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.

✨ 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.

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.

🐍 Python Requirements

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

You must have:

• Python 3.7+
• xarray and netCDF4 installed in your Python environment

If you use a custom Python path, set it in your VS Code settings:

• Select File > Preferences > Settings (or Ctrl+,)
• Search for netcdfViewer.pythonPath
• Set the path to your Python executable:

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

🚀 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.

🛠️ 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

💡 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

📝 Feedback & Issues

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

📄 License

Please see LICENSE.md for details.

Contributing

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

Changelog

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

Happy data exploring!