[Esip-documentation] how to describe flag_values, flag_meanings in netCDF

Fri May 23 14:51:33 EDT 2014

I see what you mean now. You are correct.

No quotes. No string. Attribute flag_masks is similar.

  - ed

On May 23, 2014, at 11:17 AM, "Bob Simons - NOAA Federal" <bob.simons at noaa.gov<mailto:bob.simons at noaa.gov>> wrote:

On 2014-05-23 11:01 AM, Armstrong, Edward M (398M) wrote:
HI Bob,

A byte array in a metadata attribute ?? That does not make sense, or I’m not understudying you.  Let’s both check the CF documentation.
I think so.
The documentation says "The flag_values attribute is the same type as the variable to which it is attached, and contains a list of the possible flag values."
Hence a list of (e.g.,) bytes, not a comma-separated String.
And note that the example is

current_speed_qc:flag_values = 0b, 1b, 2b ;

not

current_speed_qc:flag_values = "0b, 1b, 2b" ;
(if it were a String)

---
And note that the netcdf-java documentation for class Attribute lists among the constructors
Attribute<https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/thredds/current/netcdf-java/v4.3/javadocAll/ucar/nc2/Attribute.html#Attribute%28java.lang.String,%20java.util.List%29>(java.lang.String name, java.util.List values)
"Construct attribute with list of String or Number values."
See https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/thredds/current/netcdf-java/v4.3/javadocAll/ucar/nc2/Attribute.html

On May 23, 2014, at 10:32 AM, Bob Simons - NOAA Federal via Esip-documentation <esip-documentation at lists.esipfed.org<mailto:esip-documentation at lists.esipfed.org>> wrote:

On 2014-05-23 10:26 AM, Armstrong, Edward M (398M) wrote:
Looks good to me.

The flag_values is of the same “type” as the variables so you often see (if this were a byte array)
Assuming the flag variable uses data type = bytes,
flag_values needs to be an actual byte array, not just a String that looks like it.
I don't know what library/system you are working with, so I'm not sure how you will specify that.

   <attribute name="flag_values" value="0b, 1b, 2b”/>

On May 23, 2014, at 10:18 AM, Anna Milan - NOAA Federal via Esip-documentation <esip-documentation at lists.esipfed.org<mailto:esip-documentation at lists.esipfed.org>> wrote:

Update - added commas b/t flag_values

    <attribute name="flag_values" value="0, 1, 2"/>
    <attribute name="flag_meanings" value="One_or_more_measurements_are_backfilled_from_the_spacecraft_recorder Packet_time_is_in_the_future Packet_time_is_older_than_the_threshold"/>

Anna
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Anna.Milan at noaa.gov<mailto:Anna.Milan at noaa.gov>, 303-497-5099
NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/metadata/emma
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 11:17 AM, Anna Milan - NOAA Federal <anna.milan at noaa.gov<mailto:anna.milan at noaa.gov>> wrote:
Ok.
Thanks for all of your feedback! Does this look more compliant?

<attribute name="flag_values" value="0 1 2"/>
    <attribute name="flag_meanings" value="One_or_more_measurements_are_backfilled_from_the_spacecraft_recorder Packet_time_is_in_the_future Packet_time_is_older_than_the_threshold"/>

Anna
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Anna.Milan at noaa.gov<mailto:Anna.Milan at noaa.gov>, 303-497-5099<tel:303-497-5099>
NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/metadata/emma
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

On Fri, May 23, 2014 at 11:09 AM, Bob Simons - NOAA Federal via Esip-documentation <esip-documentation at lists.esipfed.org<mailto:esip-documentation at lists.esipfed.org>> wrote:

On 2014-05-23 9:45 AM, Anna Milan - NOAA Federal via Esip-documentation wrote:
Howdy All,
Is this the most appropriate way to describe flag_values, flag_meanings?

  <attribute name="flag_values" value="0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7"/>
    <attribute name="flag_meanings" value="One or more measurements are back filled from the spacecraft recorder, Packet time is in the future, Packet time is older than the threshold"/>

Not exactly.
The flag_values (and the flag variable) are usually an array of bytes, not a comma separated string.
The flag_meanings need to be something like "One_or_more_measurements_are_back_filled_from_the_spacecraft_recorder Packet_time_is_in_the_future Packet_time_is_older_than_the_threshold".
The number of flag_values must equal the number of flag_meanings.

Those are terms from the CF standard. See http://cfconventions.org/1.6.html#flags for details.

It might be better to direct future questions about them to the CF mailing list.

Thanks in advance....
Anna
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Anna.Milan at noaa.gov<mailto:Anna.Milan at noaa.gov>, 303-497-5099<tel:303-497-5099>
NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/metadata/emma
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

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--
Sincerely,

Bob Simons
IT Specialist
Environmental Research Division
NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center
1352 Lighthouse Ave
Pacific Grove, CA 93950-2079
Phone: (831)658-3205<tel:%28831%29658-3205>
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-ed

Ed Armstrong
JPL Physical Oceanography DAAC
818 519-7607

--
Sincerely,

Bob Simons
IT Specialist
Environmental Research Division
NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center
1352 Lighthouse Ave
Pacific Grove, CA 93950-2079
Phone: (831)658-3205
Fax: (831)648-8440
Email: bob.simons at noaa.gov<mailto:bob.simons at noaa.gov>

The contents of this message are mine personally and
do not necessarily reflect any position of the
Government or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

_______________________________________________
Esip-documentation mailing list
Esip-documentation at lists.esipfed.org<mailto:Esip-documentation at lists.esipfed.org>
http://www.lists.esipfed.org/mailman/listinfo/esip-documentation

-ed

Ed Armstrong
JPL Physical Oceanography DAAC
818 519-7607

--
Sincerely,

Bob Simons
IT Specialist
Environmental Research Division
NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center
1352 Lighthouse Ave
Pacific Grove, CA 93950-2079
Phone: (831)658-3205
Fax: (831)648-8440
Email: bob.simons at noaa.gov<mailto:bob.simons at noaa.gov>

The contents of this message are mine personally and
do not necessarily reflect any position of the
Government or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
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