NetCDF (Network Common Data Form) is a set of software libraries and self-describing, machine-independent data formats that support the creation, access, and sharing of array-oriented scientific data. Data in NetCDF format is:
- Self-Describing. A netCDF file includes information about the data it contains.
- Portable. A netCDF file can be accessed by computers with different ways of storing integers, characters, and floating-point numbers.
- Scalable. Small subsets of large datasets in various formats may be accessed efficiently through netCDF interfaces, even from remote servers.
- Appendable. Data may be appended to a properly structured netCDF file without copying the dataset or redefining its structure.
- Sharable. One writer and multiple readers may simultaneously access the same netCDF file.
- Archivable. Access to all earlier forms of netCDF data will be supported by current and future versions of the software.