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DAILY SOLAR GEOPHYSICAL DATA BROADCAST PROCESSOR
DATABASE MANAGER - USERS MANUAL
Version 1.01
(c) Copyright 1992 by
The Solar Terrestrial Dispatch
Table Of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The SGDB Data Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Registering BCAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Starting Up BCAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The Configuration File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The BCAST Environment Variable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Processing Data Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Displaying Data Sets On-Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Archive and Analysis Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Saving Loaded Data Sets to the Database . . . . . . . . 10
Loading a Dataset from the Database . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Graphical Analysis Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Generating an Activity Summary Report . . . . . . . . . 13
Generating a Standard SGDB File & Modifying Records . . 14
Dumping Data Sets to an ASCII File . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Deleting Data Sets from the Database . . . . . . . . . . 15
Returning to the Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Exiting BCAST and Returning to DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The Batch Processing Feature of BCAST . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Alternate Methods of Executing BCAST . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
3
Introduction
The Solar Terrestrial Dispatch (STD) has been providing a
comprehensive set of daily solar geophysical indices to the
public in the form of a product known as the "Daily Solar
Geophysical Data Broadcast" (SGDB). The data and indices
contained in the SGDB are very valuable to persons interested in
ionospheric radio communications, solar activity, auroral
activity, and related geomagnetic events and even atmospheric
phenomena. The data sets are being used by research institutions
and astronomical organizations around the world.
It was clearly evident that such a large dataset would be
more useful if it could be archived and studied over time. To
satisfy this need, the STD developed a software package which
would automatically extract all of the relevant data from the
SGDBs and archive them to disk for analysis and study. This
software is known as "BCAST", the Solar Geophysical Data
BroadCAST Processor and Database Manager.
BCAST provides complete archive and database management
facilities in a user-friendly and easily operated environment.
It will automatically maintain a fully sorted archive of the
datasets for instant recall or graphical analysis. It will also
produce detailed summaries of the datasets in laymans terms which
may be printed out and distributed, or filed away.
BCAST also provides a powerful batch processing feature to
automatically archive large numbers of SGDB reports in one simple
step. In addition, a completely new full-screen file selection
facility has been added to simplify and enhance the processing
and selection of the datasets.
Extensive and complete monthly archives of all SGDB reports
are available from the STD, through the STD BBS, or via anonymous
FTP for those who are connected to the larger electronic networks
such as the Internet. Each of the monthly archives may be batch
processed or selectively processed using BCAST.
The STD also supplies extensive documentation to help those
who are less familiar, understand the significance of the data
contained in the daily SGDB reports. The document "Understanding
Solar Terrestrial Reports" comes in two-parts and is a superb
introductory text for those who want to know more regarding the
relations between solar activity and Earth-based terrestrial
activity. These documents are also available from the STD BBS,
or through anonymous FTP.
The STD BBS is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and
provides alerts, warnings, and forecasts regarding solar and
geophysical phenomena. Forecasts of such things as major flares,
auroral activity, geomagnetic storms, etc, are available on the
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BBS. The phone number to the BBS is: 403 756-3008.
The database generated and maintained by BCAST will let you
analyze and study the cyclical behaviour of such things as solar
activity, geomagnetic activity, and ionospheric disturbances.
You may also be able to anticipate the future behaviour of the
indices. This is invaluable to those who, for example, are
interested in predicting when radio communications will be
optimum, or when auroral activity may again be observed, or when
the next group of hot solar regions is due to rotate into view.
The SGDB Data Sets
The Solar Geophysical Data Broadcasts (SGDBs) released daily
by the Solar Terrestrial Dispatch are composed of a number of
compact textual lines. In order to fully describe the meaning of
each component of each line in the SGDBs, a document was created
which goes through the data sets line by line, component by
component.
A complete copy of this descriptive document may be found in
the file "SGDB.DOC".
