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Dayfile.txt: Difference between revisions
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=== File specific Editing Rules === | === File specific Editing Rules === | ||
[[File:Open office (editing cumulus log files).png| right]] | |||
# The file should be saved without "Byte Order Mark", specialised text editors will include a menu where you select the encoding and can select not to include BOM. | # The file should be saved without "Byte Order Mark", specialised text editors will include a menu where you select the encoding and can select not to include BOM. | ||
# All rows must ''start with date'' and include at least 14 further fields ''in correct sequence''. | # All rows must ''start with date'' and include at least 14 further fields ''in correct sequence''. | ||
# The (meteorological) date format uses ''two digits for the year''. | # The (meteorological) date format uses ''two digits for the year''. | ||
#*This is one reason why you need to edit this file using an editor that treats all fields as text (a text editor, a CSV editor, or a spreadsheet program that can be instructed ''not'' to recognise special field types). | #*This is one reason why you need to edit this file using an editor that treats all fields as text (a text editor, a CSV editor, or a spreadsheet program that can be instructed ''not'' to recognise special field types). | ||
#*For spreadsheet tools (e.g. '''Calc''' in Libre Office, or on Microsoft Windows '''Excel''') avoid using default of recognising formats, ensure that such recognition is turned off, as it is likely to change the dates to either a number representing days since e.g. 31 Dec 1899, or to change it to four figure years, and then Cumulus will no longer be able to use the log file. | #*For spreadsheet tools (e.g. '''Calc''' in Libre Office, or on Microsoft Windows '''Excel''') avoid using default of recognising formats, ensure that such recognition is turned off (see image), as it is likely to change the dates to either a number representing days since e.g. 31 Dec 1899, or to change it to four figure years, and then Cumulus will no longer be able to use the log file. | ||
#Remember the month must be the middle figure in the date, USA convention cannot apply within this logfile. | #Remember the month must be the middle figure in the date, USA convention cannot apply within this logfile. | ||
#The separator between the three parts of the date should be a '-' hyphen or a '/' slash, it cannot be a space. | #The separator between the three parts of the date should be a '-' hyphen or a '/' slash, it cannot be a space. | ||
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#*Although, use of comma or point for separating parts of the date is in some locales, and therefore allowed by Cumulus, those locale settings are not recommended as these date separators can cause issues for subsequent edits. | #*Although, use of comma or point for separating parts of the date is in some locales, and therefore allowed by Cumulus, those locale settings are not recommended as these date separators can cause issues for subsequent edits. | ||
#* If you move your software to a new device, or you change from Cumulus 1 to Cumulus MX (or back), then you must ensure your dates still use the same separator, so all lines are consistent. | #* If you move your software to a new device, or you change from Cumulus 1 to Cumulus MX (or back), then you must ensure your dates still use the same separator, so all lines are consistent. | ||
# Each of the fields from date to the end of the line are separated using the list separator (e.g. a comma or semi-colon) defined for your device | |||
#* If you wish to use Excel, or to use "Calc" in 'Apache Open Office', "Libre Office", or similar, you may on opening the file need to pre-select the field separator you use (in this illustration comma is selected, but your file might use semi-colons between fields, don't select commas if your real numbers use comma between integer and decimal parts) and leave "Detect Special Numbers" (or whatever similar feature name your tool uses) unselected. Again third party packages processing dayfile.txt will need to recognise your field separator, and some may need to specify it. | |||
* | # Rows can vary in length but only by missing off ''fields at the end''. The minimum number of fields after the date is 14, the maximum varies between different versions. | ||
#Each field has a pre-defined format, and the same format must always be used in that field position. | |||
#No fields will accept letters. | |||
#*Some fields (e.g. bearings, solar, humidity) are ''integers'' (see [[#List_of_fields_in_the_file]]) only take integers. Decimals are not allowed in an integer field, so no comma or full-stop can be within these fields. | |||
#* Most value fields are in ''real number format'' using your system/locale decimal notation ("x.y" or "x,y"). Trailing zeroes are not required, so you can put an integer in a real number field, you don't have to have a decimal comma or decimal point. | |||
#Although only the date and 14 other fields are mandatory, you cannot skip some fields defaulting them to null is not allowed, so you cannot add fields at the end, without adding all earlier fields. | |||
#when you do add fields beyond the 14, or however many already exist, be aware that for most derivatives what you add will represent a ''lowest or highest value'' and that must be paired with a time-stamp in the next field. | |||
#*Cumulus will only accept highest/lowest figures if each value has any related time-stamp. | |||
#*If when editing, you don't know what time to quote, the convention is to use a time-stamp of your roll over time i.e. 00:00, 09:00 or 10:00 if you have not looked up the precise time. | |||
* Times appearing for some of the fields must always be in ''format HH:mm'' i.e. 2 digit hour, followed by a colon, then 2 digit minutes (Be aware you will have problems if you, or your editing software, add seconds). Except for wind gust (start of line), each time field will immediately follow the value for that parameter. | * Times appearing for some of the fields must always be in ''format HH:mm'' i.e. 2 digit hour, followed by a colon, then 2 digit minutes (Be aware you will have problems if you, or your editing software, add seconds). Except for wind gust (start of line), each time field will immediately follow the value for that parameter. | ||
* Shorter lines can have multiple field separators added at end of row added either when editing within Cumulus or when editing using a spreadsheet tool. (during editing after all available valid parameters inserted, extra field separators may be added at end of shorter lines inserted by 'Create Missing' or by a spreadsheet as these make all lines end up with same number of fields) | * Shorter lines can have multiple field separators added at end of row added either when editing within Cumulus or when editing using a spreadsheet tool. (during editing after all available valid parameters inserted, extra field separators may be added at end of shorter lines inserted by 'Create Missing' or by a spreadsheet as these make all lines end up with same number of fields) | ||