4-2014   Adding new product definition templates

Step 1. adding flags  X.Y

PDTs have flags that need to be specified.

Step 1:

if the flag X.Y is already in FlagTable.c, add your flag new PDT to the existing code.

if the flag X.Y is not defined in FlagTable.c, you need to define:

  a) unsigned char *flag_table_X_Y_location(unsigned char **sec);
     code in in FlagTable.c, prototype in wgrib2.h
     this routine returns a pointer to the flag.

  b) int flag_table_X_Y(unsigned char **sec);
     code in in FlagTable.c, prototype in wgrib2.h
     this routine returns an integer with the contents of the flag (-1 if not available)
     calls flag_table_X_Y_location(unsigned char **sec)

  c) int f_flag_table_X_Y(ARG0);
     code in in FlagTable.c, prototype in wgrib2.h
     a set of comments in FlagTable.c of the format

       /*
        * HEADER:-1:flag_table_X.Y:inv:0:flag table X.Y, description of flag X.Y
        */

     These comments are essential.  They are used by the compiling system to
     define new wgrib2 options.  Format of the HEADER

      HEADER:(priority):(name):(type of option):(number of args):(description)

     priority = -1  means that the option will only appear in a -help all
     name = name of option, option calls f_(name)
     type = type of option: inv, output, inv_output, misc, setup

     f_flage_table_X_Y(ARG0) writes a text output on the value 
     of the flag.

   d) optional: if you want the ability to set flag X.Y, from wgrib2
      modify int f_set(ARG2)  in Mod_grib.c

   Note: in the old standard, flag_table_X_Y_location() was optional.


Step 2:

Adding code tables from the new PDT.

if the code table  X.Y is already in CodeTable.c, add your new PDT.
if the code table X.Y is not defined in CodeTable.c, you need to define it.
   This step is like adding a new flag, you need to define new functions
   a) unsigned char *code_table_X_Y_location(unsigned char **sec);
   b) int code_table_X_Y(unsigned char **sec);
   c) int f_code_table_X_Y(ARG0);
   optional: if you want the ability to set code table X.Y, from wgrib2
       modify int f_set(ARG2)  in Mod_grib.c
  
   Note: in the old standard, code_table_X_Y_location() was optional.


Step 3:


Sometimes the pdt has values that are not flags or code tables. They can be added
in Code_Values.c  I have been using long names which correspond to the GRIB
documentation.  


Note: File name Convention for *.c files.  If they start with a capital, they
include an option (f_*) otherwise they start with a lower case.

Note: try to keep the details of the PDTs in the FlagTable.c CodeTable.c
and Code_Values.c 


After step 1, 2 and 3, wgrib2 should work in a minimal way.  Of course there
is a reason why you want to add a new template.  The next step will depend
on the new template.  Here is my experience in adding new PDTs.

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          Background: Introduction to full/extended names:

With grib1, the variable name was a good descriptor of the field.

With grib2, the variable name can be modified by tables.  So the
variable name is no longer a unique identifier.  For example
with aerosols, every species is identified by mass concentration.  
For probabilistic precip forecasts, the different forecasts have 
the same grib identifier.  Having unique identifiers is
convenient, so wgrib2 can generate full/extended names.  This
is done by taking the grib name and appending selected fields
to the name.

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Aerosols:
   added a new option that will print out the aerosol information.  See Aerosol.c

   Since aerosols alter the definition of the variable, it was added to

   f_misc() in ExtName.c