The first baby steps of installing the templates...

[Intheswamp]

Ok, well after doing massive software engineering (I set the clock on my computer! ) I'm ready to try php and some of the Saratoga templates. I've got some very basic questions here regarding the first four lines of instructions...I guess I'm just braindead or something...

1. Make sure your website can run PHP (check it here). These templates require PHP5.x. Make sure that allow_url_fopen is enabled in the php.ini file.. some of the scripts may use this feature. The default PHP5 setting for this is allow_url_fopen = off.
Ok, I'm at Godaddy.com so I think ok on PHP...I checked it a few months ago and the test file said it was there. In regards to the "allow_url_fopen=off" switch, do we replace "off" with "on" to enable it?

2. Make a local backup of your current website to a .zip file or a subdirectory. You don't need to do this if you have no preexisting weather website
I'm taking it that means to download the entire website from the webhost onto my local computer? I have Cumulus Toolbox making hourly backups of the data, but I take it that this is to back up all the htm, cs, etc., files. Simply create a folder on the local computer and ftp them down from the server?

3. Download the selected Base template set appropriate to your geographical location and unpack it (preserving the directory structure) to the offline copy of your weather website.
Offline copy of my website? I've got Cumulus running, and within it have the Web folder from which I can run a stripped-down version of my website...no background image, little formatting, etc.,. Is this where I should unzip the base template?

4. Download the selected weather software Plugin .zip and unpack it (preserving directory structure) to the same directory as your Base template offline copy of your weather website.
The answer to #3 will answer this one.

3. Download the Icons for your weather forecast program.
Use the Carterlake or Meteotreviglio Icons for USA, Canada [if you have WXSIM], World .
Do the Icons go into the root directory of the offline copy of the website?

I just don't won't to make a big mistake since I have Cumulus uploading and updating things nicely...

Thanks again for the help,
Ed

ETA: Question about Icons.

[saratogaWX]

Ok, well after doing massive software engineering (I set the clock on my computer! ) I'm ready to try php and some of the Saratoga templates. I've got some very basic questions here regarding the first four lines of instructions...I guess I'm just braindead or something...

1. Make sure your website can run PHP (check it here). These templates require PHP5.x. Make sure that allow_url_fopen is enabled in the php.ini file.. some of the scripts may use this feature. The default PHP5 setting for this is allow_url_fopen = off.
Ok, I'm at Godaddy.com so I think ok on PHP...I checked it a few months ago and the test file said it was there. In regards to the "allow_url_fopen=off" switch, do we replace "off" with "on" to enable it?

Correct:

allow_url_fopen = on

in your php.ini file in the document root of your website.

2. Make a local backup of your current website to a .zip file or a subdirectory. You don't need to do this if you have no preexisting weather website
I'm taking it that means to download the entire website from the webhost onto my local computer? I have Cumulus Toolbox making hourly backups of the data, but I take it that this is to back up all the htm, cs, etc., files. Simply create a folder on the local computer and ftp them down from the server?

You don't have to 'make a local backup of your current website' if your current website consists of the Cumulus built-in HTML template set -- the master copy is already on your system that runs Cumulus. The instruction is there for anyone who has an existing custom-built website to have a copy of 'what is' available in case they want to revert to the former website design in the future.

3. Download the selected Base template set appropriate to your geographical location and unpack it (preserving the directory structure) to the offline copy of your weather website.
Offline copy of my website? I've got Cumulus running, and within it have the Web folder from which I can run a stripped-down version of my website...no background image, little formatting, etc.,. Is this where I should unzip the base template?

4. Download the selected weather software Plugin .zip and unpack it (preserving directory structure) to the same directory as your Base template offline copy of your weather website.
The answer to #3 will answer this one.

3. Download the Icons for your weather forecast program.
Use the Carterlake or Meteotreviglio Icons for USA, Canada [if you have WXSIM], World .
Do the Icons go into the root directory of the offline copy of the website?

Create a new directory on your PC (likely under the 'my documents' area on Windows), and unzip the Base-USA.zip, CU-plugin.zip, and carterlake-icons.zip files into that directory. When you finish that directory will have the 'offline' copy your website for you to edit. Don't use the c:\cumulus\web folder for this.. a new, separate folder should be used on your PC.

After you unzip the three files and the internal folders in the zip files are preserved, your offline master directory should have
the following directory structure:

./ajax-images
./alert-images
./cache
./forecast/images
./WXtags-template-files

and the ./ directory will have the .html, .js, .php, .txt files comprising the template.

