[gradsusr] Unable to read a netCDF file because the variable file name is apparently too long

[Jennifer M Adams]

Hi, Bob — 
GrADS requires a variable name to be 16 characters or less and have no uppercase letters. To read variables that don’t meet this requirement from netcdf files (where variable names are part of the metadata), you won’t be able to use ’sdfopen’, but  will have to create a short descriptor to use with ‘xdfopen’ or a full-blown descriptor for ‘open’. Doc page is at http://cola.gmu.edu/grads/gadoc/SDFdescriptorfile.html. You can try starting with this (for use with ‘xdfopen’):

dset ^yourfilenamehere.nc
vars 1
Brightness_Temperature=>bt 
endvars

If you are still having trouble, please send your descriptor file along with the output from ncdump -c on your file. 
—Jennifer




> On Dec 5, 2017, at 9:42 AM, Bob Kuligowski - NOAA Federal <bob.kuligowski at noaa.gov> wrote:
> 
> I have a netCDF file with satellite brightness temperatures in it, and the variable name is 'Brightness_Temperature', which is acceptable according to the CF Standard Name Table.  However, when I try to read it in GrADS, the variable name appears to be truncated to 17 characters and thus GrADS can't read it:
> 
> 
> 
>> Syntax Error:  Invalid Operand
>>   'brightness_temper' not a variable or function name
>>   Error ocurred at column 1
>> DISPLAY error:  Invalid expression
>>   Expression = brightness_temperature
> 
> 
> Is there a relatively straightforward way around this?  Thanks!
> Cheers,
> -- 
> Bob Kuligowski, Ph.D.
> Meteorologist
> NOAA/NESDIS/Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR)
> 
> Mailing Address:
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> Bob Kuligowski
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> 
> Phone:  (301) 683-3593
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> 
> 
> http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/star/Kuligowski_B.php
> http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/smcd/emb/ff/index.php
> 
> 
> 
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--
Jennifer Miletta Adams
Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA)
George Mason University