Strings.ini

The optional file strings.ini allows the customisation of a number of phrases that are output by Cumulus. It affects the output where shown (Cumulus 1.x.x) on the main screen, and where included (all Cumulus versions) in the web tags.

Introduction

No Cumulus release includes a strings.ini file (note that unless you are running Cumulus in a Windows operating system, all characters in this file name must be lower case). It is a file that a Cumulus user can add to customise some of the output that comes from Cumulus software.

Essentially, strings.ini is constructed by including one or more parameters taken from samplestring.ini (that file is in the distribution). Each parameter is made up of an "attribute=value" pair, with the left hand side indicating what Cumulus is trying to output, and the right hand side indicating the phrase you want Cumulus to use instead. Please note, that for MX only, there are some exceptions where the LHS does not indicate the default output, the default is as per RHS in samplestrings.ini, and these exceptions use embedded parameters on the RHS, for these exceptions you can modify the text surrounding certain output figures represented by imbedded {0} and {1}.

Note that you can only change the display of items that are already present in the samplestrings.ini file that is part of the distribution for whatever release of Cumulus you are running. You can't just add other items to the file and expect them to work.

Currently you can modify phrases associated with the following:

Legacy Cumulus 1.9.x

• Forecasting
• Moon phases
• Beaufort Scale
• Trend descriptions
• Compass points
• Graph titles (not applicable to MX)
• Additional sensor names

Cumulus MX (under development)

• Solar (not applicable to legacy Cumulus)
• Forecasting
• Moon phases
• Beaufort Scale
• Trend descriptions
• Compass points
• Extra sensor names (more extensive than legacy Cumulus)

(Please see Samplestring.ini page for full list of group names, appearing in square brackets [], for MX).

Modifying the phrases

In the folder where you installed Cumulus, you will find a file called samplestrings.ini. Take a copy of this, leave it in the Cumulus installation folder, and rename it strings.ini. Note that your 'strings.ini' only needs to contain the rows with phrases you want to modify.

You can edit anything that follows the equals sign. By default, there is always a particular phrase already there, but you can replace the right hand text with the equivalent in another language, or with a similar but more descriptive phase that is easier for you to understand. If you do not want to change the right hand text, then the entire line can be deleted, and the default will be used by Cumulus.

You must restart Cumulus if you make changes to the strings.ini file while Cumulus is running. Cumulus only reads the file when it starts to run.

Forecast phrases

By default Cumulus will provide a list of 28 possible forecasts. By editing the strings.ini file you can change the wording of these or translate to another language. You must have opted to have the forecast generated by Cumulus in the configuration page.

The file contains all the strings used for the forecasts, example:

forecast23=Precipitation at frequent intervals

you could change to

forecast23=Rain again

Moon Phases

Within the [MoonPhases] section of the strings.ini file there are 8 possible phrases to describe the phases of the moon. Adjust these as required.

Graph Titles

This section [Graphs] allows you modify the titles used for both the thumbnail and larger graphs that Cumulus produces. For instance you may want to change the language from the default English.

Extra Sensor Captions

This section [ExtraSensorCaptions] allows you to assign meaningful names to any addtional sensors you may have added to your WMR100/200 weather station.

Extra Temperature Captions, Extra Humidity Captions, Extra Dew Point Captions, Soil Temperature Captions, Soil Moisture Captions, Leaf Temperature Captions, and Leaf Wetness Captions

Check which of these are available for the release you are running. There may be more than those listed here.

Meaningful descriptive labels can be assigned to each extra Davis or Oregon Scientific sensor by editing the lines in the following sections and placing a more appropriate descriptive name to the right of the equals sign:

• [ExtraTempCaptions]
• [ExtraHumCaptions]
• [ExtraDPCaptions]
• [SoilTempCaptions]
• [SoilMoistureCaptions]
• [LeafTempCaptions]
• [LeafWetnesscaptions]

Solar

Please note, the calculations used are approximate, this is a "fun" feature, not a "serious" feature.

