[Esip-documentation] HDF4 Mapper

[Ted Habermann]

Hello all,

When I started working at HDF last spring I was reminded of the interesting and important work that was done creating XML maps from HDF4 files. This work was motivated by a clear need to ensure future access to the data stored in HDF4.

As you all know, I am interested in the general approach of extracting information in XML and making it useful for current users. The HDF4 map XML is currently the only XML representation available for HDF4 files. The obvious question for me was - how can we use this for current users?

The first step in our exploration of making this available was to connect the HDF4MapWriter to a THREDDS Server. We worked with Unidata to make this happen and we now have a demo available at http://eosdap.hdfgroup.uiuc.edu:8887/thredds/catalog/mnt/ftp/pub/outgoing/NASAHDF/catalog.html.

This is the THREDDS directory of HDF4 samples we have at HDF and when you click on a file, you see a set of services available for that file. The list includes classic THREDDS data and metadata services and the experimental H4MAP service. Clicking the H4MAP link creates the map and returns it to the user.

I wanted to share this result with you as the "brain trust" behind the mapping project and innovative documentation ideas. Over the next few months (maybe at AGU and ESIP) I would like to pick that brain trust for ideas... I have a few:

1) provide another link in the service chain that styles the Map XML into HTML that is easily understood by users.
2) provide another link in the chain that styles the Map XML into ISO 19115-1 metadata (I have made some progress on that)
3) evolve the metadata completeness rubric  (the UDDC link) to quantify HDF-EOS completeness and facilitate metadata improvement.
4) The URL for the map is essentially a restful service that returns the map xml. Perhaps we could use this service on a series of granules to extract useful metadata time series for data discovery...

Hopefully these ideas will start some kettles simmering!

Thanks for your help and attention,
Ted

==== Ted Habermann ===========================
   Director of Earth Science, The HDF Group
   Voice: (217) 531-4202
   Email: thabermann at hdfgroup.org<mailto:thabermann at hdfgroup.org>
==== HDF: Software that Powers Science ============

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