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netCDF is based on the External Data Representation, XDR, a data format for machine-independent data representation. XDR is a common data format that represents character, integer, and floating-point data independently of machine characteristics such as word length or byte order.
netCDF is a self-describing data format. This means that within a netCDF data set, you can include metadata to describe the data objects within the data set. Metadata ranges from text describing the data to data you use to process data objects, such as geographical information or calibration data. With netCDF, you can collect metadata and data objects of varying types and dimensions together into scientifically meaningful data sets. netCDF has an application programming interface that you can use to create netCDF data sets from FORTRAN or C.
The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) has developed a scientific data format, with similar objectives as netCDF, called the Hierarchical Data Format, HDF. There is much overlap between netCDF and HDF. netCDF has a richer data model and a better programming interface than HDF, but HDF is more efficient on some computer architectures and has a better underlying data format for tape exchange. NCSA's HDF version 3.3 will support the netCDF data model within HDF. It is currently uncertain whether NCSA will support HDF in the long-term. Depending on their decision, a future section on HDF may be available in this manual.
NetCDF User's Guide, An Interface for Data Access,
Version 2.3
Software for Portable Scientific Data Management
in the book, Computers in Physics
The Unidata netCDF: Software for Scientific Data Access
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