Registering BCAST
BCAST is not free. A considerable amount of our time and
resources have been expended to develop this software package,
not to mention the large number of resources which are regularly
dedicated to produce the daily data sets.
In order to be able to continue providing these daily data
sets and software to use them, it is important that we recover
our costs for providing these services. In order to accomplish
this, we have based the BCAST software on the shareware theme
and will require payment from those who wish to use all of its
capabilities.
The BCAST software package is freely distributed as
"Unregistered" software. To purchase the software so all of its
features may be used, it must be registered. The only way to
accomplish this is to send a cheque or money order for $35.00
dollars (in Canadian or U.S. funds) to:
Solar Terrestrial Dispatch
P.O. Box 357
Stirling, Alberta, Canada
T0K 2E0
All funds should be remitted to the "Solar Terrestrial
Dispatch". U.S. cheques or money orders are acceptable. A
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sample registration form is contained with this software package
under the filename "REGISTER.DOC". You may print out a copy and
mail it to us with your payment, if desired.
Upon receipt of your registration request and payment, we
will immediately send you the necessary instructions to make your
copy of the BCAST software a registered copy, along with your
unique registration I.D. number. Thereafter, you will be able to
use the BCAST software without limitation.
If you have an email address on one of the larger INTERNET
or BITNET networks, include your e-mail address(es) with your
registration request so we can contact you through e-mail. If
you don't have an e-mail address or if you fail to include it
with your payment, we will notify you through postal mail.
Starting Up BCAST
There are two ways you can invoke BCAST. The easiest method
is simply to type "BCAST" at your DOS command line prompt. This
will immediately load the program and execute it. The second
method of invoking BCAST is through the use of the "batch"
feature for processing multiple SGDB data sets quickly and
easily. This feature will be described later.
In order for BCAST to be able to find the various support
files it requires for normal operation (ex. the database file),
you should execute BCAST in the directory where the BCAST
database file exists. When you are maintaining a database,
BCAST expects to find the database file with the filename:
"DATASETS.DAT". BCAST will not utilize the database if this file
cannot be found in the same directory that you execute BCAST.
After you have executed BCAST, a title page should appear
on-screen. If you have registered your copy of BCAST, the word
"Registered" will appear on the title page. If you have not yet
registered your copy of BCAST, the word "Unregistered" will be
displayed. Unregistered copies of BCAST are heavily limited in
the number of functions which may be performed, in order to help
encourage payment for the program.
Pressing any key will move you from the title page screen to
the main menu screen. This screen has four major functions which
may be selected using the arrow keys. Each function is discussed
below.
The Configuration File
Version 1.01 of BCAST supports a simple configuration file
to help automate and customize program operation. This file must
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be located in the same directory as BCAST.EXE. The name of the
configuration file is "BCAST.INI". At the present time, this
configuration file supports two commands: MASK and GRAPHSTEP.
Each of these commands will be described below.
The MASK command is used by BCAST to determine what files
will be displayed when selecting SGDB files to process. For
example, the daily SGDB reports commonly have the filename
extension ".dly" (ex. 92-02-14.dly) to distinguish SGDB reports
from other files. The default MASK parameter "*.dly" will force
BCAST to select only those files which contain the filename
extension ".dly" from your disk.
The MASK parameter can also contain drive and/or directory
structure information. This is very useful if you have
established a separate data directory for the SGDB reports. If
for example, your BCAST software was located in the directory
"C:\bcast" and your data directory storing all of the SGDB
reports was located in "C:\bcast\daily", you could inform BCAST
to use the data directory by specifying a MASK of
"C:\bcast\daily\*.dly". Thereafter, whenever you want to process
another SGDB report, all you would need to do is run BCAST. It
would automatically select your data directory.
The GRAPHSTEP configuration command is associated with new
graphics commands imbedded within the routines which draw
graphical charts of the various solar geophysical quantities.
