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[netCDF #FAU-694703]: Attribute available characters

Hi Uli,

> Package Version: 4.1.1
> Operating System: Linux
> Hardware:
> Description of problem: Dear unidata helper,
> 
> i'm struggling:
> % NCDF_ATTRENAME: Attribute rename failed. (NC_ERROR=-59)
> which in this case is support to fill the attribute with:
> "gapfilled VPDday (see ""_f"" description in 
> http://www.bgc-jena.mpg.de/~MDIwork/eddyproc/output.php)"         102
> 
> can you tell me which characters are not allowed for use in variable and 
> attribute names and content.

Any characters are allowed in attribute content, if the attribute is of type 
array of char, or of type
string in the case of netCDF-4.  See name rules for netCDF here:

  http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/docs/object_name.html

For attribute names, it depends on how you intend to use the data.  The netCDF 
library permits any
characters except "/" in attribute names.  However, if the netCDF data is 
supposed to be compliant
with some set of conventions, such as the Climate and Forecast (CF) metadata 
conventions, then the
allowable names are more restricted.  See for example:

  http://cf-pcmdi.llnl.gov/documents/cf-conventions/1.6/ch02s03.html

Other software may have different restrictions.  For example, you are using 
IDL, and it may have 
restrictions on names required by IDL syntax rules.

--Russ

Russ Rew                                         UCAR Unidata Program
address@hidden                      http://www.unidata.ucar.edu



Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: FAU-694703
Department: Support netCDF
Priority: Normal
Status: Closed