(ACSOE) NASA-Ames file submission


Before you transfer a NASA-Ames format file to the central database please spend a few minutes working through the checklist given below - these few minutes could go a long way towards preventing your file from being rejected by BADC because the file-ingestion process could not understand the name of the file or its contents.

At BADC we use a FORTRAN computer program called NACHECK to verify that files are NASA-Ames compliant. You can get a copy of this program (which is available as source code and as compiled versions for DEC UNIX and MS-DOS) from /badc/acsoe/software/NASA-Ames_checking. You can also run the NACHECK program from your web browser to validate your files.

Before you submit a file you should check:

  1. The file name is correct - note all alpha characters must be in lower-case.
    Files must be submitted to the login.badc.rl.ac.uk directory /cache/acsoecache/nasaames. Submission means either transferring the file from your home site using ftp or copying a file from your personal account on login.badc.rl.ac.uk.
    (Remember the BADC scheme uses the name of the file to compute which directory the file should be put in - if the name is wrong, the system will not work)

  2. The file is an ASCII one and includes a NASA-Ames file header

  3. The values for FFI, the file format index, and NLINES, the (header) line count, are correct.
    (Remember to count the the first line, which contains FFI and NLINES, in the line count.)

  4. The descriptions of the independent, primary and (if they are used) auxiliary variables have been entered correctly.
    (See the page on file header for further information.)

  5. Any "missing-data" values are well outside the range of valid data values.
    (Many applications work better if these are supplied as integers.)

  6. If the first independent variable is time, make sure the unit is the agreed ACSOE one of "fractional julian day".
    (Fractional julian day is generated by adding day number - day 1 is January 1st - to the fractional day, the latter expressed with an accuracy of six figures eg 2.525706 translates to 12:37:01 on 2nd January.)

  7. All data tables are free of erroneous characters.
    (These characters are found sometimes at the point where two data tables have been joined together to form one, larger one.)

  8. All data records have the correct number of primary variables.
    (Many applications stop with an error condition if data values are missing).

  9. The (data) start date and the file-creation date have been entered correctly on line seven.
    (Please remember to update the version number and the creation date when you submit a revised version of an existing file.).

  10. The keyword values: THIS-FILE-NAME, THIS-FILE-VERSION, THIS-FILE-ENDS and E-MAIL-CONTACT are included and correctly completed.

  11. If you use ftp please double-check that your software is set to ASCII-mode ftp.

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