Version 1.01 of BCAST permits movement within the database when
displaying graphs of data on-screen. Using the PAGEDOWN and
PAGEUP keys, you can move forward or backward through the
database to graphically view different periods of time. The
GRAPSTEP command determines how many days forward or backward to
advance when using PAGEDOWN or PAGEUP. The default given in the
"BCAST.INI" configuration file is 35. That is, BCAST will move
through the database +/- 35 days at a time. This is equivalent
to advancing by half a screen forward or backward (one graphical
chart on-screen can contain up to 70 days worth of data).
The BCAST Environment Variable
Version 1.01 supports the definition of the environment
variable "BCAST". This variable should contain the location of
the BCAST software. Specifically, it must contain the full path
to the BCAST.EXE and BCAST.INI files. For example, if your BCAST
software is located in the directory "C:\bcast", then your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file should contain the command: "SET
BCAST=C:\BCAST".
Using this environment variable, you will be able to execute
BCAST from any directory in your computer. This was not possible
with version 1.00 of BCAST.
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Processing Data Sets
This section of BCAST was completely rewritten for version
1.01 in order to enhance and simplify the processing of datasets
by BCAST. It provides a powerful interface and will let you
selectively process any number of SGDB reports for inclusion in
the database or for viewing on-screen.
To process data sets from the main menu of BCAST, select the
"Process Datasets" option. A screen will appear showing you the
names of the files BCAST identified with the MASK parameter given
in the configuration file. If no files match, the statement "No
Files Selected" will appear on the bottom of the screen. If
files are selected, they will be sorted from left to right, and
top to bottom. One screen can display up to 72 files at a time.
If BCAST identifies more than 72 files, it will display the
remaining files on additional screens after you have finished
processing the desired files from the current screen.
To select a file for processing, use the arrow keys to move
the screen cursor over the file you wish to process. Then press
the SPACE-BAR. The first file you select in this manner will be
identified on-screen by the appearance of red "#01:" preceding
the filename. The second file you select will be prepended with
a red "#02:" and so on. You can select up to 72 files to process
on-screen in this manner. Each will be numbered accordingly.
The importance of this numbering scheme will be explained
shortly.
After you have finished selecting the files to process,
press ENTER. BCAST will process all of the files you have
selected in the order you selected them. If any of the files
being processed are corrupt, BCAST will replace its corresponding
number with "BAD:" so you can identify those files which may need
to be repaired or replaced. If all goes well, BCAST will
continue processing the files until all selected files have been
processed.
After all of the files have been processed, BCAST will
display the next screenful of files matching the MASK parameter.
If all of the files have been selected, BCAST will return you to
the main menu.
Please note that registered copies of BCAST will attempt to
archive all selected files to the database. During this
procedure, some files may process faster than others. The reason
for this is due to the fact that BCAST maintains a fully sorted
database. When it attempts to archive a new dataset to the
database, it re-sorts the database. Therefore, if you process an
SGDB report that has a date near the end of the database, BCAST
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will process it relatively quickly since very little sorting will
need to be done. On the other hand, if you process a dataset
that has an old date, BCAST may need to re-sort a significant
fraction of the database. The speed with which BCAST is able to
process files into the sorted database will also depend on the
size of the database.
You need not worry about selecting or processing files which
already exist in your database. BCAST will not overwrite or add
datasets to the database if they already exist. If you happen to
select and process a file which is already contained in your
database, BCAST will simply skip over that file and assume that
it has already been processed.
Knowing how BCAST processes selected files enables us to
understand why the numbering scheme is important. Since BCAST
maintains a fully-sorted database, you can significantly speed up
the processing of large numbers of datasets if you try to select
files in a sorted sequence. For example, if you need to process
files dated 10, 11, and 12 February, you would select the files
so that the first file selected is for 10 February, the second
file selected is for 11 February, and the last file selected is
for 12 February. If you selected these files in the reverse
order, BCAST would have to sort the database unnecessarily.
