pysatCDF

Self-contained Python reader for NASA CDF file format

Uses standard and extended Fortran CDF interfaces to load Common Data Format (CDF) files into Python.

Example

import pysatCDF
with pysatCDF.CDF(filename) as cdf:

    # All variable data loaded into dictionary in .data
    cdf.data
    data = cdf.data[name]
    # Attributes dictionary
    cdf.meta
    attribute = cdf.meta[name][attr_name]

    # CDF variable information available by name
    cdf[name]

    # Data access similar to other packages
    data = cdf[name][...]
    attribute = cdf[name].attrs[attr_name]

    # Export data to pysat data and metadata format
    data, meta = cdf.to_pysat()

Testing

pysatCDF has been tested on Mac OS X and Ubuntu 15.04. Support is included for building on windows via Windows Subsystem for Linux.

Motivation

Provide simple, robust access to CDF data in Python and simplify adding instruments to pysat.

Installation in POSIX compatible environments

Actual CDF loading is performed by the NASA CDF libraries which are included with pysatCDF.

To install pysatCDF

git clone https://github.com/rstoneback/pysatCDF.git
cd pysatCDF
python setup.py install

Installing pysatCDF in MacOS

MacOS does not ship with a Fortran compiler. One method for getting a suitable build environment is to use brew.

brew install gcc

and then install pysatCDF as normal.

Installing pysatCDF in Windows

Install the Windows Subsytem for Linux and proceed as per POSIX installation.