<p>As a result of @blunders answer, I located the document, and will summarize here:</p>

<p>The general framework for constructing names is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>[surface] [component] standard_name [at surface] [in medium] [due to process] [assuming condition]</p>
</blockquote>

<p>where </p>

<ul>
<li><strong>surface</strong> is a horizontal plane, e.g. <code>tropopause</code>, or <code>sea_level</code>. 
<ul>
<li>Single word surface names go at the beginning; surfaces with more than one name goes after the standard_name</li>
<li><code>tropopause_stuff</code> </li>
<li><code>stuff_at_sea_level</code></li>
</ul></li>
<li><strong>component</strong> is a vector, e.g. <code>upward</code>, <code>northward</code>, <code>x</code>, etc. </li>
<li><strong>medium</strong> is, e.g. in_water, in_soil, etc.</li>
<li><strong>process</strong> starts with "due_to", e.g. <code>due_to_longwave_heating</code></li>
<li><strong>assuming condition</strong> is a conditional assumption, e.g. <code>assuming_clear_sky</code></li>
</ul>

<p>Other conventions: there are a number of further conventions provided to standardize meaning, e.g. in the construction of standard_names when transformations, special phrases, chemical species, or generic names are used. For example,</p>

<ul>
<li>transformations imply a particular form of units, e.g <code>ratio_of_X_to_Y</code> implies a specific form for the units (in this case <code>[x]/[Y]</code>.</li>
<li>generic names imply specific units, e.g. <code>amount</code> implies <code>kg/m2</code>, <code>area</code> implies <code>m2</code>, etc.</li>
<li>there are standard spellings for chemical species, e.g. <code>nitrate</code>, <code>carbon_dioxide</code></li>
<li>phrases: <code>water</code> refers to H$_2$O in all phases; <code>wrt</code> = with respect to, <code>toa</code> = top of atmosphere, etc.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-06T15:00:17.887Z
2014-06-06T15:45:59.710Z
2014-06-06T15:45:59.710Z
David LeBauer
<p>Possible this is not what you need, but here's an archive of the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130728212039/http://cf-pcmdi.llnl.gov/documents/cf-standard-names/guidelines" rel="noreferrer">Guidelines for Construction of CF Standard Names</a>, which is "Version 1, 3 December 2008" and was cached on July 28, 2013; guessing that the page has not been updated since December 2008.</p>

<p>Also, the source code repository for CF Conventions website you linked to (<a href="http://cf-convention.github.io" rel="noreferrer">cf-convention.github.io</a>) is viewable from <a href="https://github.com/cf-convention" rel="noreferrer">here</a>; if you had questions about the status of the site, you might try contacting the <a href="https://github.com/mattben" rel="noreferrer">developer listed on Github for the project</a>; <a href="https://github.com/mattben" rel="noreferrer">their email is listed on their Github profile</a>.</p>

<p><strong>UPDATE:</strong> Here's the <a href="http://home.badc.rl.ac.uk/apamment/" rel="noreferrer">contact info for the CEDA Data Scientist</a>; their "main role in CEDA is the development of metadata standards, particularly the CF (Climate and Forecast) metadata conventions."</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-06T14:39:17.463Z
thanks, I found them in the [cf-convention/repository-cf/cf-standard-names/trunk/src/guidelines.xml](https://github.com/cf-convention/repository-cf/blob/master/cf-standard-names/trunk/src/guidelines.xml); I also reported this omission as an issue [in the github repository](https://github.com/cf-convention/cf-documents/issues/2)
David LeBauer
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-05T20:22:22.153Z
2014-06-06T13:51:49.020Z
2014-06-06T13:51:49.020Z
blunders
<p>I am attempting to develop variable names following Unidata's climate forecasting (CF) variable naming guidelines, but for biological variables used to parameterize and evaluate land surface and ecosystem models (<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ai_PDCcY5g2JdEZoSW5KYks1ZHRSdHJIbndoRl8wdWc&amp;usp=sharing#gid=0" rel="noreferrer">See a first draft on Google drive</a>). However, I can not find the documentation for these guidelines. </p>

<p>Until early 2014, the guidelines were here: <a href="http://cf-pcmdi.llnl.gov/" rel="noreferrer">http://cf-pcmdi.llnl.gov/</a>, but now there is a link to <a href="http://cfconventions.org/" rel="noreferrer">http://cfconventions.org/</a>, and then a <a href="http://cfconventions.org/standard-names-26.html" rel="noreferrer">list of standard names</a>, but the <a href="http://cf-pcmdi.llnl.gov/documents/cf-standard-names/guidelines" rel="noreferrer">guidelines page</a> that this points to does not (currently) exist. </p>