Unregistered copies of BCAST will not attempt to archive the
selected files to the database. Instead, unregistered software
will only load the selected files for on-screen review. It is
important to remember that in both registered and unregistered
versions of BCAST, the last file loaded will be the only one
resident in memory for reviewing on-screen.
To deselect a file which you have already selected for
processing, simply move the cursor over top of the file you want
to deselect and press the SPACE-BAR. The number associated with
that selection will be deallocated. The rest of the selection
numbers will automatically be reassigned to remain contiguous.
An additional feature which can be accessed while selecting
files to be processed, is the ability to change the MASK
parameter. On the bottom left-hand corner of the screen is a
"Mask=" statement. The current value of the MASK parameter is
printed in this area. If the length of the MASK parameter is too
large to be fully printed on-screen, it will be truncated at the
appropriate location and a ~ symbol will be appended. The ~
symbol informs you that truncation was performed, and that the
entire MASK parameter cannot be printed on-screen.
To change the MASK parameter while selecting files, press
the "M" key (for Mask). A cursor will immediately appear after
the "Mask=" statement. Simply type in your new path using
whatever drive, directory, and/or wildcard information that is
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necessary. When finished, press ENTER and the screen will be
redrawn with the files that match the new MASK parameter.
Changing the MASK string from within BCAST does not affect
the value of the MASK given in the configuration file BCAST.INI.
Modifying the MASK value from within BCAST is only temporary. As
soon as you re-run BCAST, the MASK will once again be loaded with
the value given in the configuration file. If no MASK command is
given within the configuration file, the default string used for
the MASK is "*.dly".
You may exit the file selection screen at any time by
pressing the ESCape key. This will immediately return you to the
main menu, even if files were selected to be processed.
Displaying Data Sets On-Screen
After a SGDB dataset has been loaded from disk into memory,
you may choose to display the data on-screen in a friendlier
format. The second main menu function, "Display Data Set"
provides you with this capability.
This feature automatically decodes the various acronyms used
in the textual SGDB reports and displays their meanings on-screen
in laymans terms. It provides screenful upon screenful of useful
information regarding the dataset by interpreting the contents
and explaining or displaying them.
The first and possibly second screens displayed by BCAST are
summaries of the warnings and alerts which were active at the
time the SGDB data set was compiled at the Solar Terrestrial
Dispatch. These warnings and alerts which are displayed do not
go into any significant detail. In fact, this section of the
SGDB report is the only section which is not copied verbosely
into the computer during the processing phase. In other words,
the details of each warning and/or alert are not processed. The
reason for this is to keep the BCAST database file down to a
minimal size. The smaller each BCAST database record is, the
more information you will be able to store in a given amount of
disk space. If all of the possible details of every various
warning and alert were processed, each database record would be
much larger than needed, more difficult to process and would be
wasteful with disk space. All that is really required is
knowledge of the basic warnings and alerts which are in effect
during each day. The details of the warnings or alerts aren't as
important. If the details are important, you are encouraged to
obtain one of the extensive monthly summaries of activity
produced by the Solar Terrestrial Dispatch, as made available on
our computer BBS system and through anonymous FTP.
The screens following the warnings and alerts summarize in
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great detail the data which was loaded from the textual SGDB
report. All of the various indices are listed. Many of them are
interpreted for you so you can better understand their meaning.
This feature may be executed by those who have not
registered the BCAST software package with us.
The Archive and Analysis Menu
The third function of the BCAST main menu represents the
heart of BCAST: the archive and analysis features. This is an
extensive menu containing all of the functions necessary to
maintain the database, archive new data to disk, generate
reports, and graphically analyze the data in the database.
In order to encourage payment for this program, this section
of BCAST may be viewed but cannot be used by those who have not
registered their copy of BCAST with us. In order to develop and
maintain your own database of records, you will need to purchase
your copy of the program by sending a cheque or money order for
$35.00 in either Canadian or U.S. funds to the Solar Terrestrial
Dispatch (our address was given in "Registering BCAST" section
of this manual). After your unique registration number has been
returned to you with the simple instructions for making your copy
of BCAST a registered copy, you will be able to access and use
this section of BCAST at your leisure.
