You can download .cdl and .nc files mentioned in this session to use for trying examples.

Example: mslp.cdl representing the netCDF data in mslp.nc

netcdf mslp {  // example for workshop
dimensions:
	lat = 6 ;
	lon = 4 ;
	time = UNLIMITED ;      // currently 2
variables:
	float lat(lat) ;
		lat:units = "degrees_north" ;
	float lon(lon) ;
		lon:units = "degrees_east" ;
        double time(time) ;
                time:units = "seconds since 2009-01-01" ;
	float pr(time, lat, lon) ;
                pr:standard_name = "air_pressure_at_sea_level" ;
		pr:units = "hPa" ;
     :title="example for workshop";
data:

 lat = 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 ;
 lon = -125, -110, -95, -80 ;
 time = 7776000, 15552000 ;
 pr =
  900.5, 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 906, 907, 908, 909, 910, 911,
  912, 913, 914, 915, 916, 917, 918, 919, 920, 921, 922, 923,
  972, 973, 974, 975, 976, 977, 978, 979, 980, 981, 982, 983,
  984, 985, 986, 987, 988, 989, 990, 991, 992, 993, 994, 995 ;
}

CDL syntax

• 3 sections:
  • dimensions: names and lengths
  • variables: types, names, shapes, and attributes
  • data: variable data
• ";" terminates CDL statements
• "//" starts comments
• Variables associated with attributes using ":"
• Attribute types may be indicated implicitly
• Data order: last variable index varies fastest (row order)

2011 Unidata NetCDF Workshop > NetCDF Utilities