var1_ushort:                            See 6.26.    (line  7493)
nc_get_var_ type:                              See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_ type, example:                     See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_double:                             See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_float:                              See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_int:                                See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_long:                               See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_longlong:                           See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_schar:                              See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_short:                              See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_string:                             See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_text:                               See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_ubyte:                              See 6.37.    (line  8783)
nc_get_var_uchar:                              See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_uint:                               See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_ulonglong:                          See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_var_ushort:                             See 6.27.    (line  7632)
nc_get_vara:                                   See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_ type:                             See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_ type, example:                    See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_double:                            See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_float:                             See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_int:                               See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_long:                              See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_longlong:                          See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_schar:                             See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_short:                             See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_string:                            See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_text:                              See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_ubyte:                             See 6.37.    (line  8783)
nc_get_vara_uchar:                             See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_uint:                              See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_ulonglong:                         See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_vara_ushort:                            See 6.28.    (line  7760)
nc_get_varm:                                   See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_ type:                             See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_ type, example:                    See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_double:                            See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_float:                             See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_int:                               See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_long:                              See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_longlong:                          See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_schar:                             See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_short:                             See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_string:                            See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_text:                              See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_ubyte:                             See 6.37.    (line  8783)
nc_get_varm_uchar:                             See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_uint:                              See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_ulonglong:                         See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_varm_ushort:                            See 6.30.    (line  8094)
nc_get_vars:                                   See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_ type:                             See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_ type, example:                    See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_double:                            See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_float:                             See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_int:                               See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_long:                              See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_longlong:                          See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_schar:                             See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_short:                             See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_string:                            See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_text:                              See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_ubyte:                             See 6.37.    (line  8783)
nc_get_vars_uchar:                             See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_uint:                              See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_ulonglong:                         See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_get_vars_ushort:                            See 6.29.    (line  7912)
nc_inq Family:                                 See 2.15.    (line  1622)
nc_inq Family, example:                        See 2.15.    (line  1622)
nc_inq, typical use:                           See 1.3.     (line   133)
nc_inq_att Family:                             See 7.3.     (line  9023)
nc_inq_att Family, example:                    See 7.3.     (line  9023)
nc_inq_att, typical use:                       See 1.3.     (line   133)
nc_inq_compound:                               See 5.10.    (line  3935)
nc_inq_compound_field:                         See 5.14.    (line  4157)
nc_inq_compound_fielddim_sizes:                See 5.20.    (line  4439)
nc_inq_compound_fieldindex:                    See 5.16.    (line  4260)
nc_inq_compound_fieldname:                     See 5.15.    (line  4215)
nc_inq_compound_fieldndims:                    See 5.19.    (line  4390)
nc_inq_compound_fieldoffset:                   See 5.17.    (line  4302)
nc_inq_compound_fieldtype:                     See 5.18.    (line  4347)
nc_inq_compound_name:                          See 5.11.    (line  4040)
nc_inq_compound_nfields:                       See 5.13.    (line  4118)
nc_inq_compound_size:                          See 5.12.    (line  4080)
nc_inq_dim:                                    See 4.4.     (line  3060)
nc_inq_dim Family:                             See 4.4.     (line  3060)
nc_inq_dim Family, example:                    See 4.4.     (line  3060)
nc_inq_dim, typical use:                       See 1.3.     (line   133)
