MATLAB: Creating netCDF files: How to set the order of the dimensions in a field

dimensionsnetcdforder

I have created a netCDF file with 3 dimensions (dim1,dim2,dim3) and a field that is defined on the (dim1,dim2,dim3) space. ncdump gives me
 NetCDF-3 Classic myfile.nc {
  dimensions:
    dim1 = 12 ;
    dim2 = 96 ;
    dim3 = 14 ;
variables:
  // Preference 'PRESERVE_FVD':  false,
  // dimensions consistent with ncBrowse, not with native MATLAB netcdf package.
  single dim1(dim1), shape = [12] 
  single dim2(dim2), shape = [96]
  int32 dim3(dim3), shape = [14]
  single field(dim3,dim2,dim1), shape = [14 96 12]
How can I set the order of the dimensions on which the field is defined, i.e. so that ncdump will give me
    single field(dim1,dim2,dim3), shape = [12 96 14]
? This is what I run for creating the file:
 file='infile.nc';
 dim2 = nc_varget ( file, 'dim2' );
 dim3 = nc_varget ( file, 'dim3' );
 field = nc_varget ( file, 'field' );
 vardata_dim1    = [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12];
 vardata_dim2    = dim2;
 vardata_dim3    = dim3;
 vardata_field     = field;
 ncid = netcdf.create('myfile.nc','NC_WRITE');
 dim_dim1 = netcdf.defDim(ncid,'dim1',12);
 dim_dim2 = netcdf.defDim(ncid,'dim2',96);  
 dim_dim3 = netcdf.defDim(ncid,'dim3',14);
 varID_dim1  = netcdf.defVar(ncid,'dim1','float',dim_dim1);
 varID_dim2   = netcdf.defVar(ncid,'dim2','float',dim_dim2);
 varID_dim3   = netcdf.defVar(ncid,'dim3','int',dim_dim3);
 varID_field   = netcdf.defVar(ncid,'field','float',[dim_dim1 dim_dim2  dim_dim3]);
 netcdf.endDef(ncid);
 netcdf.putVar(ncid,varID_dim1,vardata_dim1);
 netcdf.putVar(ncid,varID_dim2,vardata_dim2);
 netcdf.putVar(ncid,varID_dim3,vardata_dim3);
 netcdf.putVar(ncid,varID_field,vardata_field);
 netcdf.close(ncid)

Best Answer

    %Account for moving from Column major to Row major ordering
    colMajorDims = [dim_dim1 dim_dim2  dim_dim3];
    rowMajorDims = fliplr(colMajorDims);
    varID_field    = netcdf.defVar(ncid,'field','float',rowMajorDims);
    vardata_field  = permute(vardata_field, [3 2 1]);
This post http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/newsreader/view_thread/245539 explains the observed behavior in some detail. Please post back if any of that explanation is not clear.
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