Set your FTP client to use this directory as the 'root' and point it to the document root directory on your website, and upload everything (directories and file contents).

When you're finished with the Cumulus setup, the CUtags.php, NOAA reports, graph images and the realtime file(s) will be what Cumulus routinely uploads to your website. The files you manually uploaded comprising the website structure do not need to be uploaded again until after you make manual changes to the pages.

I hope this helps...

Best regards,
Ken

[Intheswamp]

Thanks Ken!!! That *really* helped me out!!! I'll go with this info and report back!

There appears to be three types of folks working with websites...the folks that can write code in there sleep, the kind that can write a bit of code but mostly connect part 'A' to part 'B', and then folks like me who fumble around in the dark looking for a glimer of light. Thanks for the spotlight!!!

Ed

[Intheswamp]

Ok, I got the files and directories uploaded to Godaddy. I haven't edited any files yet but it appears to be working! It can't get much easier than that! For now I'm showing your weather forecasts and my current conditions. I know things are not going to be right until I edit several files, but the station status page... http://www.beeweather.com/wxstatus.php says that "This website uses Cumulus (1.9.0-b958) for weather conditions reporting." I'm using v1.9.4 Build 1079...are these supposed to be the same version or is what is showing on the status page something different?

Also, under the thermometer where it gives the highs and lows for today and yesterday there the lows and highs for yesterday are unrealistic and very different from what my Cumulus website shows...is this something that will straighten out once I start configuring/editing things?

Like I said, I haven't configured anything so all of this may straighten itself out.

That was a lot of files uploaded...incredible amount of work! My hat's of to you and anybody else involved in this!!!

Ed

[saratogaWX]

Congratulations You've got the starter website up now, and it is showing the sample conditions from my station in January, 2011 for the 'current' data.

Use http://saratoga-weather.org/wxtemplates ... umulus.php to get Cumulus to begin uploads of CUtags.php and realtime.txt with your station's data, then the website will be current for conditions display.

Then, you can use http://saratoga-weather.org/wxtemplates ... umulus.php to use a METAR near you for sky conditions (the icon/description) and finish using http://saratoga-weather.org/wxtemplates ... ig-USA.php as a guide to complete localization for your website.

Glad you're enjoying the template set

Best regards,
Ken

[Intheswamp]

I'm working my way through it...

I ran into this and thought I'd mention it while it was on my mind...

I'm seeing the data shown below in http://www.beeweather.com/CUtags-comments.php?sce=dump . The high/low temperatures listed on the website for yesterday are wrong, though. Today's H/L temps (89.9/70.3) are correct but yesterday's H/L temperatures (70.9/44.1) are much to low.

Code: Select all

$WX['tempTH'] = '89.8'; // Today's highest temperature
$WX['TtempTH'] = '15:52'; // Time of Today's highest temperature
$WX['tempTL'] = '70.3'; // Today's lowest temperature
$WX['TtempTL'] = '03:34'; // Time of Today's lowest temperature

Code: Select all

$WX['tempYH'] = '91.7'; // Yesterday's highest temperature
$WX['TtempYH'] = '13:29'; // Time of Yesterday's highest temperature
$WX['tempYL'] = '71.1'; // Yesterday's lowest temperature
$WX['TtempYL'] = '23:55'; // Time of Yesterday's lowest temperature

Ed

ETA: In case I didn't make that clear... The temperatures in the CUtags.comments.php are correct, it is the low temperature shown on the website that is wrong.

ETETA (Edit the edit to add<grin>): I got yesterday's temperature working. Seems I used the CUtags-comments.php and left the name as it was. I edited Settings-weather.php to show this name and yesterday's temperatures fell inline (something else probably did, too). I'm wondering, though, should I change that filename to CUtags.php now rather than later in case some other scripts I add might need to call on CUtags.php rather than the "comments" filename?

[saratogaWX]

Glad you got it sorted out

Having the data in CUtags.php (and not some other name) just makes it easier to support - it matches the documentation and instructions, so others trying to help can easily see the file if need be. Having it be some other arbitrary name would work fine, just be a confusion factor for possible future support.

[Intheswamp]

Ok, well I've got a good bit done, but still a lot to do. Got some forecasts set up for some surrounding places...got the current conditions uploading...etc.,.

I'm still wondering about the alerts... Seems we have a "Hazardous Weather Outlook" attached to our forecast tonight (red lettered link) but no alerts show up on the sidebar nor the alerts page. Is this correct or do I still need to did deeper?

