new version of NCL

From: Mary Haley (haley AT XXXXXX)
Date: Mon Jul 21 2003 - 08:29:36 MDT

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    Hi everybody,

    I'd like to announce a new version of NCL that has lots of new
    functionality and some important bug fixes. For more information
    and examples of the below, see:

      http://ngwww.ucar.edu/ncl/whatsnew.html

    New and updated functions:
    =========================

      escovc - Calculates cross-covariance between two variables.

      filwgts_normal - Calculates 1D filter weights based on the gaussian
      (normal) distribution.

      fspan - Updated to allow numeric input.

      getfiledimsizes - Returns a list of dimension sizes of the given
      file variable.

      getfilevardimsizes - Returns an array of integer dimension sizes for
      file variables. This function already existed as "filevardimsizes",
      but to stay consistent with the naming convention of other file
      retrieval functions (they all start with the word "get"), we decided
      to give it a new name. The old name will still work forever for
      backwards compatibility.

      isfilepresent - Checks for the existence of a file.

      isunlimited - Checks if a named dimension in the file is defined as
      an unlimited dimension.

      NhlNewDashPattern - Adds new dash patterns to the existing table of
      dash patterns.

      NhlNewMarker - Adds new markers to the existing table of
      markers.

      ut_calendar/ut_inv_calendar - Converts from time values with
      specific units to UTC-referenced dates, and vice versa. These
      fuctions use routines in the Udunits library to do the conversions.

    New functionality:
    ==================

      New way to create a double precision variable:

         You can now specify doubles on the fly without having to use the
         "new" function. The format is similar to Fortran, in which you
         use a 'D' or 'd' specification. The following are equivalent, and
         produce a NCL variable of type "double":

                     d = 1d
                     d = 1D
                     d = 1D0
                     d = 1d+0
                     d = 1d-0

      Stipple dot size control:

         You can now control the size of stipple dots (pattern 17 in the
         fill pattern table) using the new resources cnFillDotSizeF,
         gsFillDotSizeF, lbFillDotSizeF, and mpFillDotSizeF.

    Important bug fixes
    ===================

      Fix for cases where you have constant X or Y data in an XY plot.

         Previously, if you had an XY plot in which the data was constant
         in X or Y, you would get a warning message:

         warning:TransInitialize: Zero Y coordinate span: defaulting:[errno=1104]

         and the axis representing the constant data would default to a
         minimum of 0 and a maximum of 1. This has been fixed so that the
         minimum and maximum are calculated based on the value of the
         constant data.

       Changes to GRIB reader

         The GRIB reader in NCL has been updated using the currently
         documented values at:

         http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/pmb/docs/on388/

         with the exception that model index 84 was changed from "MESO ETA
         Model (currently 12 km)" to simply "MESO ETA Model", because we
         believe the same index has been used historically for a number of
         different model resolutions. Model indexes 83 and 85 are changed
         from "No longer used" to what they were previously: "ETA Model -
         80 km version" and "ETA Model - 30 km version", on the assumption
         that any GRIB file with these model indexes would be an old one.

       Line thickness in PostScript files

         With the addition of the PDF driver, the line thickness for the
         various output devices (NCGM, X11 window, PS, and PDF) were
         adjusted to try to get them all to look the same. This resulted
         in line thicknesses for PS files being noticeably thicker, so
         they were reduced back to what they looked like before version
         4.2.0.a028.

       Polymarkers

         With the addition of the NhlNewMarker routine, the current
         existing markers in NCL have been adjusted to be more centered
         with respect to its position coordinates. These differences will
         probably not be noticeable for standard marker programs. However,
         if you are significantly increasing the size of your markers, you
         may notice a slight shift in the X and/or Y direction.

    --Mary

    -------------------------------------------------
    Mary Haley haley AT ucar.edu
    NCAR/SCD/VETS 303-497-1254 (voice)
    1850 Table Mesa Dr 303-497-1804 (fax)
    Boulder, CO 80305
    -------------------------------------------------
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