NetCDF Viewer for VS Code

NetCDF Viewer is a Visual Studio Code extension that lets you explore and inspect NetCDF files (.nc, .nc4, .cdf, .h5) directly within your editor. Designed for scientists, engineers, and data analysts, this extension provides a fast, interactive way to browse datasets, view metadata, and preview sample data—without leaving VS Code.

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✨ Features

• Browse NetCDF files in a dedicated sidebar tree view
• Expand dimensions, coordinates, and data variables just like in xarray
• View variable attributes and sample data with a simple click
• No need for external tools—all inspection is done in the editor
• Python-powered backend for robust NetCDF parsing

📂 Supported Formats & Limitations

• Works with local NetCDF files: .nc, .nc4, .cdf, .h5.
• Primarily tested with NetCDF4/HDF5—older NetCDF3 files may not display all metadata.
• Only a small preview of each variable (first ten values) is shown in the tree view.
• Loading extremely large files can take additional time and memory.

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Demonstration

1. From the Command Palette, type netcdf-viewer.selectPythonEnv to select your Python environment.

   

2. Open a NetCDF file in the editor.

   • from the Welcome page, click on the "Open NetCDF File" button

     

   • or right-click a .nc file in the Explorer and select Open in NetCDF Viewer

     

   • or use the command palette: NetCDF Viewer: Open File…

     

📦 Installation

From the VS Code Marketplace

1. Open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
2. Search for NetCDF Viewer.
3. Click Install.

From Source

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/rmcd-mscb/netcdf-viewer.git
   cd netcdf-viewer

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Open the folder in VS Code:

   code .

4. Press F5 to launch the extension in a new Extension Development Host window.

🔄 Updating & Uninstalling

Updating

• Marketplace: Open the Extensions view and click the refresh icon to check for updates (or enable auto-update).
• VSIX: Download the latest .vsix and run code --install-extension netcdf-viewer-<version>.vsix.

Uninstalling

1. Open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).
2. Locate NetCDF Viewer in your installed extensions.
3. Click the gear icon and choose Uninstall.

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🐍 Python Requirements

This extension uses Python (via xarray and netCDF4) to parse NetCDF files.

Requirements:

• Python 3.8 or higher
• xarray and netCDF4 packages

Installation Options

Using pip:

pip install xarray netCDF4

Using conda:

conda install -c conda-forge xarray netCDF4

Using the provided environment file:

conda env create -f environment.yml
conda activate netcdf-viewer

Configuration

If VS Code doesn't find Python automatically, set the path in your settings:

1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Run "Select Python Environment for NetCDF Viewer"
3. Choose your Python executable

Or manually in settings.json:

"netcdfViewer.pythonPath": "/path/to/python"

Settings

Setting	Default	Description
netcdfViewer.pythonPath	python	Path to Python executable
netcdfViewer.sampleSize	10	Number of sample values to display per variable (1-1000)

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
"Python, xarray, or netCDF4 not found"	Ensure packages are installed and pythonPath is set correctly
Extension doesn't detect Python	Use the "Select Python Environment" command
Large files are slow	This is normal; consider using a subset of your data

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🚀 Usage

1. Open the NetCDF Viewer
   Find the NetCDF Explorer in the Activity Bar or Side Bar.

2. Open a NetCDF file

   • Right-click a .nc file in the Explorer and select Open in NetCDF Viewer
   • Or use the command palette: NetCDF Viewer: Open File…

3. Browse your data

   • Expand Dimensions, Coordinates, and Data Variables.
   • Click on a variable to expand and see its attributes and a sample of its data.

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🛠️ Development & Packaging

This extension is written in TypeScript and uses a Python script for data extraction.

To package for VS Code:

1. Build the extension:

   npm run compile

2. Package it:

   npx vsce package

   This will create a .vsix file you can install or distribute.

To install a VSIX:

code --install-extension netcdf-viewer-*.vsix

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💡 Why NetCDF Viewer?

• No more switching between command-line tools and your editor
• Instantly inspect large scientific datasets
• Works cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Familiar xarray-like organization

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📝 Feedback & Issues

Found a bug or have a feature request?
Open an issue on GitHub.

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📄 License

Please see LICENSE.md for details.

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Contributing

Please see CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on setting up your development environment and making contributions.

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Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for a history of changes to this project.

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Happy data exploring!