A problem with size 0 dimensions is when you want to know how much data
you have got. When all dimensions are greater than or equal to 1, you
can simply multiply all the dimension lengths together in order to
determine how much memory etc that will need to be allocated. With size
0 dimensions it will be necessary to have an if statement to check if
the dimension length is 0 or not. Existing code would likely break if 0
length dimensions were introduced.
What applications could benefit from 0 length dimensions?
Tim Hume
Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-netcdfgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:owner-netcdfgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Harvey.Davies@xxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, 16 August 2005 2:48 p.m.
To: netcdfgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Dimensions with size 0
Netcdf-3 does not allow dimensions (apart from unlimited dimension) to
have a size of 0 (although I recall a decision at a netcdf-3 design
meeting in 1996 to allow size 0).
It is probably not worthwhile fixing this in netcdf-3, given the
immanent change to netcdf-4. Does netcdf-4 allow dimensions with size
0? If not, then I urge the developers to allow them.
Things like empty strings and empty sets are useful. Zero is one of
man's great inventions!
Harvey Davies
CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research