<p>I think it would be helpful here to have a link to the appropriate documentation, but also a summary of the guidelines (i.e., how to construct variable names that are consistent with the CF approach). In addition, any feedback on the standard_name field in my draft would be appreciated.</p>

<models><terminology><cf-metadata>
What are the guidelines for constructing variable names that follow CF conventions?
David LeBauer
# What are the guidelines for constructing variable names that follow CF conventions?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-06-04)

I am attempting to develop variable names following Unidata's climate forecasting (CF) variable naming guidelines, but for biological variables used to parameterize and evaluate land surface and ecosystem models ([See a first draft on Google drive](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ai_PDCcY5g2JdEZoSW5KYks1ZHRSdHJIbndoRl8wdWc&usp=sharing#gid=0)). However, I can not find the documentation for these guidelines.

Until early 2014, the guidelines were here: <http://cf-pcmdi.llnl.gov/>, but now there is a link to <http://cfconventions.org/>, and then a [list of standard names](http://cfconventions.org/standard-names-26.html), but the [guidelines page](http://cf-pcmdi.llnl.gov/documents/cf-standard-names/guidelines) that this points to does not (currently) exist.

I think it would be helpful here to have a link to the appropriate documentation, but also a summary of the guidelines (i.e., how to construct variable names that are consistent with the CF approach). In addition, any feedback on the standard\_name field in my draft would be appreciated.

**Tags:** models, terminology, cf-metadata


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-06-05. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

Possible this is not what you need, but here's an archive of the [Guidelines for Construction of CF Standard Names](https://web.archive.org/web/20130728212039/http://cf-pcmdi.llnl.gov/documents/cf-standard-names/guidelines), which is "Version 1, 3 December 2008" and was cached on July 28, 2013; guessing that the page has not been updated since December 2008.

Also, the source code repository for CF Conventions website you linked to ([cf-convention.github.io](http://cf-convention.github.io)) is viewable from [here](https://github.com/cf-convention); if you had questions about the status of the site, you might try contacting the [developer listed on Github for the project](https://github.com/mattben); [their email is listed on their Github profile](https://github.com/mattben).

**UPDATE:** Here's the [contact info for the CEDA Data Scientist](http://home.badc.rl.ac.uk/apamment/); their "main role in CEDA is the development of metadata standards, particularly the CF (Climate and Forecast) metadata conventions."

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thanks, I found them in the [cf-convention/repository-cf/cf-standard-names/trunk/src/guidelines.xml](https://github.com/cf-convention/repository-cf/blob/master/cf-standard-names/trunk/src/guidelines.xml); I also reported this omission as an issue [in the github repository](https://github.com/cf-convention/cf-documents/issues/2)  

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### Answer by username_0 on 2014-06-06. Score: 7

As a result of @username_1 answer, I located the document, and will summarize here:

The general framework for constructing names is:

> [surface] [component] standard\_name [at surface] [in medium] [due to process] [assuming condition]

where

* **surface** is a horizontal plane, e.g. `tropopause`, or `sea_level`.
  + Single word surface names go at the beginning; surfaces with more than one name goes after the standard\_name
  + `tropopause_stuff`
  + `stuff_at_sea_level`
* **component** is a vector, e.g. `upward`, `northward`, `x`, etc.
* **medium** is, e.g. in\_water, in\_soil, etc.
* **process** starts with "due\_to", e.g. `due_to_longwave_heating`
* **assuming condition** is a conditional assumption, e.g. `assuming_clear_sky`

Other conventions: there are a number of further conventions provided to standardize meaning, e.g. in the construction of standard\_names when transformations, special phrases, chemical species, or generic names are used. For example,

* transformations imply a particular form of units, e.g `ratio_of_X_to_Y` implies a specific form for the units (in this case `[x]/[Y]`.
* generic names imply specific units, e.g. `amount` implies `kg/m2`, `area` implies `m2`, etc.
* there are standard spellings for chemical species, e.g. `nitrate`, `carbon_dioxide`
* phrases: `water` refers to H$\_2$O in all phases; `wrt` = with respect to, `toa` = top of atmosphere, etc.


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