private void writeStationData(List<ucar.unidata.geoloc.Station> stnList) throws IOException {
    this.stnList = stnList;
    int nstns = stnList.size();
    stationMap = new HashMap<String, StationTracker>(2 * nstns);
    if (debug) System.out.println("stationMap created");

    // now write the station data
    ArrayDouble.D1 latArray = new ArrayDouble.D1(nstns);
    ArrayDouble.D1 lonArray = new ArrayDouble.D1(nstns);
    ArrayDouble.D1 altArray = new ArrayDouble.D1(nstns);
    ArrayObject.D1 idArray = new ArrayObject.D1(String.class, nstns);
    ArrayObject.D1 descArray = new ArrayObject.D1(String.class, nstns);
    ArrayObject.D1 wmoArray = new ArrayObject.D1(String.class, nstns);

    for (int i = 0; i < stnList.size(); i++) {
      ucar.unidata.geoloc.Station stn = stnList.get(i);
      stationMap.put(stn.getName(), new StationTracker(i));

      latArray.set(i, stn.getLatitude());
      lonArray.set(i, stn.getLongitude());
      if (useAlt) altArray.set(i, stn.getAltitude());

      idArray.set(i, stn.getName());
      descArray.set(i, stn.getDescription());
      if (useWmoId) wmoArray.set(i, stn.getWmoId());
    }

    try {
      ncfile.write(latName, latArray);
      ncfile.write(lonName, lonArray);
      if (useAlt) ncfile.write(altName, altArray);
      ncfile.writeStringData(idName, idArray);
      ncfile.writeStringData(descName, descArray);
      if (useWmoId) ncfile.writeStringData(wmoName, wmoArray);

    } catch (InvalidRangeException e) {
      e.printStackTrace();
      throw new IllegalStateException(e);
    }
  }
  private void writeDataFinish() throws IOException {
    // finish global variables
    ArrayInt.D0 totalArray = new ArrayInt.D0();
    totalArray.set(profileIndex);
    try {
      ncfile.write(numProfilesTotalName, totalArray);
    } catch (InvalidRangeException e) {
      e.printStackTrace();
      throw new IllegalStateException(e);
    }

    // finish the station data
    int nstns = stnList.size();
    ArrayInt.D1 firstProfileArray = new ArrayInt.D1(nstns);
    ArrayInt.D1 numProfileArray = new ArrayInt.D1(nstns);
    ArrayInt.D1 nextProfileArray = new ArrayInt.D1(nprofiles);

    for (int i = 0; i < stnList.size(); i++) {
      ucar.unidata.geoloc.Station stn = stnList.get(i);
      StationTracker tracker = stationMap.get(stn.getName());

      numProfileArray.set(i, tracker.numChildren);

      int first = (tracker.link.size() > 0) ? tracker.link.get(0) : -1;
      firstProfileArray.set(i, first);

      if (tracker.link.size() > 0) {
        // construct forward link
        List<Integer> nextList = tracker.link;
        for (int j = 0; j < nextList.size() - 1; j++) {
          Integer curr = nextList.get(j);
          Integer next = nextList.get(j + 1);
          nextProfileArray.set(curr, next);
        }
        Integer curr = nextList.get(nextList.size() - 1);
        nextProfileArray.set(curr, -1);
      }
    }

    try {
      ncfile.write(firstProfileName, firstProfileArray);
      ncfile.write(numProfilesName, numProfileArray);
      ncfile.write(nextProfileName, nextProfileArray);

    } catch (InvalidRangeException e) {
      e.printStackTrace();
      throw new IllegalStateException(e);
    }

    // finish the profile data
    ArrayInt.D1 nextObsArray = new ArrayInt.D1(recno);
    ArrayInt.D1 firstObsArray = new ArrayInt.D1(nprofiles);
    ArrayInt.D1 numObsArray = new ArrayInt.D1(nprofiles);

    for (int i = 0; i < stnList.size(); i++) {
      ucar.unidata.geoloc.Station stn = stnList.get(i);
      StationTracker stnTracker = stationMap.get(stn.getName());

