Time series data have a time entry associated with each record. Each other entry in the record is associated with the time in that record. The first `epoch' variable detected in each file is taken as the timeline for that file.
On output, time is represented as a text string in the ISO format adopted by CSDS (see DS-QMW-TN-0003 for detailed specification). On input, time can either be in this same ISO format or as a Free Format Time. Information in the file header containing such a Free Format Time variable describes the components of the time string in the data to convert almost any time specification into the standard cdf (and/or ISO) format. Free Format Time is described in detail below.
Other time formats are supported for input (but not output).