| ingrid | The Postscript-based software on which the Data Library is built. |
| CPT | Climate Predictability Tool More information |
| ferret | Interactive computer visualization and analysis software. More information |
| GrADS | Grid Analysis and Display System More information |
| matlab | Data analysis and visualization software. More information |
| NCL | NCAR Command Language More information |
| WinDisp | A public domain software package for the display and analysis of satellite images, maps and associated databases, with an emphasis on early warning for food security. More information |
| Full Information Formats
These files contain all of the available metadata. | |
| OPeNDAP | A system which downloads data directly to software, such as matlab, Ferret, GrADS, etc. Specific instructions are available in the table above. Note: OPeNDAP was formerly known as DODS (Distributed Oceanographic Data System). More Information |
| netCDF (network Common Data Form) | A commonly supported self-describing data format. More Information |
| Partial Information Formats
These files contain only some of the available metadata. | |
| Columnar Table | A table with separate columns of numbers for each independent variable (i.e., grids) and for the data. This columnar table is available in a variety of file and column formats here. Note: By setting the helper for mime-type text/tab-separated-values, you can have this loaded directly into your favorite spreadsheet. This file will be approximately 3952200 bytes, with 3 columns of 329350 numbers. |
| 2-Dimensional Tab-Separated Tables | Tab-separated-values (tsv) file with information about the independent variables (i.e., grids). The list to the left allows you to specify the format of the table. Note: The variable running across the top of the table (identifing columns) is listed first and the variable running down the side of the table (identifing rows) is listed second. |
| GIS-Compatible Formats
There are three GIS-compatible formats available. | |
| district T 2-Dimensional Table T district 2-Dimensional Table | A 2-dimensional ascii file that includes an ArcInfo Header. |
| IDA Image | File(s) in the Image Display and Analysis format. Typically used with WinDisp. |
| LAN Image | File(s) in the ERDAS LAN format. Typically used with various GIS programs, including ArcView and HealthMapper. |
| GeoTIFF Image | File in GeoTIFF format. Typically used with various GIS programs, including ArcView and ENVI. |
| Data Only Formats
These files contain just the data without any of the available metadata. | |
| Binary direct access | A big-endian, ieee single-precision file in floating-point format. Also known as a binary random access file. This is a random-access file; it is purely data with no record-structuring information. The data is structured to correspond to the independent variables (i.e., grids) in T district order, with the first grid varying the fastest. |
| DEC ALPHA direct access | Same as the binary random/direct access format above except that it is byte-swapped for DEC ALPHA's and PC's (little-endian). |
| Binary FORTRAN sequential access | A big-endian, ieee, single-precision file in floating-point format. This is a sequential-access file with each record containing all the T points. It must be read using FORTRAN sequential access. Records correspond to district. |
| DEC ALPHA sequential access | Same as the binary sequential access format above except that it is byte-swapped for DEC ALPHA's and PC's (little-endian). |
| Text with tab-separated-values | Text file where data values corresponding to different T
are separated by tabs and data values corresponding to different
district are on different lines. This is readable by most programs, including spreadsheets, but will be about four times larger than the binary or netCDF/HDF files noted above.
As an alternative, you can access a tab-separated file with the following independent variables (i.e., grids) grouped on each line: T district | T district |
|
| Text | Text file where data is arranged in chunks of T. There are five values per line and each chunk starts on a new line. This will be about four times larger than the binary or netCDF/HDF files. |