WxML network attribute

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network

The network attribute defines the observation network from which a particular data set is obtained. It is used to specify which site and parameter list to use in conjunction with a particular MDF or MG0 formatted data file. The network attribute is necessary because standard MDF and MG0 files do not explicitly identify the observation network from which their data were collected. The network attribute can also be used in cases where the data in question are available in the network's site list, and a separate data file is not required.

The network attribute should contain the name of the observation network corresponding to the OCS Resource file that defines it. Networks supported in WxML are currently limited to those defined in the OCS Resources, although this may change in future versions.

Supporting Tags

The network attribute is supported by the <data> tag. By default, data are assumed to be from the Oklahoma Mesonet, so the network attribute is not required when using Mesonet data. However, if data from another network are used, the network attribute must be provided.

The network attribute must also be provided if the data are to be obtained from the network's site list rather than a data file. In this case, the <data> tag's src attribute is undefined.

Examples

<data network="ARM Network" src="armdata.mdf" param="TAIR"/> <data network="Oklahoma Mesonet" param="STID"/> <data network="ARS Micronet" param="ELEV"/>

Notes

Supported networks are currently limited to those with files in the OCS Resources folder. These files are bundled as part of our standard software distribution, although additional files may be added over time. Some examples of these networks are listed in the table below.

Network

ARM Network

ARS Micronet

NEXRAD Sites

Oklahoma Mesonet

In addition to the observation networks listed above, our latest software distribution includes files that define the locations of various cities and towns within Oklahoma. Although these sites are not part of the Mesonet or another observation network, they use the same format to allow the software to plot their locations. Some examples of these files are listed below.

City and Town Lists

OK-FIRST Towns

Oklahoma Cities

Oklahoma County Seats

Oklahoma Towns

Finally, some custom network resources are used internally by OCS employees for various purposes, and many others have been created by OCS and its licensees in developing custom web sites for specific customers. These files are not included in the standard software distribution, but may be used with the software by adding them to the OCS Resources folder.

Future versions of our software are intended to support externally-defined site and parameter lists. This should limit the proliferation of custom network resource files and may lead to some of the files listed above being removed from the standard software distribution.