nc_inq_dimid <1>:                              See 4.4.     (line  3060)
nc_inq_dimid:                                  See 4.3.     (line  3005)
nc_inq_dimid, example:                         See 4.3.     (line  3005)
nc_inq_dimid, typical use:                     See 1.2.     (line    92)
nc_inq_dimids <1>:                             See 4.4.     (line  3060)
nc_inq_dimids:                                 See 3.4.     (line  2405)
nc_inq_dimlen:                                 See 4.4.     (line  3060)
nc_inq_dimname:                                See 4.4.     (line  3060)
nc_inq_enum:                                   See 5.32.    (line  5081)
nc_inq_enum_ident:                             See 5.34.    (line  5257)
nc_inq_enum_member:                            See 5.33.    (line  5171)
nc_inq_format:                                 See 2.15.    (line  1622)
nc_inq_grp_parent <1>:                         See 3.10.    (line  2756)
nc_inq_grp_parent <2>:                         See 3.9.     (line  2695)
nc_inq_grp_parent:                             See 3.8.     (line  2639)
nc_inq_grpname:                                See 3.5.     (line  2467)
nc_inq_grpname_full:                           See 3.6.     (line  2522)
nc_inq_grpname_len:                            See 3.7.     (line  2585)
nc_inq_grps:                                   See 3.2.     (line  2281)
nc_inq_libvers:                                See 2.4.     (line   606)
nc_inq_libvers, example:                       See 2.4.     (line   606)
nc_inq_natts:                                  See 2.15.    (line  1622)
nc_inq_ncid:                                   See 3.1.     (line  2223)
nc_inq_ndims:                                  See 2.15.    (line  1622)
nc_inq_nvars:                                  See 2.15.    (line  1622)
nc_inq_opaque:                                 See 5.28.    (line  4807)
nc_inq_path:                                   See 2.15.    (line  1622)
nc_inq_type:                                   See 5.4.     (line  3425)
nc_inq_typeid:                                 See 5.3.     (line  3357)
nc_inq_typeids:                                See 5.2.     (line  3314)
nc_inq_unlimdim:                               See 2.15.    (line  1622)
nc_inq_unlimdims:                              See 4.6.     (line  3203)
nc_inq_user_type:                              See 5.5.     (line  3513)
nc_inq_var:                                    See 6.20.    (line  6537)
nc_inq_var, example:                           See 6.20.    (line  6537)
nc_inq_var, typical use:                       See 1.3.     (line   133)
nc_inq_var_chunking:                           See 6.7.     (line  5681)
nc_inq_var_deflate:                            See 6.13.    (line  6135)
nc_inq_var_endian:                             See 6.18.    (line  6439)
nc_inq_var_fill:                               See 6.11.    (line  5992)
nc_inq_var_fletcher32:                         See 6.16.    (line  6318)
nc_inq_var_szip:                               See 6.14.    (line  6194)
nc_inq_varid:                                  See 6.19.    (line  6489)
nc_inq_varid, example:                         See 6.19.    (line  6489)
nc_inq_varid, typical use:                     See 1.2.     (line    92)
nc_inq_varids:                                 See 3.3.     (line  2347)
nc_inq_varname:                                See 6.20.    (line  6537)
nc_inq_varnatts:                               See 6.20.    (line  6537)
nc_inq_varndims:                               See 6.20.    (line  6537)
nc_inq_vartype:                                See 6.20.    (line  6537)
nc_insert_array_compound:                      See 5.9.     (line  3792)
nc_insert_compound:                            See 5.8.     (line  3724)
nc_insert_enum:                                See 5.31.    (line  5000)
NC_MPIIO:                                      See 2.7.     (line   961)
NC_MPIPOSIX:                                   See 2.7.     (line   961)
NC_NETCDF4:                                    See 2.10.    (line  1222)
NC_NOCLOBBER <1>:                              See 2.7.     (line   961)
NC_NOCLOBBER <2>:                              See 2.6.     (line   797)
NC_NOCLOBBER:                                  See 2.5.     (line   633)
NC_NOWRITE <1>:                                See 2.10.    (line  1222)
NC_NOWRITE <2>:                                See 2.9.     (line  1137)
NC_NOWRITE:                                    See 2.8.     (line  1044)
nc_open:                                       See 2.8.     (line  1044)
nc_open, example:                              See 2.8.     (line  1044)
nc_open_par:                                   See 2.10.    (line  1222)
nc_put_att, typical use <1>:                   See 1.4.     (line   199)
nc_put_att, typical use:                       See 1.       (line    13)
nc_put_att_ type:                              See 7.2.     (line  8859)
nc_put_att_ type, example:                     See 7.2.     (line  8859)
nc_put_att_ubyte:                              See 7.7.     (line  9486)
nc_put_var:                                    See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var, typical use:                       See 1.       (line    13)
nc_put_var1:                                   See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_ type:                             See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_ type, example:                    See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_double:                            See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_float:                             See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_int:                               See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_long:                              See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_longlong:                          See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_schar:                             See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_short:                             See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_string:                            See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_text:                              See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_ubyte:                             See 6.37.    (line  8783)
nc_put_var1_uchar:                             See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_uint:                              See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_ulonglong:                         See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var1_ushort:                            See 6.21.    (line  6637)
nc_put_var_ type:                              See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_ type, example:                     See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_double:                             See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_float:                              See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_int:                                See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_long:                               See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_longlong:                           See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_schar:                              See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_short:                              See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_string:                             See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_text:                               See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_ubyte:                              See 6.37.    (line  8783)
