GFE Local Text Formatters

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GFE Local Text Formatters

• Mark Mathewson

Note Text Products User Guide at http//www-md.fs
l.noaa.gov/eft/ifps12doc/onlinehelp/TextFormatter.
html
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What are we doing?

• FSL, in concert with the field, tasked with
  developing 10 core IOC text products.
• Year-long effort wrapping up this summer.
• 1st drafts available in IFPS12, ready-for-use in
  IFPS14.
• Managing Expectations

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Inception 9/98
Consolidation
Exploration
Integrating Versions
Multiple versions
RPP Development Cycle
Changing Infrastructure
Backward Compatible
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Maturity of Formatters

• Tabular products more mature than narrative
• Feedback still important/more improvements
• RPP Focus Group on Local Text Formatters

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Will my old GFE formatters still work?

• Products Developed with RPP17 and prior
  infrastructure Mostly backward compatible.
• This old infrastructure will no longer be
  supported and will be removed someday.
• Probably late summer

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Recent Activities

• Incorporating Phrase Builder
• Allows all phrases to see all other phrases.
• Allows for intelligent wording.
• Will handle the local effect situation.

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How to get involved?

• Dont write your own products from scratch
• Infrastructure is still changing.
• Dont modify base files that we provide.
• Changes should be made to your local files.
• Send requests for change on ifpsrppinfo list
  server.

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Transition Strategy

• For each IFPS build
• Start fresh with new Local file
• Integrate any necessary customizations
• Customize judiciously

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Overview of Documentation

• Product Set-Up and Customization
• Quick-Start Product Set-up
• Customization guide
• good ways to customize products
• Help and Feedback Guide

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Overview of Documentation

• Reference Guide
• General background and overview
• SampleAnalysis Section
• TextRules Section for narrative products

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Recommended Ways to Customize

• Overriding flags and variables in the Definition
  Section
• Overriding Thresholds and Variables from
  TextRules and SampleAnalysis
• Overriding Component Product Definitions
• Setting up Configurable Issuance information

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Non-Recommended Ways to Customize

• Overriding methods and phrases from TextRules and
  SampleAnalysis
• Writing your own phrase methods
• Writing new products

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Help and Feedback Support

• Multi-faceted approach
• FSL Developers
• Field Office Development Team
• RPP Participants
• IFPS FPs
• List server RPP
• Regional Support

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Current Expectations

• Old GFE Formatter Products will still work
• Use NEW GFE text formatters for the 10 IOC
  products. (not the ones from IFPS11/RPP17)
• Infrastructure will change and be re-organized.
  After maturity, local non-core products will
  need to be converted.
• Conversion completed by late summerish.

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Tabular Infrastructure

• maturity 8-9
• CCF
• AFM/PFM
• SFT

Narrative Infrastructure

• Maturity 5 7
• ZFP, FWF, CWF,

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Upcoming Changes
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Known Requirements

• Analysis-driven -- All phrase methods need to
  report according to the statistics given.
• Local effects need to be integrated into phrases.
  Currently, must use a completely different
  method (local_effects_phrase) with no timing.
• Handling multiple elements needs to be easier
  e.g. Wind with Gust, Swell and Period.

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Known Requirements

• Better handling of Null values -- All e.g.
  light winds, no weather.
• Non-linear rounding and thresholds.
• Coordination between sub-phrases e.g. Winds SE
  10 mph then S 15 mph then E 20 mph. --gt Winds
  SE 10 mph shifting to E 20 mph.
• Coordination between phrases e.g. wind_summary,
  windRange_phrase.

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Phrase Builder Class

• Better access to multiple weather elements and
  sub-phrase information
• More effective pre-processing and consolidating
  of information including Local Effects
• Assemble sequential phrase
• PostProcessPhrase

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RPP21 / IFPS14

• Phrase Builder
• Headlines
• Headers
• Performance improvements
• Samplers can run in the ifpServer, instead of
  pulling out all of the grids over the network
• Product-specific improvements
• Secondary goal may be RPP22/IFPS15

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Inception 9/98
Consolidation
Exploration
Integrating Versions
Multiple versions
RPP Development Cycle
Changing Infrastructure
Backward Compatible
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Next Steps for FSL (after this summer)

• User Guides
• Help with converting old-style formatters to
  new infrastructure
• Support in writing new products
• QUALITY GRIDS are always the key
• Smart Tool/ Smart Init Focus groups

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NWS Local Formatter Policy
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Local Formatter Policy

• http//www-md.fsl.noaa.gov/eft/rpp/LocalFormatterP
  olicy.html
• Defines roles/responsibility for FSL, SEC, MDL,
  local and regional offices
• Defines status of GFE formatters, i.e., under
  development, changing infrastructure,
  expectations
• Defines support procedures, including use of the
  RPP listserver.

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Local Formatter Policy

• Coding, Documentation Guidelines
• Testing Procedures
• Downloading future AWIPS version as an RPP
  version to mitigate problems
• Use separate hardware box for testing
• Start with provided local file and build from
  there.
• READ the Release Notes

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Summary

• NDFD shows us the power of the grids, as has many
  local sites, keep text in perspective.
• Text formatters have developed rapidly since last
  August. Localization and customization remain as
  important steps for the WFO.
• GFE formatters will reach a certain maturity this
  summer. FSL expects to provide support, rather
  than substantial infrastructure changes after
  this point.