Attribute (Public javadoc for netcdf-java version 5.0.0-alpha2)

java.lang.Object
- ucar.nc2.CDMNode
- - ucar.nc2.Attribute

```
public class Attribute
extends CDMNode
```
An Attribute has a name and a value, used for associating arbitrary metadata with a Variable or a Group. The value can be a one dimensional array of Strings or numeric values.
Attributes are immutable after setImmutable().

Field Summary
- Fields inherited from class ucar.nc2.CDMNode
  annotations, dodsname, group, immutable, parentstruct, shortName, sort

Constructor Summary

Constructors
Modifier	Constructor and Description
	`Attribute(Parameter param)` A copy constructor using a ucar.unidata.util.Parameter.
`protected`	`Attribute(java.lang.String name)` Constructor.
	`Attribute(java.lang.String name, Array values)` Construct attribute with Array of values.
	`Attribute(java.lang.String name, Array values, boolean isUnsigned)` Construct attribute with Array of values.
	`Attribute(java.lang.String name, Attribute from)` Copy constructor
	`Attribute(java.lang.String name, DataType dataType)` Construct an empty attribute with no values
	`Attribute(java.lang.String name, java.util.List values)`
	`Attribute(java.lang.String name, java.util.List values, boolean isUnsigned)` Construct attribute with list of String or Number values.
	`Attribute(java.lang.String name, java.lang.Number val)` Create a scalar numeric-valued Attribute.
	`Attribute(java.lang.String name, java.lang.Number val, boolean isUnsigned)`
	`Attribute(java.lang.String name, java.lang.String val)` Create a String-valued Attribute.

Method Summary

All Methods Static Methods Instance Methods Concrete Methods
Modifier and Type	Method and Description
`static java.lang.String`	`encodeString(java.lang.String s)` Replace special characters '\t', '\n', '\f', '\r'.
`boolean`	`equals(java.lang.Object o)` Instances which have same content are equal.
`DataType`	`getDataType()` Get the data type of the Attribute value.
`EnumTypedef`	`getEnumType()`
`int`	`getLength()` Get the length of the array of values
`java.lang.Number`	`getNumericValue()` Retrieve numeric value.
`java.lang.Number`	`getNumericValue(int index)` Retrieve a numeric value by index.
`java.lang.String`	`getStringValue()` Retrieve String value; only call if isString() is true.
`java.lang.String`	`getStringValue(int index)` Retrieve ith String value; only call if isString() is true.
`java.lang.Object`	`getValue(int index)` Get the value as an Object.
`Array`	`getValues()` Get the value as an Array.
`int`	`hashCode()` Override Object.hashCode() to implement equals.
`void`	`hashCodeShow(Indent indent)`
`boolean`	`isArray()` True if value is an array (getLength() > 1)
`boolean`	`isString()` True if value is of type String and not null.
`boolean`	`isUnsigned()` Find whether the underlying data should be interpreted as unsigned.
`static java.util.Map<java.lang.String,Attribute>`	`makeMap(java.util.List<Attribute> atts)` Turn a list into a map
`void`	`setDataType(DataType dt)`
`void`	`setEnumType(EnumTypedef en)`
`void`	`setName(java.lang.String name)` Set the name of this Attribute.
`void`	`setValues(Array arr)` set the values from an Array
`void`	`setValues(java.util.List values, boolean isUnsigned)` set the values from a list
`static boolean`	`suppress(Attribute a, boolean strict)`
`java.lang.String`	`toString()` CDL representation, not strict
`java.lang.String`	`toString(boolean strict)` CDL representation, may be strict
`protected void`	`writeCDL(java.util.Formatter f, boolean strict, java.lang.String parentname)` Write CDL representation into f

Methods inherited from class ucar.nc2.CDMNode
annotate, annotation, getDODSName, getFullName, getFullNameEscaped, getGroup, getImmutable, getName, getParentGroup, getParentStructure, getShortName, getSort, isMemberOfStructure, localhash, setDODSName, setImmutable, setParentGroup, setParentStructure, setShortName, setSort, unwrap

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, finalize, getClass, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait

- Constructor Detail
  - Attribute
```
public Attribute(java.lang.String name,
                 Attribute from)
```
    Copy constructor
    
    Parameters:
    
    name - name of new Attribute
    
    from - copy value from here.
  - Attribute
```
public Attribute(java.lang.String name,
                 java.lang.String val)
```
    Create a String-valued Attribute.
    
    Parameters:
    
    name - name of Attribute
    
    val - value of Attribute
  - Attribute
```
public Attribute(java.lang.String name,
                 java.lang.Number val)
```
    Create a scalar numeric-valued Attribute.
    
    Parameters:
    
    name - name of Attribute
    
    val - value of Attribute
  - Attribute
```
public Attribute(java.lang.String name,
                 java.lang.Number val,
                 boolean isUnsigned)
```
  - Attribute
```
public Attribute(java.lang.String name,
                 Array values)
```
    Construct attribute with Array of values.
    
    Parameters:
    
    name - name of attribute
    
    values - array of values.
  - Attribute
```
public Attribute(java.lang.String name,
                 DataType dataType)
```
    Construct an empty attribute with no values
    
    Parameters:
    
    name -
    
    dataType -
  - Attribute
```
public Attribute(java.lang.String name,
                 java.util.List values)
```
  - Attribute
```
public Attribute(java.lang.String name,
                 java.util.List values,
                 boolean isUnsigned)
```
    Construct attribute with list of String or Number values. The list determines the attribute type
    
    Parameters:
    
    name - name of attribute
    
    values - list of values. must be String or Number, must all be the same type, and have at least 1 member
    
    isUnsigned -
  - Attribute
```
public Attribute(java.lang.String name,
                 Array values,
                 boolean isUnsigned)
```
    Construct attribute with Array of values.
    
