Using Autoplot to Provide Access to Data in Python

Autoplot is a scientific data visualization and processing program that can read and aggregate data from many scientific data files including CDF, NetCDF, HDF, ASCII and many scientific data servers including CDAWeb, DAS2, HAPI, and TSDS. Autoplot uses a well-developed data model, QDataSet, that is used to convey data in files, directories of files, and web services, and associated metadata.

Autoplot is written in Java and we show how all of the extensive data reading and processing libraries in Autoplot can be used in Python using the Python-to-Java bridge, JPype. We demonstrate a new Python library that serves as a Pythonic interface to Autoplot data readers and QDataSet. The QDataSet data model is reviewed and compared to other Python data models such as N-D Cube.