CanWIN uses the ERDDAP platform to provide a consistent way to request data via the OpeNDAP specification. ERDDAP is a powerful platform that allows users to download data in many common file formats (e.g. .netCDF, .html table, .csv, .kml, .mat, .nc, .txt, .tsv, .json). It also allows users to subset a dataset, create customized graphs and return a .png or.pdf image from the customized graph or map. In addition to accesing data directly via the web interface, users can access data via the ERDDAP RESTful API. ERDDAP acts as a middleman. As well as converting data on the fly to allow users to download data in over 20 data file types, ERDDAP allows users to download metadata in ISO 19115 format and standardizes the format of time data.
CanWIN provides users with the ability to access data from the ERDDAP server directly within the CKAN interface. Users can also download the metadata in ISO format as well as view, filter and subset the data.