Also, what is a Cron job? Seems I had three locations with zone and county codes set for warnings but the message came up that more than four codes would slow the system down...I had read that it would do that but can't remember (or never knew) what the cron job is. ???

NOAA reports....if anybody wants to comment some on this, maybe throw some tips or recommendations my way I'd appreciate it. I've gotta still figure this one out but right now I'm kinda...

Here's a link to the page if anybody wants to look at it and point out problem areas or suggest anything: http://www.beeweather.com/wxindex.php

Ok, it's bedtime for this bozo...goodnite!
Ed

[BigOkie]

Ok, well I've got a good bit done, but still a lot to do. Got some forecasts set up for some surrounding places...got the current conditions uploading...etc.,.

I'm still wondering about the alerts... Seems we have a "Hazardous Weather Outlook" attached to our forecast tonight (red lettered link) but no alerts show up on the sidebar nor the alerts page. Is this correct or do I still need to did deeper?

Also, what is a Cron job? Seems I had three locations with zone and county codes set for warnings but the message came up that more than four codes would slow the system down...I had read that it would do that but can't remember (or never knew) what the cron job is. ???

NOAA reports....if anybody wants to comment some on this, maybe throw some tips or recommendations my way I'd appreciate it. I've gotta still figure this one out but right now I'm kinda...

Here's a link to the page if anybody wants to look at it and point out problem areas or suggest anything: http://www.beeweather.com/wxindex.php

Ok, it's bedtime for this bozo...goodnite!
Ed

Hazardous Weather Outlooks are typically not picked up by the alert script.

Cron job is to Linux what Scheduled Tasks (in the Control Panel) are to windows. It's a way for the local machine to run a program on a set schedule. Some hosters have the option to allow cron jobs to run.

NOAA reports are reports formatted like the following:

Monthly:

Code: Select all

                   Monthly Climatological Summary for Jun 2013

Name: East Tulsa Weather   City: Tulsa   State: OK
Elevation: 620 ft  Lat: N 36° 09' 24"   Lon: W 095° 52' 27"

                  Temperature (°F), Rain (in), Wind Speed (mph)

                                      Heat  Cool        Avg
    Mean                              Deg   Deg         Wind                 Dom
Day Temp  High   Time   Low    Time   Days  Days  Rain  Speed High   Time    Dir
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1  71.7  82.2   14:51  63.8   23:58   0.0   6.7  0.01   1.4  17.0   16:58     W
 2  64.5  74.5   16:42  56.4   23:58   2.5   2.0  0.00   0.9  11.0   06:12    NW
 3  68.3  82.5   16:35  52.7   03:50   3.7   7.0  0.00   1.1  12.0   17:19   ESE
 4  73.6  82.1   18:06  66.0   07:53   0.0   8.5  0.43   1.6  18.0   07:37   ESE
 5  73.9  83.8   17:10  65.9   07:47   0.0   8.9  0.67   1.4  18.0   05:32   WNW
 6  70.6  79.7   16:06  60.9   23:57   0.2   5.8  0.00   0.8   9.0   15:50   NNE
 7  69.1  82.3   16:32  55.7   05:49   2.3   6.5  0.00   0.5   7.0   12:35   NNE
 8  72.9  83.9   14:12  59.5   04:34   1.0   8.9  0.00   1.3  16.0   14:23   SSE
 9  78.3  88.7   17:35  65.2   06:40   0.0  13.3  0.00   1.6  16.0   09:40     W
10  84.2  96.0   15:55  72.3   05:50   0.0  19.1  0.00   2.9  18.0   09:32   SSW
11  86.1  95.3   15:51  74.8   06:35   0.0  21.1  0.00   3.5  18.0   17:32   SSW
12  85.9  95.4   16:00  75.5   06:12   0.0  20.9  0.00   4.0  26.0   11:45   SSW
13  82.9  93.2   17:15  73.9   05:42   0.0  17.8  0.00   0.7  10.0   00:16    NE
14  84.6  96.0   16:14  71.0   06:04   0.0  19.6  0.00   1.2  12.0   12:09     S
15  79.1  88.1   12:21  72.9   22:01   0.0  14.1  0.06   1.4  17.0   12:56     S
16  76.9  90.6   15:12  70.2   22:20   0.0  11.9  0.63   0.9  19.0   16:53     S
17  72.4  80.7   13:35  67.0   06:40   0.0   7.4  0.75   1.1  20.0   03:37    NW
18  76.4  88.4   16:57  65.3   06:24   0.0  11.4  0.00   0.7  10.0   15:01     E
19  77.5  86.9   14:46  64.3   06:12   0.0  12.5  0.00   1.0  14.0   12:27    SE
20  82.9  92.4   17:39  73.2   06:36   0.0  17.9  0.00   1.9  23.0   18:31   SSE
21  84.7  93.9   15:10  76.9   06:18   0.0  19.7  0.00   2.2  17.0   13:07     S
22  83.8  92.7   15:35  74.2   06:06   0.0  18.6  0.00   2.2  19.0   12:23     S
23  84.8  93.5   14:42  76.9   05:31   0.0  19.7  0.00   2.7  20.0   12:13   SSE
24  83.9  92.3   16:15  75.9   04:58   0.0  18.9  0.00   2.3  18.0   10:55     S
25  83.6  90.8   14:35  76.9   05:11   0.0  18.6  0.00   2.7  22.0   17:34     S
26  86.7  96.5   16:46  78.7   04:26   0.0  21.7  0.00   2.1  15.0   10:02   SSW
27  88.2  99.1   14:29  76.8   06:13   0.0  23.2  0.00   1.2  20.0   21:49   SSW
28  86.4  96.5   16:07  76.4   07:07   0.0  21.4  0.00   1.2  13.0   16:33    NW
29  81.3  93.1   15:42  67.8   05:55   0.0  16.2  0.00   1.2  16.0   15:55   NNW
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    79.1  99.1    27    52.7     3     9.7 419.3  2.55   1.6  26.0    12       S