    Parameters:
    
    name - name of attribute
    
    values - Array of values; at least 1 member
    
    isUnsigned -
  - Attribute
```
public Attribute(Parameter param)
```
    A copy constructor using a ucar.unidata.util.Parameter. Need to do this so ucar.unidata.geoloc package doesnt depend on ucar.nc2 library
    
    Parameters:
    
    param - copy info from here.
  - Attribute
```
protected Attribute(java.lang.String name)
```
    Constructor. Must also set value
    
    Parameters:
    
    name - name of Attribute
- Method Detail
  - makeMap
```
public static java.util.Map<java.lang.String,Attribute> makeMap(java.util.List<Attribute> atts)
```
    Turn a list into a map
    
    Parameters:
    
    atts - list of attributes
    
    Returns:
    
    map of attributes by name
  - suppress
```
public static boolean suppress(Attribute a,
                               boolean strict)
```
  - getDataType
```
public DataType getDataType()
```
    Get the data type of the Attribute value.
    
    Returns:
    
    DataType
  - setDataType
```
public void setDataType(DataType dt)
```
  - getEnumType
```
public EnumTypedef getEnumType()
```
  - setEnumType
```
public void setEnumType(EnumTypedef en)
```
  - isArray
```
public boolean isArray()
```
    True if value is an array (getLength() > 1)
    
    Returns:
    
    if its an array.
  - getLength
```
public int getLength()
```
    Get the length of the array of values
    
    Returns:
    
    number of elements in the array.
  - isUnsigned
```
public boolean isUnsigned()
```
    Find whether the underlying data should be interpreted as unsigned. Only affects byte, short, and int.
    
    Returns:
    
    true if the data is unsigned integer type.
  - getValues
```
public Array getValues()
```
    Get the value as an Array.
    
    Returns:
    
    Array of values.
  - getValue
```
public java.lang.Object getValue(int index)
```
    Get the value as an Object.
    
    Parameters:
    
    index - which index
    
    Returns:
    
    ith value as an Object.
  - isString
```
public boolean isString()
```
    True if value is of type String and not null.
    
    Returns:
    
    if its a String and not null.
  - getStringValue
```
public java.lang.String getStringValue()
```
    Retrieve String value; only call if isString() is true.
    
    Returns:
    
    String if this is a String valued attribute, else null.
    
    See Also:
    
    isString()
  - getStringValue
```
public java.lang.String getStringValue(int index)
```
    Retrieve ith String value; only call if isString() is true.
    
    Parameters:
    
    index - which index
    
    Returns:
    
    ith String value (if this is a String valued attribute and index in range), else null.
    
    See Also:
    
    isString()
  - getNumericValue
```
public java.lang.Number getNumericValue()
```
    Retrieve numeric value. Equivalent to getNumericValue(0)
    
    Returns:
    
    the first element of the value array, or null if its a String that cant be converted.
  - getNumericValue
```
public java.lang.Number getNumericValue(int index)
```
    Retrieve a numeric value by index. If its a String, it will try to parse it as a double.
    
    Parameters:
    
    index - the index into the value array.
    
    Returns:
    
    Number value[index], or null if its a non-parsable String or the index is out of range.
  - toString
```
public java.lang.String toString()
```
    CDL representation, not strict
    
    Overrides:
    
    toString in class java.lang.Object
    
    Returns:
    
    CDL representation
  - toString
```
public java.lang.String toString(boolean strict)
```
    CDL representation, may be strict
    
    Parameters:
    
    strict - if true, create strict CDL, escaping names
    
    Returns:
    
    CDL representation
  - writeCDL
```
protected void writeCDL(java.util.Formatter f,
                        boolean strict,
                        java.lang.String parentname)
```
    Write CDL representation into f
    
    Parameters:
    
    f - write into this
    
    strict - if true, create strict CDL, escaping names
  - encodeString
```
public static java.lang.String encodeString(java.lang.String s)
```
    Replace special characters '\t', '\n', '\f', '\r'.
    
    Parameters:
    
    s - string to quote
    
    Returns:
    
    equivilent string replacing special chars
  - setValues
```
public void setValues(java.util.List values,
                      boolean isUnsigned)
```
    set the values from a list
    
    Parameters:
    
    values -
  - setValues
```
public void setValues(Array arr)
```
    set the values from an Array
    
    Parameters:
    
    arr - value of Attribute
  - setName
```
public void setName(java.lang.String name)
```
    Set the name of this Attribute. Attribute names are unique within a NetcdfFile's global set, and within a Variable's set.
    
    Parameters:
    
    name - name of attribute
  - equals
```
public boolean equals(java.lang.Object o)
```
    Instances which have same content are equal.
    
    Overrides:
    
    equals in class java.lang.Object
  - hashCode
```
public int hashCode()
```
    Override Object.hashCode() to implement equals.
    
    Overrides:
    
    hashCode in class java.lang.Object
  - hashCodeShow
```
public void hashCodeShow(Indent indent)
```
    Specified by:
    
    hashCodeShow in class CDMNode

Class Attribute

Field Summary

Fields inherited from class ucar.nc2.CDMNode

Constructor Summary

Method Summary

Methods inherited from class ucar.nc2.CDMNode

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

Constructor Detail

Attribute

Attribute

Attribute

Attribute

Attribute

Attribute

Attribute

Attribute

Attribute

Attribute

Attribute

Method Detail

makeMap

suppress

getDataType

setDataType

getEnumType

setEnumType

isArray

getLength

isUnsigned

getValues

getValue

isString

getStringValue

getStringValue

getNumericValue

getNumericValue

toString

toString

writeCDL

encodeString

setValues

setValues

setName

equals

hashCode

hashCodeShow