# Presentation: 138146

## GFE Local Text Formatters

- Mark Mathewson
- Brian Motta

-                                              Note: Text Products User Guide at
- http://www-md.fsl.noaa.gov/eft/ifps12doc/onlinehelp/TextFormatter.html

## Configuration Issues in IFPS12.x

**General items**
** ****What should work after install ?**
** ****What might break due to install ?**
** ****Overview of Documentation**
** ****Current Expectations**
** ****Future Expectations**

- GFE Local Text Formatters

**Inception 9/98**

**Exploration**

**Consolidation**

**Multiple**
**versions**

**Backward**
**Compatible**

**Changing**
**Infrastructure**

**Integrating**
**Versions**

-                  RPP
-      Development Cycle

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## General Items

**  **

- “First cut” of new formatters to all field sites
- Tabular products more mature than narrative
- Feedback still important/more improvements

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## What should work after install?

- 10 CORE IOC Products
- Tabular: CCF, SFT, AFM, PFM, MVF, FWF-table, FWM
- Narrative: ZFP, SAF, CWF, GLF, NSH, FWF

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## What might/will break due to install ?

- Products Developed with RPP17 and prior infrastructure – “Mostly” backward compatible.
- This “old” infrastructure will no longer be supported and will be removed someday.

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Slide 7

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Slide 8

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## RPP21

**RPP21**
**IFPS14**

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## What might/will break due to install ?

- Name collisions between Old and New Core Products e.g. “AreaFcst”
-  Transition Strategy:
-  Local Enhancements can be added via request to RPP listserver
-  Use new core product

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## What might/will break due to install ?

- Core Products for which the Local file has been overridden.
- Transition Strategy:
-  Start fresh with new Local file
-  Integrate any necessary customizations
-  Customize judiciously

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Overview of Documentation

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

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Overview of Documentation

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

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Quick-Start Product Set-up

- Steps to getting a product up and running:
- Display Name
- Output file
- Edit Areas

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Customization Guide

- Product Headers
- Definition Section, Edit Areas, and Combinations file
- Overriding Thresholds and Variables
- Customizing Narrative Products
- Headlines

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## 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

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Non-Recommended Ways to Customize

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

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Help and Feedback Support

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

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## 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 summer’ish.

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Tabular Infrastructure

- Simple Tabular Products - maturity 9 - 10
- Smart Tabular Products - maturity 8 - 9
- Smart Text Product Template
- Examples
- getStats
- makeRow

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Narrative Infrastructure

- Maturity 5 – 7

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Upcoming Expectations

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Motivation

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## 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.

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## 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.” -->  “Winds SE 10 mph shifting to E 20 mph.”
**Coordination between phrases** e.g. wind_summary, windRange_phrase.

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## 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

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## 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

- GFE Local Text Formatters

**Inception 9/98**

**Exploration**

**Consolidation**

**Multiple**
**versions**

**Backward**
**Compatible**

**Changing**
**Infrastructure**

**Integrating**
**Versions**

-                  RPP
-      Development Cycle

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Transition

- Download s/w from FSL prior to AWIPS release.
- Install on RPP machine
- Start with new Local file
- Configure with local customizations
- Migrate over to operational IFPS.
- Use operationally

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Next Steps 

- 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

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## NWS Local Formatter Policy

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## Local Formatter Policy

- _[http://www-md.fsl.noaa.gov/eft/rpp/LocalFormatterPolicy.html](http://www-md.fsl.noaa.gov/eft/rpp/LocalFormatterPolicy.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.

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## 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

- GFE Local Text Formatters

## 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.

- GFE Local Text Formatters