[Solar]

MoreDaylightTomorrow=There will be {0}min {1}s more daylight tomorrow

LessDaylightTomorrow=There will be {0}min {1}s less daylight tomorrow

The {0} and {1} strings are placeholders for where you want the minutes and seconds to appear. Note by default, there is no space between figure and units.

Legacy Cumulus 1: Remember that these minutes and seconds are calculated only at midnight based on times for last Dawn and next Dusk that will be on different dates (except between dusk and midnight), so they are approximate as they never relate to your current daytime period. However, this modification is only available in Cumulus 2 and 3 (MX).

MX: Recalculated during the day, so you may see the figures change depending on local time. Please remember, the dawn and dusk used may still be on different days.

Example file

As an example, a poor attempt at a French translation:

This example of strings.ini has had some English phrases (see samplestrings.ini) replaced by their French equivalents, and a few other terms have been changed to different English phrases just to give an example of what can be done.

[Forecast]
Forecast=prévisions 
notavailable=pas disponibles
exceptional=temps exceptionnel
forecast1=beau temps établi
forecast2=beau temps
forecast3=tendance au beau temps
forecast4=beau temps, tendance à se dégrader
forecast5=beau, averses possibles
forecast6=plutôt beau, en amélioration
forecast7=plutôt beau averses possibles en matinée
forecast8=assez beau, des averses en soirée
forecast9=averses, en amélioration
forecast10=variable, en amélioration
forecast11=plutôt beau, averses probables
forecast12=plutôt perturbé, s'améliorant
forecast13=perturbé, s'améliorant probablement
forecast14=pluies éparses, belles éclaircies
forecast15=averses, temps se découvrant
forecast16=variable, quelques précipitations
forecast17=perturbé, de rares éclairces 
forecast18=variable, quelques précipitations tardives 
forecast19=variable, quelques précipitations
forecast20=très perturbé
forecast21=précipitations occasionnelles, se dégradant
forecast22=quelques précipitations, très perturbé
forecast23=Precipitations à intervalles fréquents
forecast24=Pluie, très perturbé
forecast25=tempête, pourrait s'améliorer
forecast26=tempête, fortes pluies

[MoonPhases]
Newmoon=nouvelle Lune
WaxingCrescent=premier croissant
FirstQuarter=premier quartier
WaxingGibbous=Lune gibbeuse croissante
Fullmoon=Pleine Lune
WaningGibbous=Lune gibbeuse décroissante
LastQuarter=dernier quartier
WaningCrescent=dernier croissant

[Beaufort]
Calm=Calme
Lightair=très légère brise
Lightbreeze=brise légère
Gentlebreeze=Petite brise
Moderatebreeze=jolie brise
Freshbreeze=bonne brise
Strongbreeze=vent frais
Neargale=grand frais
Gale=coup de vent
Stronggale=fort coup de vent
Storm=Tempête
Violentstorm=Violente tempête
Hurricane=Ouragan

[Trends]
Risingveryrapidly=hausse très rapide
Risingquickly=hausse rapide
Rising=hausse
Risingslowly=hausse lentement
Steady=stable
Fallingslowly=chute lente
Falling=chute
Fallingquickly=chute rapide
Fallingveryrapidly=chute très rapide

