[Esip-documentation] cdm_data_type defintion

[Bob Simons - NOAA Federal]

I think cdm_data_type is a troubled attribute.
Unidata has released several different lists of CDM data types over the
years as CDM progressed. Those all still exist at various URLs on the web
and in Unidata code (some of it obsolete).
CF has a new(er), closely related featureType attribute
http://cfconventions.org/Data/cf-conventions/cf-conventions-1.6/build/cf-conventions.html#idp6280704
but it is unfortunately just for Discrete Sampling Geometry types.

I think ACDD 1.3 chose to avoid dealing with this in hopes that CF will
solve the problem. E.g., CF might/should expand the use of featureType.

I think ERDDAP may be the only software which actually uses this attribute
in a very specific, programmatic way, which is vocabulary which is a combo
of
* the values that CF's featureType uses (from just before CF created the
featureType attribute), e.g., TimeSeries.
* a few other Unidata CDM types, e.g., Grid
* "Other"
http://coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov/erddap/download/setupDatasetsXml.html#cdm_data_type

I'm sorry there isn't a better answer.


On Thu, Feb 19, 2015 at 9:51 AM, Armstrong, Edward M (398G) via
Esip-documentation <esip-documentation at lists.esipfed.org> wrote:

>
>  Hi folks
>
>  I’ve come across a request for the proper usage of the ACDD attribute
> cdm_data_type.  This has been retained in  ver 1.3.   But what are the
> examples of its implementation ? According to:
>
>
> http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/thredds/current/tds/catalog/InvCatalogSpec.html#dataType
>
>  attribute examples could “Grid” ,“Swath”, “Point" etc.  But some popular
> implementation embedded in existing examples use a lowercase syntax such as
> “swath”
>
>  Which is the proper implementation, upper vs lowercase ?  Or perhaps
> this is still nebulous.  I did find this note from Bob Simmons in our
> recent ACCD v1.3 discussion on a google doc spreadsheet (but I don’t
> remember the consensus  on it):
>
>  cdm_data_type should not be tied to
>
> http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/thredds/current/tds/catalog/InvCatalogSpec.html#dataType
> which is out-of-date and obsolete
>
>  Any insight appreciated.
>
>  -ed
>
>  Ed Armstrong
> JPL Physical Oceanography DAAC
> 818 519-7607
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Esip-documentation mailing list
> Esip-documentation at lists.esipfed.org
> http://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/listinfo/esip-documentation
>
>


-- 
Sincerely,

Bob Simons
IT Specialist
Environmental Research Division
NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center
99 Pacific St., Suite 255A      (New!)
Monterey, CA 93940               (New!)
Phone: (831)333-9878            (New!)
Fax:   (831)648-8440
Email: 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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