2012 Unidata NetCDF Workshop > The NetCDF Classic Data Model
5.1 Dimensions
Dimensions are used to specify variable shapes, common grids, and coordinate systems.
A dimension has a name and a length. Dimensions are used to define the shape of one or
more variables in a netCDF file.
- Dimensions may be shared among
variables, indicating a common grid.
- Dimensions may be associated with coordinate variables to
identify coordinate axes.
- In the classic netCDF data model, at most one dimension can have
the unlimited length, which means variables can grow along that
dimension.
- Record dimension is another term for an unlimited
dimension.
Operations
Operations supported on dimensions include:
- Create a dimension, given its name and length.
- Get a dimension from its name.
- Get the unlimited dimension, if any.
- Get a dimension's name.
- Get a dimension's length.
- Rename a dimension.
2012 Unidata NetCDF Workshop > The NetCDF Classic Data Model
