netCDF4

If you are looking for advanced features that were not found in earlier versions of library, netCDF version 4 is the software to try out. This software is implemented on top of HDF5 and comes with many new features. It can read and write files in both the new netCDF 4 and the old netCDF 3 format. Furthermore, netCDF4 can create files that are readable by HDF5 clients. It has an API that is designed after Scientific.IO.NetCDF, which will be familiar to users of that module.

The software comes with many of the new features of netCDF 4 such as multiple unlimited dimensions, groups, and zlib data compression. All the new numeric data types such as 64 bit and unsigned integer types are supported. It also supports compound and variable length (vlen) data types. However, it is important to note that the enum and opaque data types are not supported. Mixture of compound and vlen data types such as compound types containing vlens, and vlens containing compound types are also not supported.

One of the biggest advantages of netCDF version 4 is the Subversion repository that provides access to the most up-to-date source. Overall, netCDF version 4 is a compelling choice for users looking for an advanced library with many new features not found in earlier versions.