      Set<Date> dates = stnTracker.profileMap.keySet();
      for (Date date : dates) {
        ProfileTracker proTracker = stnTracker.profileMap.get(date);
        int trackerIndex = proTracker.parent_index;
        numObsArray.set(trackerIndex, proTracker.numChildren);

        int first = (proTracker.link.size() > 0) ? proTracker.link.get(0) : -1;
        firstObsArray.set(trackerIndex, first);

        if (proTracker.link.size() > 0) {
          // construct forward link
          List<Integer> nextList = proTracker.link;
          for (int j = 0; j < nextList.size() - 1; j++) {
            Integer curr = nextList.get(j);
            Integer next = nextList.get(j + 1);
            nextObsArray.set(curr, next);
          }
          Integer curr = nextList.get(nextList.size() - 1);
          nextObsArray.set(curr, -1);
        }
      }
    }

    try {
      ncfile.write(firstObsName, firstObsArray);
      ncfile.write(numObsName, numObsArray);
      ncfile.write(nextObsName, nextObsArray);

    } catch (InvalidRangeException e) {
      e.printStackTrace();
      throw new IllegalStateException(e);
    }

    // finish the obs data

    ncfile.updateAttribute(
        null, new Attribute("time_coverage_start", dateFormatter.toDateTimeStringISO(minDate)));
    ncfile.updateAttribute(
        null, new Attribute("time_coverage_end", dateFormatter.toDateTimeStringISO(maxDate)));
  }
  private void createStations(List<ucar.unidata.geoloc.Station> stnList) throws IOException {
    int nstns = stnList.size();

    // see if there's altitude, wmoId for any stations
    for (int i = 0; i < nstns; i++) {
      ucar.unidata.geoloc.Station stn = stnList.get(i);

      // if (!Double.isNaN(stn.getAltitude()))
      //  useAlt = true;
      if ((stn.getWmoId() != null) && (stn.getWmoId().trim().length() > 0)) useWmoId = true;
    }

    /* if (useAlt)
    ncfile.addGlobalAttribute("altitude_coordinate", altName); */

    // find string lengths
    for (int i = 0; i < nstns; i++) {
      ucar.unidata.geoloc.Station station = stnList.get(i);
      name_strlen = Math.max(name_strlen, station.getName().length());
      desc_strlen = Math.max(desc_strlen, station.getDescription().length());
      if (useWmoId) wmo_strlen = Math.max(wmo_strlen, station.getName().length());
    }

    LatLonRect llbb = getBoundingBox(stnList);
    ncfile.addGlobalAttribute(
        "geospatial_lat_min", Double.toString(llbb.getLowerLeftPoint().getLatitude()));
    ncfile.addGlobalAttribute(
        "geospatial_lat_max", Double.toString(llbb.getUpperRightPoint().getLatitude()));
    ncfile.addGlobalAttribute(
        "geospatial_lon_min", Double.toString(llbb.getLowerLeftPoint().getLongitude()));
    ncfile.addGlobalAttribute(
        "geospatial_lon_max", Double.toString(llbb.getUpperRightPoint().getLongitude()));

    // add the dimensions
    Dimension recordDim = ncfile.addUnlimitedDimension(recordDimName);
    recordDims.add(recordDim);

    Dimension stationDim = ncfile.addDimension(stationDimName, nstns);
    stationDims.add(stationDim);

    // add the station Variables using the station dimension
    Variable v = ncfile.addVariable(latName, DataType.DOUBLE, stationDimName);
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("units", "degrees_north"));
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("long_name", "station latitude"));

    v = ncfile.addVariable(lonName, DataType.DOUBLE, stationDimName);
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("units", "degrees_east"));
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("long_name", "station longitude"));

    if (useAlt) {
      v = ncfile.addVariable(altName, DataType.DOUBLE, stationDimName);
      ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("units", "meters"));
      ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("long_name", "station altitude"));
    }

    v = ncfile.addStringVariable(idName, stationDims, name_strlen);
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("long_name", "station identifier"));

    v = ncfile.addStringVariable(descName, stationDims, desc_strlen);
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("long_name", "station description"));

    if (useWmoId) {
      v = ncfile.addStringVariable(wmoName, stationDims, wmo_strlen);
      ncfile.addVariableAttribute(v, new Attribute("long_name", "station WMO id"));
    }

    v = ncfile.addVariable(numProfilesName, DataType.INT, stationDimName);
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(
        v, new Attribute("long_name", "number of profiles in linked list for this station"));

    v = ncfile.addVariable(firstProfileName, DataType.INT, stationDimName);
    ncfile.addVariableAttribute(
        v, new Attribute("long_name", "index of first profile in linked list for this station"));
  }