U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
                WATER-RESOURCES INVESTIGATIONS REPORT 93-4076

                         HYDRO-CLIMATIC DATA NETWORK
                                    (HCDN)
                        STREAMFLOW DATA SET, 1874-1988

                    [This is the \DOCFILES\HCDR.DOC file]


                     Hydro-Climatic Data Retrieval (HCDR)

                                 INTRODUCTION

   The HCDR program allows you to search for and select any of the 1659
stations in the Hydro-Climatic Data Network using a variety of criteria. You
can display station information, sort stations you have selected according to
station or data characteristics, and output the streamflow data in several
formats.

                               GETTING STARTED

   When using the program for the first time, type "@tutor.log" when the
opening screen appears.  This will invoke a tutorial, which will walk you
through the program, displaying a series of pop-up boxes with instructions.
Read and follow the instructions.

   The following sections in this document provide information on program
options, screen interaction, modification of screen appearance and
interaction, details of program execution, and additional available software.

                               PROGRAM OVERVIEW

   The menu structure of HCDR is diagrammed below.  Use of the program follows
three basic steps:  1) Choosing stations from the HCDN data base, 2) Viewing
station characteristics, and 3) Producing output of the streamflow data.

                                      HCDR
                            ___________|___________
                           |           |           |
                       ________     ________    ________
                      |        |   |        |  |        |
                      | Choose |   |  View  |  | Output |
                      |________|   |________|  |________|

                                    ________
                                   |        |
                                   | Choose |
                                   |________|
    ___________________________________|___________________________________
   |          |         |        |          |         |     |      |       |
Location  Watershed  Time pd  Channel  Meteorologic  View  Get  Add/Omit  Sort
- STAID   - DAREA    - #YRS   - DATUM  - PRECIP
- HUCODE  - NONCDA   - BEGYR  - SLOPE  - I24-2.
- LATDEG  - ELEV     - ENDYR  - LENGTH - JANMIN
- LNGDEG  - SOILIN            - LAKE   - GLACER
- STCODE  - FOREST            - STORAG

                                    ________
                                   |        |
                                   |  View  |
                                   |________|
                                 ______|_______
                                |              |
                              Table          Detail

                                    ________
                                   |        |
                                   | Output |
                                   |________|
                      _________________|___________________
                     |       |      |      |       |       |
                   Export   Flat   Wdm   Daily   Table   Detail

   The "Choose" option can be used to select all stations within a specified
latitude or longitude, in specific states, or having a period of record within
a certain range of years.  Many other criteria can be selected for use in
searching the HCDN data base.  Minimum and maximum or other appropriate values
are specified for each criterion selected.  "Get" is selected to perform the
search.

   The two options under the "View" option will display information on the
selected stations.  "Table" displays a table of user-chosen station
characteristics, one station per row, while "Detail" displays all
characteristics defined for each station, one station per screen.

   The streamflow data of the selected stations can be output in a number of
formats using the "Output" option.  "Export" is used to convert the data,
stored in the Watershed Data Management (WDM) binary format, to ASCII for
porting to a non-DOS-based computer for the creation of a WDM file in that
computer's internal binary format (see ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE).  "Flat" outputs
the data in a format which can be read by spreadsheet and statistics software.
"Wdm" will produce a WDM file of selected data; this would be useful in
creating a subset of the HCDN data for use with other software that uses WDM
files as input.  "Daily" produces a printout of daily values, one table per
year.  A monthly minimum, maximum, and mean are included at the bottom of each
table.  "Table" and "Detail" provide the same information as the options under
"View," but output is redirected to a file.


                              SCREEN INTERACTION

   The best way to learn how to use the program is to run the tutorial.  An
overview of the program interface is provided in this section.

                               Interface Basics

   Four types of screens make up the interface: menu, form fill-in, file name,
and informational text screens.  Commands for displaying help information,
moving to previous or following screens, and displaying allowable ranges for
input values are available on each screen as applicable.

   Each screen consists of at least two boxed-in regions, or windows.  These
two regions are the data window and the instruction window.  A third region,
the assistance window, can be displayed or removed from the screen as desired.
Beneath the windows, the available commands appear, with their associated
function keys.  The figure below shows the basic layout of the screens in
HCDR.

+-screen name (path)------------------------program name and version-+
|                                                                    |
|                                                                    |
|                                                                    |
|                                                                    |
|                            Data window                             |
|                                                                    |
|                                                                    |
|                                                                    |
|                                                                    |
|                                                                    |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
+-assistance type----------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                    |
|                         Assistance window                          |
|                                                                    |
|                                                                    |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
+-instruction type---------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                    |
|                         Instruction window                         |
|                                                                    |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
Help:F1  Accept:F2  Prev:F4  Limits:F5  Quiet:F8  Cmhlp  Oops

All three windows and the line of available commands can be viewed on an 80x24
character screen.  Each window has a distinct purpose.  User interaction with
the program takes place in the data window where menus, input forms, and
informational text are displayed.  The instruction window contains information
on the keystrokes necessary to interact with the program.  Error messages
related to invalid keystrokes are also displayed in the instruction window.
When error messages are displayed, the instruction type in the upper left-hand
corner of the window changes from the usual "INSTRUCT" to "ERROR."  In the
assistance window, help information, valid ranges for input values, and
details on program status can be displayed.

