To: jps@gfdl.GOV
In-reply-to: <9411030447.AA10649@jps>
Subject: Re: ODB Available?
--- Dear Senya, start your letter here: ---

Hello John,

I am glad that you've noticed that small piece of software which
was created in order to encourage our users to switch over to NetCDF
as primary input/output format of their models, as original NetCDF
system of calls is found to be rather complicated for an average
scientific person, at least at the first glance.
   The main idea behind ODB interface is to use only variables' and
grids' names in order to refer to them (avoiding using all these
IDs). Lately we've added some calls for general XYZT-based variables.

As to the code - it was written in plain Fortran-77 and tested on
SGIs, SUNs and CRAY-YMP. If you are interested in obtaining the code
just let me know and I will send it to you or will put it into our
anonymous ftp area. Unfortunately the documentation is still
unfinished (just don't have time to write it:-(.

Cheers,
Senya. 
From amala@popeye.uchicago.edu  Thu Dec 22 14:50:12 1994
From: Amala Mahadevan <amala@popeye.uchicago.edu>
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 1994 13:50:52 -0600
To: senya
Subject: odb

Hi Senya, 

	I am a postdoc working with David Archer. I don't know if you
remember, but I met you when we visited Lamont in Oct.

	I would like to put some of my data files in HDF format, and
was trying to use the routines in ODB to do this.  (I've been looking at
this through mosaic.)    You have listed a number of routines - are
these just for the netcdf format?  Is there equivalent library for 
the HDF format?  Where is this located? 

	Also, is it possible for us to copy these libraries and the
documentation on how to use them? (We are using system 5 here - so
I don't know if the binaries would work.)  Is there some ftp site from
where I can use anonymous ftp to get the library (or atleast the routines
that I need).    Or is it is necessary to have an account on rainbow to
use these libraries?

	It would be very helpful if you can answer some of these
questions for me. 

	thanks a lot,
	Amala

p.s. I am very impressed by the number of things you have set up on
rainbow and the very clear documentation for them. I've been browsing
through mosaic.