nc_put_var_uchar:                              See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_uint:                               See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_ulonglong:                          See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_var_ushort:                             See 6.22.    (line  6764)
nc_put_vara:                                   See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_ type:                             See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_ type, example:                    See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_double:                            See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_float:                             See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_int:                               See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_long:                              See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_longlong:                          See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_schar:                             See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_short:                             See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_string:                            See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_text:                              See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_ubyte:                             See 6.37.    (line  8783)
nc_put_vara_uchar:                             See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_uint:                              See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_ulonglong:                         See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_vara_ushort:                            See 6.23.    (line  6887)
nc_put_varm:                                   See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_ type:                             See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_ type, example:                    See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_double:                            See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_float:                             See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_int:                               See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_long:                              See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_longlong:                          See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_schar:                             See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_short:                             See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_string:                            See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_text:                              See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_ubyte:                             See 6.37.    (line  8783)
nc_put_varm_uchar:                             See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_uint:                              See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_ulonglong:                         See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_varm_ushort:                            See 6.25.    (line  7243)
nc_put_vars:                                   See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_ type:                             See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_ type, example:                    See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_double:                            See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_float:                             See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_int:                               See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_long:                              See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_longlong:                          See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_schar:                             See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_short:                             See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_string:                            See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_text:                              See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_ubyte:                             See 6.37.    (line  8783)
nc_put_vars_uchar:                             See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_uint:                              See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_ulonglong:                         See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_put_vars_ushort:                            See 6.24.    (line  7057)
nc_redef:                                      See 2.11.    (line  1297)
nc_redef, example:                             See 2.11.    (line  1297)
nc_redef, typical use:                         See 1.4.     (line   199)
nc_rename_att:                                 See 7.6.     (line  9358)
nc_rename_att, example:                        See 7.6.     (line  9358)
nc_rename_dim:                                 See 4.5.     (line  3137)
nc_rename_dim, example:                        See 4.5.     (line  3137)
nc_rename_var:                                 See 6.34.    (line  8590)
nc_rename_var, example:                        See 6.34.    (line  8590)
nc_set_chunk_cache:                            See 2.20.    (line  2070)
nc_set_default_format:                         See 2.19.    (line  1982)
nc_set_default_format, example:                See 2.19.    (line  1982)
nc_set_fill:                                   See 2.18.    (line  1869)
nc_set_fill, example:                          See 2.18.    (line  1869)
nc_set_var_chunk_cache:                        See 6.8.     (line  5768)
NC_SHARE <1>:                                  See 2.6.     (line   797)
NC_SHARE <2>:                                  See 2.5.     (line   633)
NC_SHARE:                                      See 1.4.     (line   199)
NC_SHARE, and buffering:                       See 1.       (line    13)
NC_SHARE, in nc__open:                         See 2.9.     (line  1137)
NC_SHARE, in nc_open:                          See 2.8.     (line  1044)
nc_strerror:                                   See 2.3.     (line   564)
nc_strerror, example:                          See 2.3.     (line   564)
nc_strerror, introduction:                     See 1.5.     (line   267)
NC_STRING, freeing:                            See 6.32.    (line  8505)
NC_STRING, using:                              See 6.31.2.  (line  8446)
nc_sync:                                       See 2.16.    (line  1717)
nc_sync, example:                              See 2.16.    (line  1717)
nc_var_par_access:                             See 6.36.    (line  8697)
nc_var_par_access, example:                    See 6.36.    (line  8697)
NC_WRITE <1>:                                  See 2.10.    (line  1222)
NC_WRITE <2>:                                  See 2.9.     (line  1137)
NC_WRITE:                                      See 2.8.     (line  1044)
ncid:                                          See 7.3.     (line  9053)
netCDF 2 transition guide:                     See Appendix C.
