getx.var.ncdf= function (nc, varid = NA, start = NA, count = NA, verbose = FALSE, 
    signedbyte = TRUE, forcevarid = NA) 
{
    if (verbose) {
        if (!is.na(forcevarid)) {
            print("get.var.ncdf: entering with forcevarid set to:")
            print(forcevarid)
        }
        else {
            print("get.var.ncdf: entering. Here is varid:")
            print(varid)
        }
    }
    have_start = (length(start) > 1) || ((length(start) == 1) && 
        (!is.na(start)))
    have_count = (length(count) > 1) || ((length(count) == 1) && 
        (!is.na(count)))
    if (class(nc) != "ncdf") 
        stop("first argument (nc) is not of class ncdf!")
    if (signedbyte) 
        byte_style = 1
    else byte_style = 2
    if (is.na(forcevarid)) {
        if (verbose) 
            print("checking to see if passed varid is actually a dimvar")
        rvdim <- vobjtodimname(nc, varid, verbose)
        isdimvar <- rvdim$isdim
        if (isdimvar) 
            dimidtouse <- rvdim$name
        if (verbose) 
            print(paste("get.var.ncdf: isdimvar:", isdimvar))
        if (isdimvar) {
            if (verbose) 
                print(paste("get.var.ncdf: dimname:", dimidtouse))
            varid <- nc$dim[[dimidtouse]]$dimvarid
            if (varid == -1) {
                if (!have_start) 
                  start <- 1
                if (!have_count) 
                  count <- nc$dim[[dimidtouse]]$len
                if (count == 1) 
                  return(start)
                else return(start:(start + count - 1))
            }
        }
        else {
            varid <- vobjtovarid(nc, varid, verbose = verbose)
        }
    }
    else {
        varid <- forcevarid
        isdimvar <- TRUE
    }
    if (verbose) 
        print(paste("get.var.ncdf: ending up using varid=", varid))
    varsize <- varsize.ncdf(nc, varid)
    ndims <- varndims.ncdf(nc, varid)
    if (verbose) {
        print(paste("ndims:", ndims))
        print("get.var.ncdf: varsize:")
        print(varsize)
    }
    if (ndims == 0) {
        start <- 1
        count <- 1
    }
    else {
        if (!have_start) 
            start <- rep(1, ndims)
        if (!have_count) 
            count <- varsize - start + 1
        else {
            count <- ifelse((count == -1), varsize - start + 
                1, count)
        }
    }
    if (verbose) {
        print("get.var.ncdf: start:")
        print(start)
        print("get.var.ncdf: count:")
        print(count)
    }
    if (ndims > 0) {
        if (length(start) != ndims) 
            stop(paste("Error: variable has", ndims, "dims, but start has", 
                length(start), "entries.  They must match!"))
        if (length(count) != ndims) 
            stop(paste("Error: variable has", ndims, "dims, but count has", 
                length(count), "entries.  They must match!"))
    }
    totvarsize <- prod(count)
    if (verbose) 
        print(paste("get.var.ncdf: totvarsize:", totvarsize))
    c.start <- start[ndims:1] - 1
    c.count <- count[ndims:1]
    rv <- list()
    rv$error <- -1
    precint <- vartype.ncdf(nc, varid)
    if (verbose) 
        print(paste("Getting var of type", precint, " (1=short, 2=int, 3=float, 4=double, 5=char, 6=byte)"))
    if ((precint == 1) || (precint == 2) || (precint == 6)) {
        rv$data <- integer(totvarsize)
        rv <- .C("R_nc_get_vara_int", as.integer(nc$id), as.integer(varid - 
            1), as.integer(c.start), as.integer(c.count), as.integer(byte_style), 
            data = as.integer(rv$data), error = as.integer(rv$error), 
            PACKAGE = "ncdf", DUP = FALSE)
        if (rv$error != 0) 
            stop("C function R_nc_get_var_int returned error")
    }
    else if ((precint == 3) || (precint == 4)) {
        rv$data <- double(totvarsize)
        rv <- .C("R_nc_get_vara_double", as.integer(nc$id), as.integer(varid - 
            1), as.integer(c.start), as.integer(c.count), data = as.double(rv$data), 
            error = as.integer(rv$error), PACKAGE = "ncdf", DUP = FALSE)
        if (rv$error != 0) 
            stop("C function R_nc_get_vara_double returned error")
    }
    else if (precint == 5) {
        strndims <- ndims - 1
        strlen <- count[1] + 1
        strdim <- 1
        if (strndims >= 1) {
            strdim <- count[2:ndims]
            nstr <- prod(strdim)
        }