[Compass]
N=N
NNE=NNE
NE=NE
ENE=ENE
E=E
ESE=ESE
SE=SE
SSE=SSE
S=S
SSW=SSW
SW=SW
WSW=WSW
W=W
WNW=WNW
NW=NW
NNW=NNW

[Graphs]
SmallGraphWindSpeedTitle=Wind Speed
SmallGraphOutsideTemperatureTitle=Air Temperature 
SmallGraphInsideTemperatureTitle=Inside Temperature
SmallGraphPressureTitle=Atmospheric Pressure 
SmallGraphRainfallRateTitle=Rainfall Rate
SmallGraphWindDirectionTitle=Wind Direction 
SmallGraphTempMinMaxAvgTitle=Temp Min/Max/Avg
SmallGraphHumidityTitle=Humidity
SmallGraphRainTodayTitle=Rain Today
SmallGraphDailyRainTitle=Daily Rain
*SmallGraphSolarTitle=Solar Radiation
*SmallGraphUVTitle=UV Index
*SmallGraphSunshineTitle=Daily Sunshine (hrs)
LargeGraphWindSpeedTitle=Wind Speed
LargeGraphWindGustTitle=Wind Gust
LargeGraphOutsideTempTitle=Air Temperature
LargeGraphHeatIndexTitle=Heat Index
LargeGraphDewPointTitle=Dew Point
LargeGraphWindChillTitle=Wind Chill
LargeGraphApparentTempTitle=Apparent Temperature
LargeGraphInsideTempTitle=Inside Temperature
LargeGraphPressureTitle=Pressure
LargeGraphRainfallRateTitle=Rainfall Rate
LargeGraphWindDirectionTitle=Wind Direction
LargeGraphWindAvgDirectionTitle=Ave. Direction
LargeGraphMinTempTitle=Lowest Temp
LargeGraphMaxTempTitle=Highest Temp
LargeGraphAvgTempTitle=Average Temp
LargeGraphInsideHumidityTitle=Inside Humidity
LargeGraphOutsideHumidityTitle=Outside Humidity
LargeGraphRainfallTodayTitle=Rainfall Today
LargeGraphDailyRainfallTitle=Daily Rainfall
*LargeGraphSolarTitle=Solar Radiation
*LargeGraphMaxSolarTitle=Theoretical Max
*LargeGraphUVTitle=UV Index
*LargeGraphSunshineTitle=Daily Sunshine(hrs)

[ExtraSensorCaptions]
Solar=Solar
ExtraChannel2=My Channel 2
ExtraChannel3=My Channel 3
ExtraChannel4=My Channel 4
ExtraChannel5=unused Channel 5
ExtraChannel6=unused Channel 6
ExtraChannel7=unused Channel 7
ExtraChannel8=unused Channel 8
ExtraChannel9=spare Channel 9
ExtraChannel10=spare Channel 10

*[ExtraTempCaptions]
Sensor1=shed 1
Sensor2=greenhouse 2
Sensor3=Spare 3
Sensor4=Sensor 4
Sensor5=Sensor 5
Sensor6=Sensor 6
Sensor7=Sensor 7
Sensor8=Sensor 8
Sensor9=Spare 9
Sensor10=Spare 10

*[ExtraHumCaptions]
Sensor1=Sensor 1
Sensor2=greenhouse 2
Sensor3=Sensor 3
Sensor4=Sensor 4
Sensor5=Sensor 5
Sensor6=Sensor 6
Sensor7=Sensor 7
Sensor8=Sensor 8
Sensor9=Spare 9
Sensor10=Spare 10

*[ExtraDPCaptions]
Sensor1=Sensor 1
Sensor2=greenhouse 2
Sensor3=Sensor 3
Sensor4=Sensor 4
Sensor5=Sensor 5
Sensor6=Sensor 6
Sensor7=Sensor 7
Sensor8=Sensor 8
Sensor9=Sensor 9
Sensor10=Sensor 10

*[SoilTempCaptions]
Sensor1=Soil 1
Sensor2=Sensor 2
Sensor3=Sensor 3
Sensor4=Sensor 4

*[SoilMoistureCaptions]
Sensor1=Sensor 1
Sensor2=Sensor 2
Sensor3=Sensor 3
Sensor4=Sensor 4

*[LeafTempCaptions]
Sensor1=Sensor 1
Sensor2=Sensor 2

*[LeafWetnesscaptions]
Sensor1=Sensor 1
Sensor2=Sensor 2


^[Solar]
MoreDaylightTomorrow=Il y aura {0} minutes {1} secondes plus la lumière du jour demain
LessDaylightTomorrow=Il y aura {0} minutes {1} secondes moins la lumière du jour demain

* = value/section added v1.9.3 beta (Cumulus 1)
^ = value/section added v3 beta build 3023 (Cumulus MX)

A variety of translated files are coming soon in the other Languages section