The **cfdm** Python package is a reference implementation of the `CF
data model <https://www.geosci-model-dev.net/10/4619/2017>`_ for CF-1.10, that
identifies the fundamental elements of the `CF conventions
<http://cfconventions.org/>`_ and shows how they relate to each other,
independently of the `netCDF
<https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/>`_ encoding.
The central element defined by the CF data model is the **field
construct**, which corresponds to a CF-netCDF data variable with all
of its metadata.
A simple example of reading a field construct from a file and
inspecting it:
>>> import cfdm
>>> f = cfdm.read('file.nc')
>>> f
[<Field: air_temperature(time(12), latitude(64), longitude(128)) K>]
>>> print(f[0])
Field: air_temperature (ncvar%tas)
----------------------------------
Data : air_temperature(time(12), latitude(64), longitude(128)) K
Cell methods : time(12): mean (interval: 1.0 month)
Dimension coords: time(12) = [0450-11-16 00:00:00, ..., 0451-10-16 12:00:00] noleap
: latitude(64) = [-87.8638, ..., 87.8638] degrees_north
: longitude(128) = [0.0, ..., 357.1875] degrees_east
: height(1) = [2.0] m
The **cfdm** package can
* read field and domain constructs from netCDF and CDL datasets,
* create new field and domain constructs in memory,
* write and append field and domain constructs to netCDF datasets on disk,
* read, write, and create coordinates defined by geometry cells,
* read and write netCDF4 string data-type variables,
* read, write, and create netCDF and CDL datasets containing hierarchical groups,
* inspect field and domain constructs,
* test whether two constructs are the same,
* modify field and domain construct metadata and data,
* create subspaces of field and domain constructs,
* incorporate, and create, metadata stored in external files, and
* read, write, and create data that have been compressed by convention
(i.e. ragged or gathered arrays, or coordinate arrays compressed
by subsampling), whilst presenting a view of the data in its
uncompressed form.
Documentation
=============
https://ncas-cms.github.io/cfdm
Tutorial
========
https://ncas-cms.github.io/cfdm/tutorial
Installation
============
https://ncas-cms.github.io/cfdm/installation
Command line utility
====================
During installation the `cfdump` command line tool is also installed,
which generates text descriptions of the field constructs contained
in a netCDF dataset.
Source code
===========
This project is hosted in a `GitHub repository
<https://github.com/NCAS-CMS/cfdm>`_ where you can access the most
up-to-date source.
