[Support #MBS-525138]: Re: NetCDF Users Guide

Hello,

This is very apropos, as the topic came up at our netcdf group meeting last 
week.  The most recent documentation always lives at 
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/netcdf/docs/index.html, and we will be making older 
documentation available via a method as yet TBD.  The difficulty will be in 
making sure that Google results point to the latest documentation available, 
but that should clear itself up over time as we move old, static documentation 
out of the 'docs' directory.

Reorganizing the newer doxygen-generated documentation is also ongoing; 
ultimately, it should be as easy to navigate as the older documentation layout. 
 The first major step towards this, plus the implementation of a more 
comprehensive 'search' function, will be in the next release.  Currently we are 
waiting on a final bugfix, at which point we will (hopefully) be ready to roll 
out the next version of netCDF-C.

-Ward



> I'd like to second Nan's concerns.
> 
> I propose that Unidata adopt the common practice, for the NUG and other
> conventions, of having a link which always points to the most recent
> approved version. That link then becomes the 'official' location of the
> specification.  Otherwise, it is impossible to create a reference that
> remains current, and Google often ends up pointing to the wrong (older)
> reference.
> 
> This important change is straightforward to achieve with most web
> servers and/or content management systems, so I know of no reason not to
> implement it.
> 
> John
> 
> ---------------
> John Graybeal
> Marine Metadata Interoperability Project: http://marinemetadata.org
> MMI Ontology Registry and Repository: http://mmisw.org/orr
> 
> 
> On Dec 8, 2014, at 10:38, Nan Galbraith <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
> > Hi -
> >
> > There are a lot of references to the NUG, in documentation for
> > CF and, now, ACDD. However, a google search on "NetCDF Users
> > Guide" turns up LOTS of documents, including several on the Unidata
> > site, and it's not always clear which is the most up to date or official
> > version.
> >
> > I followed the NetCDF home page to Documentation -> User's Guide,
> > and I'm going to assume that this is the official NUG. It's at
> > unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/docs/html_guide/index.html,
> > and has a version number, 4.3.2 - although you actually have to
> > click on a  second link to NUG on that page, and from that point
> > on, there's no more version visible.
> >
> > The #1 URL in google results is at
> > unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/docs/netcdf.html. For version info,
> > it says 'This document applies to netCDF version 4.1.3, and was last
> > updated on 10 June 2011'. How does that relate to 4.3.2? Are these both
> > NetCDF versions, or NUG versions?
> >
> > The newer doc is certainly more visually appealing, but the structure
> > makes it harder to find anything - one needs to decide where a
> > specific feature would be described. I was looking for guidance on
> > the Conventions attribute, which is easier to locate in the older NUG
> > than on the new site.
> >
> > I'm just hoping to have the ACDD docs point to the correct version of
> > the NUG, and to make it easier to find, when I'm not on a computer
> > where I've bookmarked this doc.
> >
> > Thanks -
> > Nan Galbraith
> >
> >
> > --
> > *******************************************************
> > * Nan Galbraith        Information Systems Specialist *
> > * Upper Ocean Processes Group            Mail Stop 29 *
> > * Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution                *
> > * Woods Hole, MA 02543                 (508) 289-2444 *
> > *******************************************************
> >
> >
> 
> 


Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: MBS-525138
Department: Support netCDF
Priority: Normal
Status: Closed