Each attribute in a CDF has a unique name. Attribute names are case sensitive
regardless of the operating system being used and may consist
of up to CDF_ATTR_NAME_LEN
printable characters (including blanks). Trailing blanks,
however, are
ignored when the CDF library compares attribute names. "UNITS"
and "UNITS " are considered to be the same name, so they cannot
both exist in the same CDF. This was done because
Version 1 of CDF padded attribute names on the right with blanks out to eight
characters.
When a Version 1 CDF was converted to a Version 2 CDF these trailing blanks
remained in the attributes names. To allow CDF Version 2 applications to read
such a CDF
without having to be concerned with the trailing blanks, the trailing blanks
are ignored by the CDF when comparing attributes names.
The trailing blanks are returned as part of the name, however, when an
attribute is inquired by an application program.