Saving Loaded Data Sets to the Database
BCAST expects to find its database file in the same
directory as the executable BCAST file (BCAST.EXE) and with a
filename of "DATASETS.DAT". If the environment variable "BCAST"
is not used and you execute BCAST in a directory where this file
does not exist, BCAST will not use the database. This behaviour
allows you to maintain separate databases in different
directories. To use a specific database, simply move to the
directory containing the database and execute BCAST. If you are
only maintaining one database, it is usually most convenient to
set the environment variable BCAST to the path of your BCAST.EXE
and associated files (data files may be located elsewhere, as was
described earlier). Using the environment variable lets you
execute and use BCAST from anywhere on your system.
Before this option can be executed, a dataset must be loaded
into memory. After you have loaded a dataset into memory, you
may archive that dataset to your database file using this option
of the Archive Menu. To execute this option, simply select the
"Save Data Set" option in the Archive Menu using the Up and Down
arrow keys. Alternatively, you may select this menu item by
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pressing the corresponding letter associated with that menu
choice.
Before writing the new data set to the database file, BCAST
checks to make sure that no other records in the database match
the one you are attempting to archive. If it finds a record in
the database with the same date as the dataset you are
attempting to archive, a warning is displayed on-screen giving
you three options. You may overwrite the record, which is
useful when you need to correct or modify a record in your
database. You may skip the record, which will force BCAST to
write the dataset to the database. In this case, nothing is
overwritten. New space within the database is created for the
dataset you are saving. If this option is chosen, there will be
two records in your database with identical dates. The last
option lets you abort the save procedure altogether. In this
case, the database is left unchanged. Nothing is written to the
database.
When BCAST saves datasets to the database file, it
automatically archives the dataset fully sorted with the existing
records in the database. It sorts the database according to
dates. For this reason, records which are archived near the
"front" of the database (ex. a dataset which has a date earlier
than anything presently existing in the database) will take
longer to save to disk than a dataset which has a date close to
the present date. The sorting process occurs sequentially from
the lowest to the highest dates. That is, a dataset dated
January 1, 1992 would appear BEFORE a dataset dated January 2,
1992. Conversely, a dataset dated December 31, 1991 (note the
year) would appear BEFORE the datasets dated January 1 and 2,
1992 in the database file.
This automatic sorting feature significantly simplifies and
speeds up many of the functions available with BCAST.
If the dataset is successfully archived to the database, an
"operation successful" message is displayed on your screen. If
an error occurs, you may be returned to DOS depending on the
severity of the error. All disk errors result in a Fatal Error
message which immediately returns you to the DOS prompt with an
explanation.
Loading a Dataset from the Database
This option loads a dataset which you previously archived to
the database. Using this option, you can examine (via the main
menu option "Review Data Sets") the conditions and indices which
were observed for any date contained in your database file.
You are simply prompted for the date of the dataset you wish
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to load from the database. After specifying a date, BCAST
searches through the database until it finds the requested
dataset. If the date you specify is either invalid or cannot be
found in the database, an error message is displayed which then
returns you to the Archive Menu.
This option has a secondary effect which may not be clearly
apparent at first. When BCAST graphically analyzes the datasets
in the database file, it always attempts to graphically display
the various datasets with respect to the date of the currently
loaded dataset. In other words, all graphs or charts produced by
BCAST will be displayed so that the LAST line of the graph or
chart is the graph line of the dataset which you have currently
loaded in memory. If you do not have a specific dataset loaded
in memory, all graphs are produced with the last dataset of the
database (ex. the most recently archived dataset) displayed as
the last graph line on the screen.
