Opening and Analyzing Data in a NetCDF File

[Mike Grissom]

Hello,

I recently started using Linux (Ubuntu 10.10) and Octave so I'm pretty green when it comes to using the command line, but I'm trying my best to do my own research and so far I enjoy it.  However, after a week of trying to use Octave to do some basic statisitics with a NetCDF file, I haven't gotten far.  I've downloaded the latest release of Octave and have installed the octcdf package.  I verified that it is installed using the pkg command.  I've browsed through the Octave Manual and have searched for relevant posts looking for solutions but have had no luck.  I'm getting stuck when I try to do anything with the NetCDF file.  I think I've been able to open it, but I'm not sure, and then I get stuck.  I tried using this from the Octave Manual:

  filename = "myfile.txt";
     fid = fopen (filename, "w");
     # Do the actual I/O here...
     fclose (fid);

I do not know what the contents of the file are either.  My goal is to do some basic statistics such as a correlation, regression analysis, make some plots, etc.  

I would appreciate any information that would help me get going.

Thanks in advance,

Mike