Max >=  90.0: 16
Max <=  32.0:  0
Min <=  32.0:  0
Min <=   0.0:  0
Max Rain: 0.75 on day 17
Days of Rain: 6 (>= 0.01 in)  4 (>= 0.10 in)  0 (>= 1.00 in)
Heat Base: 65.0  Cool Base: 65.0  Method: Integration

Yearly:

Code: Select all

                   Annual Climatological Summary for 2013

Name: East Tulsa Weather   City: Tulsa   State: OK
Elevation: 620 ft  Lat: N 36° 09' 24"   Lon: W 095° 52' 27"

                  Temperature (°F), Heat Base: 65.0  Cool Base: 65.0
                          Dep.  Heat  Cool                       Max  Max  Min  Min
        Mean  Mean        From  Deg   Deg                        >=   <=   <=   <=
 YR MO  Max   Min   Mean  Norm  Days  Days  Hi  Date  Low  Date 90.0 32.0 32.0   0.0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 13  1
 13  2
 13  3
 13  4
 13  5  84.1  70.6  77.1   0.0     0    49  88.1  31  64.3   30    0    0    0    0
 13  6  89.3  69.2  79.1   0.0     9   419  99.1  27  52.7    3   16    0    0    0
 13  7
 13  8
 13  9
 13 10
 13 11
 13 12
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        86.7  69.9  78.1   0.0     9   469  99.1 Jun  52.7  Jun   16    0    0    0

                                Precipitation (in)

              Dep.   Max        Days of Rain
              From   Obs.           >=
 YR MO Total  Norm   Day Date 0.01 0.10 1.00
---------------------------------------------
 13  1
 13  2
 13  3
 13  4
 13  5  2.52   0.0  2.12  30     3    2    1
 13  6  2.55   0.0  0.75  17     6    4    0
 13  7
 13  8
 13  9
 13 10
 13 11
 13 12
---------------------------------------------
        5.07   0.0  2.12  May    9    6    1

                                Wind Speed (mph)
                          Dom
 YR MO   Avg.  Hi   Date  Dir
------------------------------
 13  1
 13  2
 13  3
 13  4
 13  5   2.7  25.0   30   SSE
 13  6   1.6  26.0   12     S
 13  7
 13  8
 13  9
 13 10
 13 11
 13 12
------------------------------
         2.2  26.0  Jun     S

There is an entire subsection in Cumulus devoted to it (Configuration > NOAA) that will allow you to generate the files (they update at midnight) and ftp them to your website.

[Intheswamp]

Thanks BigOkie. I was thinking the Hazardous outlook might not be qualified as an alert but I wasn't sure...I guess the alerts are "warnings" and "watches"?

Thanks for the info on the cron jobs...I'll look a little more into this later. I've got enough to do now. Seems it would be handy and I do have another area that I'd like alerts for....elderly mother-in-law's location.

I've got the NOAA page filled out as best I could. I wasn't sure about UTF-8 so I left it unchecked. Also, I put no trailing slash-mark " / " behind "Records", but in the settings-weather.php file it has a slash behind it...

