Cumulus Support

I'm going through the proces of writing some code (well, actually butchering the ImportCumulusFile code would be closer to reality ) to import old FreeWx data into the SQL database that the ImportCumulusFile script uses. In the process though, it has become apparent that the Monthly log file from Cumulus is missing what I believe is information that is useful for long term analysis.

Specifically I notice that there are no indoor, humidity, dew point, wind chill or heat index figures saved in the detailed, or monthly, log file. They are there in the daily summary files, but not the detailed file so you can't get trends from them over 'real time'.

So I guess the first question - is this a considered omission ie were they originally considered (as they are obviously being used internally to the program to come up with the daily figures) and not included for a specific reason?

Are there any plans to make these available in the detailed lof?

I realise that this further bloats the detailed log files, but, the reality would be that today, the amount of space this would take up isn't an issue it was, say, 15 years ago. For instance, the average FreeWx monthly detailed log file is only in the order of 1.5 to 2 Mb a month (funnily enough though, I see the Cumulus detailed log is already around 250k after opnly 2 1/2 days of operation here so it is already going to be quite large at the end of the month - although I am logging every minute instead of 5 with FreeWx).

Whilst it can be argued that the daily, one line report, contains sufficient data, I can't use the daily figures to show, for example, when humidity suddenly rose, fell, etc.

Not criticising, just asking especially as I note V2 is being 'readied'

serowe wrote:Specifically I notice that there are no indoor, humidity, dew point, wind chill or heat index figures saved in the detailed, or monthly, log file. They are there in the daily summary files, but not the detailed file so you can't get trends from them over 'real time'.

The monthly log files have all of those items you've mentioned.

From the help:

The second is a set of files with names in the form <Month><Year>log.txt (for example, the file for December 2003 is called Dec03log.txt (on English systems)); an entry is made to the current month's file every ten minutes (or as configured), recording the current sensor values. The file is in comma-separated format, and each entry contains the following fields, in this order:

* Date in the form dd/mm/yy (the slash may be replaced by a dash in some cases)
* Current time
* Current temperature
* Current humidity
* Current dewpoint
* Current wind speed
* Recent (10-minute) high gust
* Average wind bearing
* Current rainfall rate
* Total rainfall today so far
* Current sea level pressure
* Total rainfall counter as held by the station
* Inside temperature
* Inside humidity
* Current gust (i.e. 'Latest')
* Wind chill
* Heat Index
* UV Index
* Solar Radiation

UV Index and Solar Radiation were added recently in the latest 1.9.0. beta.

The daily summaries (in dayfile.txt) do not, however, have the items you have mentioned.

OK what's getting me confused is the terminology. The 'dayfile' is only the summary file but, in all other weather software packages, this is generally the detailed daily log. The Cumulus detailed daily log is termed the 'monthly file' which, again in all other packages, whilst called monthly, is usually a summary file or almanac ie one record per day.

So when I have been trying to compare the FreeWx data files I have, the detailed files are produced into a monthly log and the summary into a much smaller monthly - well summary (FreeWx calls it their Almanac file or al for short).

Apologies - and I probably need a good nights rest to clear the head and eyes after this! (One way or another I'll get alll the historic data on line even if it - well, it probably will! - kills me!)

I use the term 'monthly log file' because the files don't have a fixed name but contain the name of a month and there is one file per month. The dayfile contains a summary of each day. That all seems logical to me, and it's all well documented in the wiki and the help. I don't really look at what (most) other software does - I have already been unjustly accused of stealing ideas by one author.

But anyway, the important thing is that you know which is which now.

LOL I wouldn't be worried about being accused of 'stealing' - I've recently looked over the two other leading software packages and they certainly aren't perfect - each has their own problems and the worst part is that the authors can't see or won't admit there is an issue when it can be proven!

I like what you are doing with Cumulus - basic, not trying to be everything. Yes, some things missing I'd like, but I can work around those. As more people use it, add-ons will get written to improve it; other bits will probably change. The only thing I really miss at present is the ability to start the software as a service - but there are ways around this as well - hopefully I'll implement that early next week. But first - I want my history re-implemented - so that's tomorrows job!

A few people are running Cumulus as a service, so it's definitely possible. The 'engine' part of Cumulus 2 is a service anyway.

Cumulus will never try to do "everything", but yes, there are a lot of things that it could and ought to do; they're not intentionally missing, it's down to a lack of time and the fact that Cumulus 1 had really reached the limit of what I could sensibly add to it - hence Cumulus 2. Hopefully that will start to get new features once the next alpha release is out and working OK.