User:Markf129/Earth sciences data format interoperability: Difference between revisions

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# A collection of operations that can be applied to the objects such as retrieval, update, subsetting, and averaging.

# A collection of integrity rules that define the legal states (set of values) or changes of state (operations on values).

A [[file format]] defines how data is encoded for storage using a defined structure such as: chunk, directory based, or unstructured. Usually the file format is easily identified by the file name extension (e.g. .jpg, .bufr). Thus, the data model describes how the data is organized, and the file format how the data is stored. Furthermore, conventions are used to describe what data types, formats, and design principles are applied for a given data model and/or format (e.g. [[Climate and Forecast Metadata Conventions]]). By identifying these three elements, data can be accurately described.

For example, data models contain datasets such as dimensions, variables, types, and attributes. Some models have the ability to even logically put these sets into groups. These components can be used together to capture the meaning of data and relations among data fields in an array-oriented dataset. In contrast to variables, which are intended for bulk data, attributes are intended for ancillary data, or information about the data<ref>{{cite article