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For example, it is possible to use a variable attribute to name an associated index variable: the variable attribute `array_index_var = "v_index"' might provide the name of another associated variable to be used as an index for fast retrieval by value in the variable to which the attribute is attached.
As another example, netCDF variables may be grouped within a netCDF file by defining attributes that list the names of the variables in each group, separated by a conventional delimiter such as a space or comma. A convention can be adopted to use particular sorts of attribute names for such groupings, so that an arbitrary number of named groups of variables can be supported. If needed, a particular conventional attribute for each variable might list the names of the groups of which it is a member. Use of attributes or variables that refer to other attributes or variables provides a flexible mechanism for representing complex structures in netCDF files.
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