Minimal introduction to NetCDF - the simplest starting point for new users. More...

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <netcdf.h>

Macros
#define	FILE_NAME "quickstart.nc"

#define	ERRCODE 2

#define	ERR(e) {printf("Error: %s\n", nc_strerror(e)); return ERRCODE;}

Functions
int	main ()

Detailed Description

Minimal introduction to NetCDF - the simplest starting point for new users.

This is the most basic NetCDF example, demonstrating the essential operations:

Creating a NetCDF file
Defining dimensions
Defining a variable
Adding attributes (global and variable)
Writing data
Reopening and validating the file

The program creates a tiny 2D array (2x3) with 6 integer values, adds descriptive attributes, writes it to a file, then reopens the file to verify everything was stored correctly. This demonstrates the complete NetCDF workflow in under 150 lines.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the basic NetCDF workflow (create → define → write → close → read)
Learn how to define dimensions and variables
Master attribute creation for metadata
Implement simple error handling
Verify data integrity

Key Concepts:

Dimensions: Named axes that define array shapes (X=2, Y=3)
Variables: Named data arrays with dimensions and types
Attributes: Metadata describing the file or variables
Define Mode: Phase where structure is defined (dimensions, variables, attributes)
Data Mode: Phase where actual data is written/read

Prerequisites: Basic C programming knowledge

Related Examples:

simple_2D.c - More detailed 2D array example with validation
f_quickstart.f90 - Fortran equivalent of this example

Compilation:

gcc -o quickstart quickstart.c -lnetcdf

Usage:

./quickstart

ncdump quickstart.nc

Expected Output: Creates quickstart.nc containing:

2 dimensions: X(2), Y(3)
1 variable: data(X, Y) of type int
1 global attribute: description = "a quickstart example"
1 variable attribute: units = "m/s"
Data: 6 sequential integers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Author: Edward Hartnett

Date: 2026-01-29

Macro Definition Documentation

◆ ERR

#define ERR ( e ) {printf("Error: %s\n", nc_strerror(e)); return ERRCODE;}

◆ ERRCODE

#define ERRCODE 2

◆ FILE_NAME

#define FILE_NAME "quickstart.nc"

Function Documentation

◆ main()

int main ( )

Macros