ncBrowse Help
Locating and Opening Data Files

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Open a file - use the File popup menu on the main window to open:

  1. Local file, use "Open..." or "Open in New Window"
  2. Remote file on the web, use "Web ..." or "Web in New Window" to open by URL
    1. Put the directory in the text box at the top of the window and click on file name
    2. Or type/paste the file name in text box at bottom of the window
  3. Remote OPeNDAP (DODS) file, use "OPeNDAP..." or "OPeNDAP in New Window" to open by DODS URL.
    1. If you locate a DODS Dataset Directory, then you will need to create the DODS URL.
    2. See Forming a DODS URL and Finding Data Files
  4. Remote or local LAS file, put the LAS URL in the text box at the top of the window and click the GO button.
    1. To locate and form LAS URLs see Finding Data files, below.

Screen snapshot of ncBrowse main window

Size of an OPeNDAP file - use the "View" popup menu on the main window

  1. choose "As Tree"
  2. Double-click or open "Dimensions" to see the dimensions of the axes in the file

Finding data files - Location of some popular OPeNDAP (DODS) Dataset Libraries, LAS and Web files

  1. Unidata's listing of DODS datasets - http://my.unidata.ucar.edu/packages/dods/home/data.html
    1. When you locate a dataset of interest, click on "dir" to see a listing of files, and click on the one you want. This pops up a DODS Dataset Access Form which includes the DODS URL. Cut and Paste this into ncBrowse using the File menu entry for "OPeNDAP...".
  2. OPeNDAP website listing of DODS datasets - http://www.opendap.org/data/datasets.cgi?xmlfilename=datasets.xml&exfunction=none
  3. Create the LAS URL from the server list at http://www.ferret.noaa.gov/Ferret/LAS/LAS_servers.html . Paste the LAS URL into ncBrowse. An example makes this very clear:
    1. http://cdiac3.ornl.gov/las/servlets/dataset -- LAS server from server list
    2. http://cdiac3.ornl.gov/las-bin/LASserver.pl -- LAS URL constructed from LAS server
    3. Example LAS URLs - Paste into ncBrowse to "Open LAS"
      1. NOAA/PMEL - http://www.ferret.noaa.gov/NVODS-bin/LASserver.pl
      2. NOAA/PMEL - http://www.ferret.noaa.gov/WODB-bin/LASserver.pl
      3. DOE/ORNL - http://cdiac3.ornl.gov/las-bin/LASserver.pl
      4. US GODAE - http://usgodae1.usgodae.org/las-bin/LASserver.pl
      5. GODAE Model Results - http://ferret.pmel.noaa.gov/GODAE-bin/LASserver.pl
      6. NOMADS - http://ferret.pmel.noaa.gov/NOMADS-bin/LASserver.pl
      7. JGOFS - http://ferret.pmel.noaa.gov/JGOFS-bin/LASserver.pl
    4. NOTES on LAS URLs:
      1. Limited to default LAS server configuration for LAS V6.0 and higher.
      2. NcBrowse and these instructions utilize the published LAS API at http://www.ferret.noaa.gov/Ferret/LAS/Documentation/manual/reqapi.html
  4. Some popular data-providing sites.
    1. NOAA/CDC - http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/nph-nc/Datasets/ (OPeNDAP)
    2. NOAA/GFDL - http://data1.gfdl.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/nph-nc/dods-data/ (OPeNDAP)
    3. NOAA/PMEL - http://ferret.pmel.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/dods/nph-dods/data (OPeNDAP)
    4. IRI - http://iridl.ldeo.columbia.edu/ (OPeNDAP)
    5. GrADS-DODS Server - http://dataportal.ucar.edu:9191/dods/ (OPeNDAP)
    6. NAVO - http://pdas.navo.navy.mil/cgi-bin/nph-nc/data/ (OPeNDAP)
    7. ncBrowse test files - http://www.epic.noaa.gov/java/ncBrowse/data/ (Web)
    8. Note: you know you are in a DODS (OPeNDAP) Server when you see /nph-nc/ in the URL. The "nc" means it's a netCDF DODS Server.

Forming an OPeNDAP/DODS Data URL - from a DODS Dataset directory if there is no "dir" to click on.

  1. Find the base part of the DODS URL from a Dataset Directory by clicking on the links to "info" "das" or "dds"
  2. Create the DODS URL for the dataset by using the URL for the "info" "das" or "dds" but without the ".info" ".das" or ".dds" extension.
    1. Hint: Cut the URL for the dds, paste into the NcBrowse window and remove the ".dds" extension
    2. Hint:: form the DODS URL for the data set from the URL for the dds by omitting the ".dds" extension. This is the DODS URL to enter into NcBrowse.
    3. Example DODS URLs:
      1. http://nomads.gfdl.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/nph-nc/dods-data/gfdl_ocean_simulation/time_mean.001999.nc
      2. http://ferret.pmel.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/dods/nph-dods/data/PMEL/surface_marine_sst_clm.n

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