To better explain this feature, let's assume that you have
200 datasets archived to your database and you wish to
graphically analyze them. Since BCAST can only fit 70 datasets
on-screen at one time, it is necessary to select a portion of the
200 datasets to graphically analyze. One way to achieve this is
by loading datasets for specific dates into memory. If a dataset
is loaded into memory, the date of that dataset is used to
determine which portion of the 200 datasets to graphically
display on-screen. For example, if the 200 datasets in your
database were sequentially dated from January 1, 1991 to July 19,
1991 (200 consecutive days), and you loaded a dataset into memory
which was dated March 11, 1991, BCAST would only graphically
analyze the datasets from January 1, 1991 to March 11, 1991 (70
days). The dataset for March 11, 1991 would be the last graph
line displayed on-screen. Similarly, if you wanted to
graphically display the last 70 datasets on-screen, you would
load the dataset which was dated July 19, 1991 into memory. All
graphical charts produced by BCAST follow this procedure.
The Graphical Analysis Options
BCAST provides a set of valuable graphical analysis tools
which will help you better analyze the cyclical behaviour or
other parameters of the datasets in your database.
Almost all of the various data contained in the SGDB reports
can be graphically analyzed using BCAST. The only items which
are not analyzed are the Boulder and Planetary K-indices.
Additional software to graphically display the K-index data will
soon be available from the Solar Terrestrial Dispatch.
To analyze a specific set of data, simply select the
appropriate option from the Archive Menu and press ENTER, or
13
press the corresponding letter associated with the desired
function.
BCAST produces two types of graphical charts depending on
what type of data you are analyzing. Linear data, such as the
10.7 cm solar radio flux or the geomagnetic data, use the linear
graphical functions. Other datasets such as the proton fluence
or x-ray statistics are analyzed and graphed using logarithmic
graphical charts. This significantly improves the detail of the
graphs.
There are several important functions which can be executed
while graphs of datasets are displayed on-screen. The first is
the ability to move through the graph, line by line, using the
left and right arrow keys. As you use the arrow keys, each new
graph line you move to is highlighted. Using the left arrow keys
moves the highlighted area to the left. The right arrow key
moves the highlighted area to the right. In addition, the date
of the highlighted graph line as well as the exact value
producing that line is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
This lets you examine each line of the graph in detail.
Version 1.01 of BCAST also permits examination of other
parts of the database while viewing graphical images. The PAGEUP
and PAGEDOWN keys shift the graphs being viewed by the number of
days defined in the BCAST.INI configuration file (under the
GRAPHSTEP command). The default is 35 days, which results in the
graphs shifting half of a screen left or right each time one of
these keys is pressed. You can force BCAST to move to the
beginning of the database by pressing the HOME key. You can also
display the last 70 days contained in the database by pressing
the END key.
Another useful function which can be executed while a
graphical chart is displayed, is the ability to save the
currently displayed graph to a text ASCII file on disk. After a
graph has been saved to disk, you can print it out on a printer
or transfer them electronically to other locations.
To invoke this disk saving function, simply press "S" (for
"S"ave) while any graphical chart is displayed on-screen. The
screen will immediately be converted to ASCII format and saved to
disk under the file name "GRAPH.TXT". Each time you press "S",
the graphical chart displayed on-screen is APPENDED to (or
written to the end of) the GRAPH.TXT file. This lets you compile
an extensive set of graphs simply by graphically analyzing those
datasets you need and pressing the "S" key. After you have
finished and exited the BCAST program to the DOS prompt, you may
display the GRAPH.TXT file, edit it using your favourite word
processor, print it out, transfer it elsewhere, or do whatever
you see fit to do with it.
14
To continue to view other datasets, press ENTER when you
have finished viewing a specific graphical chart. To abort the
procedure and return to the archive menu, press the ESCape key.
