CDF Version 2.5, UNIX/POSIX Systems Common Data Format (CDF) is a conceptual data abstraction for storing multi-dimensional data sets. The basic component of CDF is a software programming interface that is a device independent view of the CDF data model. The application developer is insulated from the actual physical file format for reasons of conceptual simplicity, device independence, and future expandability. Version 2 of CDF has been rewritten to be portable across a wide variety of platforms. CDF files created on any given platform can be transported to any other platform on to which CDF is ported and used with any CDF tools or layered applications. A more detailed introduction to CDF can be found in the CDF User's Guide. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !! You must have a C compiler in order to build the CDF distribution. !! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The CDF library and toolkit programs are written in C. A C compiler is necessary to build the CDF distribution. The CDF distribution also contains several Fortran source files which support the Fortran interface. If a Fortran compiler is not available, the distribution can be built without Fortran support. Documentation for CDF consists of the CDF User's Guide, the CDF C Reference Manual, and the CDF Fortran Reference Manual. The `RELEASE.doc' file explains how to get/print the documents. Requests for assistance or documentation should be sent to: DECnet -- NSSDCA::CDFSUPPORT (15578::CDFSUPPORT) Internet -- cdfsupport@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov (128.183.36.23) If you get the distribution, please send CDFSUPPORT a message so we can put you on our mailing list. That way you will be notified of new releases. The `CHANGES.doc' file explains the new features of CDF V2.5. UNIX/POSIX Installation Instructions ------------------------------------ CDF V2.5 is distributed for UNIX and POSIX systems as a `tar' file compressed using the `compress' utility (`cdf25-dist.tar.Z'), compressed using Gnu `gzip' (`cdf25-dist.tar.gz'), and uncompressed (`cdf25-dist.tar'). The term POSIX is used when referring to a VAX or DEC Alpha running the POSIX shell. To uncompress `cdf25-dist.tar.Z', use the `uncompress' command as follows... uncompress cdf25-dist.tar.Z To uncompress `cdf25-dist.tar.gz', use the `gzip' command as follows... gzip -d cdf25-dist.tar.gz In either case the resulting file will be named `cdf25-dist.tar'. Then use the `tar' command to extract the CDF source files. `tar' will create a directory named `cdf25-dist' containing several subdirectories. The source files for the distribution will be placed into these directories. The syntax for the `tar' command is different on some flavors of UNIX. For most UNIX systems (and the POSIX shell) use... tar -xvof cdf25-dist.tar For the IBM-RS6000/AIX use... tar -x -v -f cdf25-dist.tar CDF V2.5 has a makefile setup to automatically build the CDF library and tools. The following steps should be taken to build and install CDF V2.5. 1. Set your current directory (cd) to the top level CDF directory (the directory named `cdf25-dist' created by `tar'). 2. If desired, modify the include file named `config.h' in the `src/include' directory to the desired default parameters for your distribution. These default parameters affect a number of actions taken by the CDF library and toolkit programs in various situations (the comments in `config.h' describe these default parameters). 3. Compile/link the distribution. First enter... make all.help to determine the required/optional `make' variables to be used. Some informational/warning messages from the compilers may be displayed. These can be ignored and should have no effect on the operation of the CDF library or toolkit programs. 4. Test that the distribution was built correctly by entering... make test The name of each test executed will be displayed. No other messages will be displayed unless an error occurs. Entering... make test.help will display additional information about the testing of the CDF distribution. 5. Install the definitions files, library, include files, and toolkit programs. First enter... make install.help to determine the required/optional `make' variables to be used. The appropriate files will be copied to the `include', `lib', and `bin' directories (from the `src/...' directories). 6. Delete the library(s), object files, and executables in the `src/...' directories by entering... make clean This will free approximately 8.4 megabytes of disk space. You may also delete the entire `src/...' directory tree if you have no need for the source code. This will free approximately 3.9 megabytes of additional disk space. 7. A set of script files named `definitions.' should now exist in the `bin' directory (from the `install' step above). `' specifies the type of shell (command interpreter) for which the script file was written: `C' (C-shell style), `K' (Korn shell style), or `B' (Bourne shell style). They are script files that a user would execute to set up the environment variables and aliases (where supported) necessary to use CDF. You should edit these script files for where you installed the CDF distribution. A user would then execute the appropriate script file to define aliases for the toolkit programs and environment variables for the locations of the include files, CDF library, etc. For the Korn, BASH, and POSIX shells, the following command would be used... . /bin/definitions.K For the Bourne shell, the following command would be used... . /bin/definitions.B For the C and `tcsh' shells, the following command would be used... source /bin/definitions.C In each case is the full directory path leading to the `bin' directory (from the `install' step above). Note that `/bin' could also be added to a user's path. Because aliases are not available when using the Bourne shell, the toolkit programs must be invoked by specifying the actual name of the executable file. The actual names are in some cases different from those shown in the CDF User's Guide. The script file `definitions.B' lists the differences. 7a. Previous to this release the definitions files were named definitions. where is the name of the shell (`csh', `sh', etc.). Rather than adding a new definitions file each time a new shell is discovered, the above method using shell `types' was implemented. 8. If you have Fortran applications which include `CDF.INC' instead of `cdf.inc', you may want to add a soft logical link in the `include' directory which will point `CDF.INC' to `cdf.inc'. To do so set your current directory to the `include' directory and use the command `ln -s cdf.inc CDF.INC'. (Note that this logical link existed automatically in previous CDF distributions after the `make install' step was performed.)