   Each screen has a name which is placed where the words "screen name" appear
in the above figure.  The first screen is called the Opening Screen.  All
subsequent screens are given a name based on the menu option selected.  Screen
names are followed by a path--a list of characters which represent the
keystrokes made to arrive at the current screen.  This list of keystrokes can
aid in keeping track of where the current screen falls in the menu hierarchy.

   The assistance window appears when the commands Help, Cmhlp, Limits,
Status, or Xpad are chosen.  The name of the command chosen is placed in the
upper left-hand corner of the assistance window, where the words "assistance
type" appear in the figure above.  The assistance window can be closed by
choosing the Quiet command.  The table below describes each of the commands
available.

               Keys
    Command   Pressed                     Function
             to Invoke*
    -------  ---------   --------------------------------------------

    Help         F1      Displays help information in the assistance
               or ;h     window.  Help information is available for
                         menu options and for input fields on form
                         fill-in and file name screens.  Once Help
                         has been chosen, the help information
                         displayed is updated as different screen
                         elements are highlighted and as different
                         screens are displayed.  The program
                         automatically closes the assistance window
                         if a screen is reached for which there is no
                         help information.

    Accept      F2       Indicates that you have "accepted" the
               or ;a     input values, menu option currently
                         highlighted, or text message in the data
                         window.  Causes program execution to
                         continue.

    Cmhlp       F3 c     Displays brief descriptions of the commands
               or ;c     available on the current screen.

    Oops        F3 o     Redraws screen.  Default values replace any
               or ;o     values that have been entered.  Available
                         on form fill-in and file name screens.

    Prev        F4       Re-displays the previous screen.  Available
               or ;p     on most form fill-in screens and file name
                         input screens.  The program does not read
                         any input values previously entered if Prev
                         is chosen.

    Limits      F5       Displays valid ranges for numeric input, and
               or ;l     possible responses for character input on
                         form fill-in and file name screens.  As with
                         the Help command, information on input
                         limits is updated as different screen
                         elements are highlighted by using the arrow
                         keys or the Enter key.

    Intrpt      F6       Interrupts current processing loop, return-
               or ;i     ing program to point of execution previous
                         to current process.

    Status      F7       Displays the number of stations currently
               or ;s     selected.

    Quiet       F8       Closes the assistance window.  Available
               or ;q     only if the assistance window is open.

    Xpad        F9       Opens the assistance window as a "scratch
               or ;x     pad," for recording notes, questions, or
                         other information to be referred to when
                         done executing the program.  Text entered
                         is saved in a file named "XPAD.DAT".

    * The function keys will work to invoke the commands on most
    systems.  For those systems where this is not the case, the
    semicolon key (";") followed by the first letter of the command
    can be pressed instead.

   Most commands are invoked by pressing a single function key.  The Accept
command, associated with the F2 function key, is used most frequently in the
process of using the program.  Those commands not invoked by a single function
key are chosen by pressing the F3 function key or the semicolon key (";")
followed by the first letter of the command.  Pressing either the F3 key or
the semicolon key causes the cursor to be placed at the bottom of the screen;
any command can then be invoked by typing its first letter.  Pressing either
of these keys a second time without invoking any command will reactivate the
data window.  The F3 key and the semicolon key are also used to reactivate the
data window when the assistance window becomes the active window on the
screen.  This occurs when a command has been chosen that opens the assistance
window, and there is more information to be displayed than can be viewed at
one time in the four-line window.  The line of commands at the bottom of the
screen disappears and directions are given in the instruction window as to how
to scroll through the text displayed in the assistance window.  Pressing the
F3 key or the semicolon key at this point restores the line of commands and
reactivates the data window.

                        Interaction in the Data Window

   Menu selections in the data window can be made by highlighting the desired
option through use of the arrow keys and then invoking the Accept command.
Alternatively, the first letter of the desired menu option can be typed.  If
more than one menu option begins with the same letter, enough characters must
be typed to uniquely identify the desired option.

   Form fill-in screens may require character input, such as a yes/no response
or numeric input.  There are also option fields that can be toggled on or off
by pressing the space bar.  Movement of the cursor around these screens is
accomplished through use of the arrow keys or the Enter key.

   File name screens contain one input field into which a file name is typed.
File names entered are checked for validity; warnings are issued for invalid
file names, and opportunity is given to enter a valid file name.

   Informational text screens are displayed to give information on tasks in
progress or already completed, as well as to give explanatory information or
error messages.  When these screens are displayed, use the Accept command to
continue.