Generating an Activity Summary Report
This option of the Archive Menu analyzes the currently
loaded dataset and writes a summary report to the file
"SUMMARY.TXT" on disk. All of the indices contained in that
dataset are written to the file, along with the various warnings
and alerts which were in effect, etc. This report-generation
feature is most useful when data from the SGDB reports are to be
distributed throughout an organization, or transferred to other
locations through e-mail or modem. This is also an invaluable
tool for producing hard-copy summaries of the dataset you have
loaded in memory. It may then be filed away for future
reference.
If the file "SUMMARY.TXT" already exists when you execute
this function, the contents of the file will NOT be overwritten.
All information is appended to the SUMMARY.TXT file. You will
therefore be able to store multiple summaries in a single file,
if so desired.
The summary file is created in the current working
directory, not in the directory where the BCAST files are stored.
Generating a Standard SGDB File & Modifying Records
BCAST has the ability to recreate a standard Solar
Geophysical Data Broadcast format file. This is an important
function if you need to modify certain indices or values of a
specific dataset in your archive.
To use this feature, you must have a dataset loaded in
memory (either using the first option of the Main Menu [Process
Data Set], or the second option of the Archive Menu [Load a Data
Set]). After a dataset has been loaded in memory, a precisely
formatted SGDB file can be created using this function.
Why would you need to create a standard SGDB file in the
first place? There are a number of reasons. You may need to
transfer a specific dataset you have in your archive to a friend
who is missing that particular dataset. You could transfer the
SUMMARY.TXT file, although this file is not in the correct format
to be processed by others using BCAST. Using this function, you
can recreate a copy of the SGDB for any dataset in your archive,
which may then be shared with others who are using BCAST to
archive and analyze data.
15
One of the primary reasons for requiring this function is to
permit the easy modification of specific datasets in your
database. For example, lets assume that one of your datasets in
your database is corrupt. Lets say that one of your datasets in
your database has a bad value for the 10.7 cm solar radio flux
and you need to correct it. All you need to do is load that
dataset into memory using the second option of the Archive Menu
(Load a Data Set), and generate a standard SGDB file for that
dataset. The incorrect 10.7 cm solar radio flux value will be
written to the SGDB.TXT file. Simply exit BCAST, edit the
SGDB.TXT file to correct the 10.7 cm solar radio flux value.
Then reload BCAST, reprocess the SGDB.TXT file so that the
corrected dataset is reloaded into memory (using the "Process
Data Set" option of the Main Menu), and save the corrected
dataset to your database using the "Save Data Set" option of the
Archive Menu. BCAST will detect the corrupted dataset by
realizing that the dataset you have loaded into memory has the
same date as the bad dataset in your archive. It will then ask
whether or not you want to overwrite the dataset. By responding
so that BCAST overwrites the incorrect dataset, you can
effectively correct the bad solar flux value in your database.
This procedure can be carried out for any of the values in
your database. It is a quick and easy method of modifying any
dataset in your archive. To summarize, simply extract the
dataset you need to correct to a standard SGDB file, edit it
using a word processor, reprocess it using BCAST and resave it to
your database file using the "O"verwrite option which will
appear.
This function will not overwrite any existing data in the
SGDB.TXT file if it already exists when you attempt to produce
the standard SGDB file. All data is appended to the SGDB.TXT
file. You may therefore create multiple SGDB reports in a single
file, if desired.
Dumping Data Sets to an ASCII File
This powerful function lets you dump the entire contents of
your database to a text ASCII file with the name "DATASETS.TXT".
Use this function with caution, since very large text files can
be created in the process.
During this procedure, BCAST runs through your database file
multiple times, extracting each of the datasets from the database
and saving them to the DATASETS.TXT file. The resulting text
file is a well-ordered, fully sorted, textual representation of
every set of data in your database.
This feature becomes particularly important when you need to
analyze the data externally using something like a statistical
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computer program, a data plotter, or a spreadsheet. Also, since
the data is dumped in a pure ASCII format, you can edit the text
file and extract only the information you require.
