NCL batch mode question

From: Daran L. Rife (drife AT XXXXXX)
Date: Mon Sep 18 2000 - 11:07:09 MDT

  • Next message: Larry Horowitz: "Re: NCL batch mode question"

    Hi Group,

    I have a question regarding running NCL commands in batch mode. I'd like
    to create an NCL script that is called from the cron. The NCL script reads
    ASCII data. The ASCII data file name changes dynamically as wall clock
    time progresses -- in this case the file name contains a pseudo-Unix time
    stamp which indicates the valid time of the data.

    For example, at 1000 UTC a file named 2000091810_surface.dat exists on my
    system (it contains surface data from 1000 UTC). I'd like my NCL script
    (called from the cron) to plot this data. Then at 1100 UTC a file named
    2000091811_surface.dat exits (containing surface data from 1100 UTC) --
    I'd like to automatically plot this data too, and so on.

    I've looked at the GSUN guide examples, and played around a bit with NCL
    itself. It seems as though the only way I can get my NCL script to
    recognize dynamically changing file names, is to generate a 'wrapper'
    script which dynamically creates appropriate file names/locations, then
    sets an environment variable indicating the location of the file. For
    example, here's some pseudo-code from a wrapper script:

            get system date

            create file name/location string from system date

            setenv $FILE_LOCATION

                ncl < my_ncl_script.ncl

            unsetenv $FILE_LOCATION

    Then in my NCL script I have an asciiread call that looks like:

           surface_dat = asciiread($FILE_LOCATION,(/1000,5/),"float")

    Is there a better option than what I've described above?

    Thanks for your time,

    Daran

    __________________________________________________________________

    Daran L. Rife

    Associate Scientist

    National Center for Atmospheric Research
    Research Applications Program
    P.O. Box 3000
    Boulder CO, 80307-3000

    303.497.8398

    drife@ucar.edu
    __________________________________________________________________

    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Sep 18 2000 - 14:06:23 MDT