Variable Lookup File (variable.lup)

The model name database file contains a list of model numbers from the GRIB files and a name to use in labels for WXP products.  The model names change on a regular basis so rather than hard coding the model names into the program, the model lookup file provides the means for updating the model name list and to tailor how the model name is displayed on WXP products.

FORMAT

The model name file is formatted as follows:

num[,num,...] abbr longname
num[,num,...] abbr longname
...

where:

• num -- The variable/parameter ID from the GRIB product (Octet 9 of PDB). There can be more than one number associated with a variable.  In some cases, there are special variables used with different models.  For example, the Eta model uses 130 for sea level pressure whereas other models use 2 so pressure "pres" could be 4 different numbers so using the pres variable abbreviation can cover all possible sea level pressure variables.
• abbr -- The variable abbreviation to be used to specify the variable in WXP programs.
• longname -- The long name to use for labels using that variable.  There can be spaces in the long name.

EXAMPLES

An example of a block from the variable.lup file:

  1,2,129,130  pres  Pressure
  2 slpres Pressure
  3 ptend  Pressure tendency
  4 pvort  Potential vorticity
  6  geop  Geopotential
  7  hght  Geopotential Height
  8  hght  Height
 10 ozone  Total ozone
 11  temp  Temperature
 12 vtemp  Virtual temperature
 13 theta  Potential temperature
 14 thetae Equiv potential temp
 15  maxt  Maximum temperature
 16  mint  Minimum temperature
 17  dewp  Dewpoint temperature
 18  dewd  Dewpoint depression
 19 lapse  Lapse rate
 20   vis  Visibility
 24 plift  Parcel lifted index
 27 ganom  Geopotential anomaly
 31  wdir  Wind direction
 32  wspd  Wind speed
 32   spd  Wind speed
 33  uwnd  U wind component
 34  vwnd  V wind component
 35  strf  Stream function
 37 mstrf  Montgomery stream func
 38 svvel  Vertical velocity-sigma
 39  vvel  Vertical velocity
 40 gvvel  Vertical velocity-geom
 41 avort  Abs vorticity
 43 rvort  Rel vorticity
...

SEE ALSO

For further information about WXP, email technical-support@weather.unisys.com
Last updated by Dan Vietor on August 11, 1998