Deleting Data Sets from the Database
The only other function required to provide complete
management control over your database is a method of deleting
datasets from your database. That is the purpose of this Archive
Menu function.
To delete a specific dataset from your archive, simply
select this function. BCAST will prompt you for the date of the
dataset to delete. After typing in the date, BCAST will search
through the database until it finds a dataset with a matching
date. It will then request confirmation from you. If you
respond in the affirmative, BCAST will delete the dataset from
your database. If you do not confirm deletion, BCAST will abort
the procedure and leave your database untouched.
It is important to note that after you have confirmed
deletion, BCAST will delete ALL datasets with dates matching the
one you supplied, not only the one which BCAST first detects.
Therefore, using this command you can delete accidental redundant
datasets from your database (as can occur if you save a dataset
to your archive which already exists).
Returning to the Main Menu
You can return from the Archive Menu to the main menu at any
time by either pressing the ESCape key, or selecting the "Return
to the Main Menu" option. When running BCAST, the ESCape key
serves as the "abort" key. It will abort almost any process and
return you to a menu.
Exiting BCAST and Returning to DOS
To exit BCAST and return to the DOS prompt, either select
the "Exit Program" command of the Main Menu or press the ESCape
key at the Main Menu prompt. Either method will terminate the
program and return you to the DOS prompt.
The Batch Processing Feature of BCAST
BCAST provides a powerful batch processing function which
can be invoked at the command line. This function will
automatically process large numbers of SGDB report files and
archive them to your database. All SGDB files processed in this
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manner are automatically and accurately saved to your database
fully sorted.
To execute this command, simply run BCAST with the command
line parameter "-b" (or "-B", it is not case sensitive) followed
by the name(s) of the files you want to be processed and
archived. Wildcards in the filenames are permitted.
For example, to create a database file containing every SGDB
report having the extension DLY, you would simply type: "BCAST
-B *.DLY" (excluding the parenthesis, of course) and press ENTER.
BCAST will automatically begin processing and archiving every
file containing the extension ".DLY". As each file is processed,
its name is displayed on-screen so you can monitor the progress
of the processing. It does not matter which order you specify
files to be processed. BCAST automatically sorts the database so
that all added datasets are placed in the proper position in the
archive.
During the batch processing phase, if BCAST attempts to
process a dataset which already exists in your archive (ex. a
dataset with the same date), BCAST discards the dataset and
processes the next file. You may therefore process a group of
files without needing to worry about accidentally processing a
duplicate dataset. BCAST will not batch process a dataset which
already exist in your database.
After all of the files have been processed, BCAST loads and
displays the title page, followed by the Main Menu, etc.
Please note that the last file processed will reside in
memory while BCAST executes. As a result, if you graphically
analyze your database after executing the batch processing
feature, the graphical charts will be displayed according to the
date of the last dataset processed. Consult the section on
"Loading a Data Set from the Database" for more information
regarding this feature.
This feature is only available to those who have registered
their copy of BCAST with us (consult the section "Registering
BCAST" in this manual or the file "REGISTER.DOC" for more
information regarding registration).
Alternate Methods of Executing BCAST
You can run BCAST and process a textual SGDB dataset at the
same time by executing BCAST with an extra parameter specifying
the name of the file to process. For example, to execute BCAST
and automatically process the file "SGDB.TXT" so that the dataset
contained in that file is loaded in memory, simply execute BCAST
using the command: "BCAST SGDB.TXT". This will run BCAST as
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usual, but will force it to process the file SGDB.TXT before the
main menu appears. This may speed up the procedure for
processing and analyzing the dataset.
Please note that the dataset loaded in this manner is NOT
archived to your database. It is simply loaded in memory. If
you want to archive the dataset to your database, you will need
to either include the "-B" (batch processing) parameter on the
command line or use the "Process Dataset" option of the main
menu.
This function may be used on unregistered copies of BCAST.