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We continue to use netCDF for Unidata system software and applications. We have begun to use netCDF interfaces for earth-referenced image-analysis software, as well as for the output of decoders for a wide variety of meteorological and oceanographic data.
We have recently released a preliminary set of netCDF operators that we hope will eventually be completed to provide an algebra of useful operations on generic scientific data stored in netCDF files. The complete set of operators includes selectors to extract subsets of variables or reduce the dimensionality of a netCDF file; combiners to merge netCDF files, combine variables, or increase dimensionality; graphics generators to read netCDF files and produce graphical output; mathematical operators; and specialized data converters to convert units, convert to or from standard archive forms, or to convert to a canonical form for comparison. By composing these fundamental operators, users would have a wide variety of capabilities.
We have submitted a proposal for resources to extend the netCDF library in an upward-compatible way to support netCDF servers on a network. With netCDF servers, clients could access cross-sections of data efficiently, as if they were stored in a local file. A netCDF server would also have the ability to support virtual netCDF objects that provide different views of large or remote data sets. Servers might also be capable of providing a transparent netCDF interface to non-netCDF archives.
Other desirable extensions that we would like to see added to netCDF
include an interface for record access by key or coordinate value,
transparent data packing by use of three new reserved attributes
(_Nbits, _Scale, and _Offset), support for pointers
to data cross-sections in other files (what Joe Fahle calls
"assemblies"), better string support, and a well-tested C++ interface.
Some of these extensions may be included in future releases.
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