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"));
  }
  private NetcdfFileWriteable writeNetcdfMetadata(
      NetcdfFileWriteable ncFile,
      String variableName,
      ArrayList<ArrayList<VariableEntry>> variableListList)
      throws IOException {

    int suffixInt = 1;

    for (ArrayList<VariableEntry> variableList : variableListList) {
      ArrayList<Dimension> dims = new ArrayList<Dimension>();

      // add coordinate variables for each dimension
      for (int i = 0; i < variableList.size(); i++) {
        VariableEntry temp = variableList.get(i);

        Dimension tempDim;

        System.out.println("writing metadata for dim " + temp.getVariableName());

        if (temp.isUnlimited()) {
          // see if there is already an unlimited dimension in this filea,
          // if so, use it. If not, add it
          // if ( ncFile.hasUnlimitedDimension() )  {
          if (this._unlimitedDim == null) {
            tempDim = ncFile.addUnlimitedDimension(temp.getVariableName());
            this._unlimitedDim = tempDim;
          } else {
            // tempDim = this._unlimitedDim;
            dims.add(this._unlimitedDim);
            continue;
          }

        } else {
          tempDim = ncFile.addDimension(temp.getVariableName(), temp.getSize());
        }

        // add a coordinate variable
        Dimension[] tempDimArray = {tempDim};
        ncFile.addVariable(temp.getVariableName(), temp.getType(), tempDimArray);
        ncFile.addVariableAttribute(temp.getVariableName(), "units", temp.getUnits());
        ncFile.addVariableAttribute(temp.getVariableName(), "long_name", temp.getLongName());
        dims.add(tempDim);
      }

      // add the main variable
      System.out.println("adding variable " + (variableName + Integer.toString(suffixInt)));
      ncFile.addVariable(variableName + Integer.toString(suffixInt), DataType.INT, dims);
      suffixInt++;
    }
    /*
            ArrayList<Dimension> dims = new ArrayList<Dimension>();
            Dimension tempDim;
            String localName = "dim";

            for( int i = 0; i < dimensions.length; i++){
                if ( (0 == i) && variableDim) {
                    tempDim = ncFile.addUnlimitedDimension("dim" + Integer.toString(i));
                } else {
                    tempDim = ncFile.addDimension("dim" + Integer.toString(i), dimensions[i]);
                }
                dims.add( tempDim);
            }

            ncFile.addVariable(varName, dataType, dims);
    */

    return ncFile;
  }