        else nstr <- 1
        if (verbose) 
            print(paste("ndims:", ndims, "strndims:", strndims, 
                "strlen:", strlen, "nstr:", nstr))
        stor <- blankstring.ncdf(totvarsize)
        stordata <- blankstring.ncdf(strlen)
        if (verbose) 
            print(paste("length of stor string:", nchar(stor)))
        rv$tempstore <- stor
        rv$data <- array(stordata, dim = strdim)
        rv <- .C("R_nc_get_vara_text", as.integer(nc$id), as.integer(varid - 
            1), as.integer(c.start), as.integer(c.count), tempstore = as.character(rv$tempstore), 
            data = as.character(rv$data), error = as.integer(rv$error), 
            PACKAGE = "ncdf")
        if (rv$error != 0) 
            stop("C function R_nc_get_var_text returned error")
        dim(rv$data) <- strdim
    }
    else {
        stop(paste("Trying to get variable of an unhandled type code: ", 
            precint))
    }
    if (verbose) 
        print(paste("get.var.ncdf: C call returned", rv$error))
    if (ndims > 0) {
        count.nodegen <- vector()
        foundone <- 0
        for (i in 1:ndims) if (count[i] > 1) {
            count.nodegen <- append(count.nodegen, count[i])
            foundone <- 1
        }
        if (foundone == 0) 
            dim(rv$data) <- (1)
        else {
            if (verbose) 
                print(paste("count.nodegen:", count.nodegen, 
                  "   Length of data:", length(rv$data)))
            if (precint != 5) 
                dim(rv$data) <- count.nodegen
        }
        if (verbose) {
            print("get.var.ncdf: final dims of returned array:")
            print(dim(rv$data))
        }
    }
    if (verbose) {
        print(paste("varid:", varid))
        print(paste("nc$varid2Rindex:", nc$varid2Rindex))
        print(paste("nc$varid2Rindex[varid]:", nc$varid2Rindex[varid]))
    }
    if ((!isdimvar) && (precint != 5)) {
        if (verbose) 
            print("get.var.ncdf: setting missing values to NA")
        if ((precint == 1) || (precint == 2)) {
            mv <- -1.000000e+30
            if (!is.na(mv)) {
                if (verbose) 
                  print(paste("missval:", mv))
                rv$data[rv$data == mv] <- NA
            }
        }
        else if ((precint == 3) || (precint == 4)) {
            mv <- -1.000000e+30
            if (!is.na(mv)) {
                tol <- abs(mv * 1e-05)
                if (verbose) 
                  print(paste("missval:", mv, "  tol:", tol))
                rv$data[abs(rv$data - mv) < tol] <- NA
            }
        }
    }
    if (!isdimvar) {
        if (verbose) 
            print(paste("get.var.ncdf: implementing add_offset (", 
                nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$hasAddOffset, 
                ") and scale_factor (", nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$hasScaleFact, 
                ")"))
        if (nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$hasAddOffset && 
            nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$hasScaleFact) {
            if (verbose) 
                print(paste("var has BOTH add_offset (", nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$addOffset, 
                  ") and scale_fact (", nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$scaleFact, 
                  ")"))
            rv$data <- rv$data * nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$scaleFact + 
                nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$addOffset
        }
        else if (nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$hasAddOffset) {
            if (verbose) 
                print(paste("var has add_offset (only):", nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$addOffset))
            rv$data <- rv$data + nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$addOffset
        }
        else if (nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$hasScaleFact) {
            if (verbose) 
                print(paste("var has scale_factor (only):", nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$scaleFact))
            rv$data <- rv$data * nc$var[[nc$varid2Rindex[varid]]]$scaleFact
        }
        else {
            if (verbose) 
                print("var has NEITHER add_offset nor scale_factor")
        }
    }
    return(rv$data)
}