Code: Select all

# For NOAA reports
$SITE['NOAAdir']        = './Reports/';   // relative location of the NOAA report files

Is that correct?

Something else that I'd like to do is to have the live updates run a bit longer on the website while it is being viewed...it looks like they're only running for a minute or so before "pausing". Is there a place to increase the "live" time?

I'm about ready to cut over to the new website. How should I remove the old website...just remove the htm files on the webhost and rename the index file? What about the Cumulus uploads?

Thanks!
Ed

[Intheswamp]

I just can't seem to get the NOAA reports going. Here is what I have when I open the NOAA report page on the website...

Code: Select all

NOAA-Style Climate Reports

Warning: sort() expects parameter 1 to be array, null given in /home/content/96/11100996/html/include-NOAA-reports.php on line 216

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/content/96/11100996/html/include-NOAA-reports.php on line 224

Warning: min() [function.min]: Array must contain at least one element in /home/content/96/11100996/html/include-NOAA-reports.php on line 251

Warning: max() [function.max]: Array must contain at least one element in /home/content/96/11100996/html/include-NOAA-reports.php on line 252
No NOAA-style climate reports found.

That is my impression of the "deer in the headlights" look.

Is this just the standard errors you see until the update at midnight takes place for the first time?

Ed

[William Grimsley]

I just can't seem to get the NOAA reports going. Here is what I have when I open the NOAA report page on the website...

Code: Select all

NOAA-Style Climate Reports

Warning: sort() expects parameter 1 to be array, null given in /home/content/96/11100996/html/include-NOAA-reports.php on line 216

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/content/96/11100996/html/include-NOAA-reports.php on line 224

Warning: min() [function.min]: Array must contain at least one element in /home/content/96/11100996/html/include-NOAA-reports.php on line 251

Warning: max() [function.max]: Array must contain at least one element in /home/content/96/11100996/html/include-NOAA-reports.php on line 252
No NOAA-style climate reports found.

That is my impression of the "deer in the headlights" look.

Is this just the standard errors you see until the update at midnight takes place for the first time?

Ed

Right. Ok...

Right ok.

No what do you have under "FTP directory" field I have "/Reports"?

Put what is in your "FTP directory" field says where I have put it in bold:

$SITE['NOAAdir'] = './Reports/'; // relative location of the NOAA report files

Hope this helps...

[BigOkie]

I just can't seem to get the NOAA reports going. Here is what I have when I open the NOAA report page on the website...

Code: Select all

NOAA-Style Climate Reports

Warning: sort() expects parameter 1 to be array, null given in /home/content/96/11100996/html/include-NOAA-reports.php on line 216

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/content/96/11100996/html/include-NOAA-reports.php on line 224

Warning: min() [function.min]: Array must contain at least one element in /home/content/96/11100996/html/include-NOAA-reports.php on line 251

Warning: max() [function.max]: Array must contain at least one element in /home/content/96/11100996/html/include-NOAA-reports.php on line 252
No NOAA-style climate reports found.

That is my impression of the "deer in the headlights" look.

Is this just the standard errors you see until the update at midnight takes place for the first time?

Ed

First question: do you have a 'Reports' directory in the root of your website? If it's a linux website (most are now) then it MUST be capitalized.

Second question: do you have any content in the Reports directory on your Cumulus machine? i.e., have you enabled the NOAA reports yet? If you don't have "Auto save after daily reset" checked in the NOAA setup screen, you won't and that will likely be your issue. You then must also verify you have "Auto FTP after auto-save" checked. It will send these files after it creates them (at midnight).

[Intheswamp]

The folder on the host does exist and it is capitalized. And you're right, BigOkie, it's a Linux website.

There is no content in the local Reports folder. The two settings mentioned are set correctly, though the UTF-8 selection I left unchecked as I wasn't sure about that. I think I'll just have to wait until after tonight to see if it's working. I set it up last night but it was (too) late and I'm pretty sure in thinking back that I missed the midnight witching hour. I'll sit tight and report back on this.

I'm scared I messed something up...I've got another question, but will ask it in a separate thread...

Ed

[saratogaWX]

You can copy the contents of your c:\cumulus\Reports\noaa*.txt to the ./Reports directory on your offline copy of the website and FTP the ./Reports directory to get a 'head start' on having the reports. Then make sure Cumulus NOAA reports are configured to be updated and uploaded daily:

Cumulus, Configuration, NOAA Setup...



Best regards,
Ken