              MODIFICATION OF SCREEN APPEARANCE AND INTERACTION

   Screen characteristics such as color and the default response of the
function keys and the Enter key may be modified through parameters contained
in a "TERM.DAT" file.  Each time HCDR is run, the TERM.DAT file is read if it
exists and values read from the file replace the default system values.

   Function keys F1 through F9, with the exclusion of F3, can be remapped to
any command.  The TERM.DAT parameters PFKEY1, PFKEY2, PFKEY4, ..., PFKEY9 are
assigned the first letter of the command to which the function key should
correspond.

   On menus, file name screens, and text screens, the Enter key is currently
set to respond as if you had invoked Accept on that screen.  The TERM.DAT
parameter which corresponds to Enter key response, "MENCRA," has been given a
default value of "NEXT," causing the program to continue on to the next screen
when the Enter key is pressed.  Alternate values for MENCRA are "NONE" and
"DOWN."  If you included a line containing "MENCRA NONE" in a TERM.DAT file,
the Enter key would have no effect when pressed for menus, file name screens,
or text screens.  Setting the value of MENCRA to "DOWN," however, would cause
the Enter key to function on menu screens as if you had pressed the down
arrow: the highlight bar would move to the next menu option.  On file name and
text screens a value of "DOWN" for MENCRA has no effect.  Note that on form
fill-in screens, the Enter key always serves to move the highlight bar to the
next field, unless the last field on the screen is currently highlighted and
MENCRA is set to "NEXT".  In this case, pressing the Enter key causes the
Accept command to be invoked and the program continues to the next screen.


   The following table describes the TERM.DAT parameters that can be assigned
values.  Each parameter included in the TERM.DAT file is placed on a separate
line, followed by its assigned value.  At least one space must separate the
parameter from its value.  The TERM.DAT file must be placed in the location
defined in the "AIDE.PTH" file, as described in the next section.

              Default Allowable
    Parameter  value   values                Definition
    --------- ------- ---------   -----------------------------------
    CLRFRS      15     0 to 15    standard foreground color
    CLRBKS       4     0 to 15    standard background color
    CLRFRE      14     0 to 15    foreground color for error messages
    CLRBKE      12     0 to 15    background color for error messages
    CLRFRD      14     0 to 15    color of first letter of commands
                                  when cursor is on command line

    PFKEY1       H    H,A,C,O,P,  F1 function key assignment
                      L,I,S,Q,X

    PFKEY2       A    H,A,C,O,P,  F2 function key assignment
                      L,I,S,Q,X

    PFKEY4       P    H,A,C,O,P,  F4 function key assignment
                      L,I,S,Q,X

    PFKEY5       L    H,A,C,O,P,  F5 function key assignment
                      L,I,S,Q,X

    PFKEY6       I    H,A,C,O,P,  F6 function key assignment
                      L,I,S,Q,X

    PFKEY7       S    H,A,C,O,P,  F7 function key assignment
                      L,I,S,Q,X

    PFKEY8       Q    H,A,C,O,P,  F8 function key assignment
                      L,I,S,Q,X

    PFKEY9       X    H,A,C,O,P,  F9 function key assignment
                      L,I,S,Q,X

    MENCRA     NEXT     NEXT      Enter key response
                        DOWN
                        NONE


                           PROGRAM EXECUTION NOTES

   Each time HCDR is run, three files are created:  HCDR.LOG, XPAD.DAT, and
ERROR.FIL.  HCDR.LOG contains all the keystrokes entered during the most
recent execution of the program.  The file, or portions of the file, can be
used in subsequent program runs as a macro, the keystrokes being read from the
file as if they were typed interactively.  To use the file in this way, change
its name to something other than "HCDR.LOG," edit the portion you want to use
as a macro, and, after invoking HCDR, type "@filename" on the screen where you
want the macro to begin, where "filename" is the new name you have given the
file.

   The file XPAD.DAT contains all text typed into the XPAD window as described
in the table on commands.

   ERROR.FIL contains output from debugging statements, providing
documentation of program execution if any problem arises.

   The above three files are placed, by default, in the HCDN92 directory.  The
placement of the files can be modified by specifying an alternate drive and
path name in the "AIDE.PTH" file in the HCDN92 directory.  The placement of
the files may also be specified via an environment variable by typing
"set AIDE.PTH=X:\xxxx".


                             ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE

   Additional software is available to read data in the WDM format, and other
software is in development.  The program ANNIE, which can be purchased for a
nominal fee, provides an option to construct WDM files from "Export"ed data.
ANNIE can also plot hydrographs at any time step for any duration, list and
edit data in a WDM file, and perform streamflow data analyses such as flow
duration analysis, computation of n-day low or high flow annual series, and
frequency analysis on annual series.  Other programs in development - or not
yet distributed on the PC - perform base flow separation, analyze trends,
determine biologically-based low flows, or map locations of stations.  Contact
the U.S. Geological Survey, NAWDEX Office, (703) 648-5676, in Reston,
Virginia, for more information.