[netCDF #VCN-128514]: Pull Request: Configurable Exit Handlers for NetCDF C++ legacy API

Hi Robert,

My apologies for the delayed response; I've been debating how to best handle 
this patch offer/pull request.  While it would be a useful patch, the issue at 
hand is that the legacy C++ API is frozen and deprecated, as you point out.

The reason I am loathe to unfreeze it is because it has not been tested against 
any recent version of the C library; I infer that it still works, but I would 
not have known that without your email. Additionally, I do not want to create a 
new release of a library that we are actively discouraging people from using; 
this is why it it was not migrated to GitHub with our other projects.

On the other hand, I do not want to dismiss your contribution, as it *is* 
appreciated.  Would it be possible for you to create a patch file for your 
changes? It is possible that we could host that patch along side the deprecated 
library.  Additionally, should the question arise, I would be happy to point 
people to your fork of the project on GitHub, if that were ok with you.

Thanks for your time, have a great weekend,

-Ward

Ward Fisher
address@hidden
UCAR/Unidata - Software Engineer



> Hello,
> 
> I've added a feature to the legacy C++ API (v4.2), which I would like to
> see added to a new version of that library.  I know the library is frozen
> and deprecated.  But this is a small addition that can make a big
> difference for people using code that relies on this library.
> 
> The Problem: When NetCDF encounters an error, it prints out a simple error
> message (eg: "Variable Not Found") and exits.  It's hard to know which of
> 100 different attempts to access a variable it crashed on.  So the user
> spends a lot of time tracing through the code.
> 
> The Solution: Extend the NcError functionality so NetCDF can call a
> user-supplied subroutine other than exit(), in case it wishes to exit.  The
> subroutine will generally be appropriate to the larger software NetCDF is
> being used in.  In my case, my exit subroutine causes a SEGFAULT --- which
> triggers additional stuff that eventually gives me a stack trace complete
> with source file names and line numbers.  I can then find where things went
> wrong quickly and easily.
> 
> The (small) change to the source code is in the following github repository:
> 
> https://github.com/citibob/netcdf-cxx
> 
> How can this get moved along into a new version of the distribution?
> 
> Thank you,
> -- Bob
> 
> 


Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: VCN-128514
Department: Support netCDF
Priority: High
Status: Closed