                                                            (line  9961)
netCDF library version:                        See 2.4.     (line   606)
netcdf-3 error codes:                          See Appendix D.
                                                            (line 10398)
netcdf-4 error codes:                          See Appendix E.
                                                            (line 10440)
opaque type:                                   See 5.26.    (line  4741)
parallel access:                               See 2.2.     (line   455)
parallel example:                              See 2.2.     (line   455)
path:                                          See 2.15.    (line  1622)
reading attributes:                            See 7.4.     (line  9144)
reading entire variable:                       See 6.27.    (line  7632)
reading netCDF dataset with known names:       See 1.2.     (line    92)
reading netCDF dataset with unknown names:     See 1.3.     (line   133)
reading single value:                          See 6.26.    (line  7493)
renaming attributes:                           See 7.6.     (line  9358)
renaming variable:                             See 6.34.    (line  8590)
single value, reading:                         See 6.26.    (line  7493)
string arrays:                                 See 6.31.    (line  8341)
strings in classic model:                      See 6.31.1.  (line  8356)
subsampled array, writing:                     See 6.24.    (line  7057)
templates, code:                               See 1.       (line    13)
transition guide, netCDF 2:                    See Appendix C.
                                                            (line  9961)
URL:                                           See 2.15.    (line  1622)
user defined types:                            See 5.       (line  3274)
user defined types, overview:                  See 5.1.     (line  3277)
variable length array type, overview:          See 5.       (line  3274)
variable length arrays:                        See 5.21.    (line  4488)
variable, copying:                             See 6.35.    (line  8644)
variable, renaming:                            See 6.34.    (line  8590)
variable, writing entire:                      See 6.22.    (line  6764)
variables, adding:                             See 1.4.     (line   199)
variables, checksum:                           See 6.15.    (line  6254)
variables, chunking:                           See 6.6.     (line  5541)
variables, contiguous:                         See 6.6.     (line  5541)
variables, creating:                           See 6.5.     (line  5422)
variables, endian:                             See 6.17.    (line  6366)
variables, fill:                               See 6.10.    (line  5908)
variables, fletcher32:                         See 6.15.    (line  6254)
variables, getting name:                       See 6.20.    (line  6537)
variables, inquiring about:                    See 6.19.    (line  6489)
variables, number of:                          See 2.15.    (line  1622)
variables, setting deflate:                    See 6.12.    (line  6057)
varid:                                         See 7.3.     (line  9056)
version of netCDF, discovering:                See 2.4.     (line   606)
version, format:                               See 2.15.    (line  1622)
VLEN:                                          See 5.21.    (line  4488)
VLEN, defining <1>:                            See 5.25.    (line  4705)
VLEN, defining <2>:                            See 5.24.    (line  4659)
VLEN, defining <3>:                            See 5.23.    (line  4600)
VLEN, defining:                                See 5.22.    (line  4522)
write errors:                                  See 1.5.     (line   267)
write fill mode, setting:                      See 2.18.    (line  1869)
writing array section:                         See 6.23.    (line  6887)
writing attributes:                            See 7.2.     (line  8859)
writing character-string data:                 See 6.31.1.  (line  8356)
writing entire variable:                       See 6.22.    (line  6764)
writing mapped array:                          See 6.25.    (line  7243)
writing mapped array section:                  See 6.30.    (line  8094)
writing single value:                          See 6.21.    (line  6637)
writing subsampled array:                      See 6.24.    (line  7057)
XDR library:                                   See Appendix C.
                                                            (line  9961)
xtypep:                                        See 7.3.     (line  9064)
zero byte:                                     See 6.31.1.  (line  8356)
zero length edge:                              See Appendix C.
                                                            (line  9961)
zero valued count vector:                      See Appendix C.
                                                            (line  9961)
