This was the first release of the source code. It was initially uploaded to a file hosting site, but is now available here:
It is a C# project created in Microsoft Visual Studio 2005. It requires the Microsoft .Net Framework v2.0. (The easiest way to get it is with Windows Update or Microsoft Update).
If you want to play with the code, you should consider downloading Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Express. It’s free.
The code is implemented in three files. Use the links below to discuss the code:
I would like to break it up into smaller files but that can wait until later.
MikeM | 08-Oct-07 at 11:04 am | Permalink
Hi John,
I’m a grad student studying Geographic Information Science and was hoping I could use your code to develop some data for a project. However, I know little to nothing about C#. In fact I’m fairly new to these climate discussions in general so forgive me if I ask dumb questions. What I would like is to be able to generate temperature anomalies for individual stations in a given month/year. Then I can work with this data in ArcGIS’s GeoStatistical Analyst, produce Kriging models, Standard Error maps, etc. Is this something I can use OpenTemp to generate data for? Could you contact me by email at mikesmartin at gmail.com? I can send you an example of the type of maps I want to produce.
John V | 08-Oct-07 at 8:50 pm | Permalink
Hi Mike,
You can absolutely use the program for that purpose. It will soon be properly open-sourced so that anyone can use it for anything.
I sent you an email with more info.
BTW, the newest version is now available here:
http://www.opentemp.org/_release/v1rc1.zip
Clayton B. | 13-Oct-07 at 10:13 am | Permalink
Hey JohnV, could you provide an update on which portion of the program you are currently working on?
Conard | 19-Oct-07 at 10:49 pm | Permalink
As I understand it CA was trying to get GISTEMP running so they could walk through it and do what ever it is that stats wonks do. Is OpenTemp an effort to port and modernize GISTEMP or has it taken on a life and mission of its own?
I have many other questions but this topic will get me to my first decision point– I am also a software developer and looking for something to occupy the free cycles I seem to have during the winter months.
ps– I am not a stats guy. In fact, I absolutely hated stats in school
John V | 20-Oct-07 at 3:18 pm | Permalink
Conard,
It’s a common misconception that OpenTemp is an attempt to port and modernize GISTEMP. Actually, OpenTemp is an independent (and simple) program to calculate temperature trends.
Currently it is artificially restricted to the USA lower-48 with hard-coded analysis boundaries. This was intentional to prevent its casual use in other areas of the world before its limitations on the well-studied USA48 data are understood.
I would like to start moving out to the rest of the world before the end of the year. I also have a long wish list for OpenTemp in the following areas:
- improved, but still very simple, architecture
- improved input formats
- more robust geographic averaging
- pure trend analysis (no absolute temperatures)
- chart and map output
- proper website (probably Drupal)
If you would like to help, that’s great. Do any of the above areas catch your interest?
Conard | 20-Oct-07 at 8:05 pm | Permalink
Feel free to take this conversation offline– you have my email address.
Thanks for the clarification. I did not know how to interpret “forward-engineering” in the context of the Hansen reverse-engineering thread. I could not decide if were you re-engineering or that the analysis showed a need for a new set of requirements, etc.
Motivation:
On one hand I am still happy to sit on the side-lines. On the other hand I would like to provide researchers (like MikeM) a tool that can help sort out the extent of the warming, the anthropogenic component, and confidence of each measurement. Since you got there first I have been content to sit back and watch– did you have any idea of what you were getting into? At present I am willing to supply arms (for all sides) but not willing to engage in war . You seem willing and able to do both.
In reply to your query:
I will download the latest version of OpenTemp and take a more serious look at what it is doing and draw up a few documents to further my understanding.
The project is interesting– wish lists are just work to be done
Questions:
1- I realize OpenTemp started as a weekend project but did you have a set of functional requirements or use cases in mind?
2- http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=2200. Not that Steve Mosher speaks for you but would it be correct to assume that this is the general direction OpenTemp is headed? Can you elaborate?
3- If relevant, what use cases should be considered to accomplish #2? I see your wish list but I am looking for architecture / design guidance. It seems pointless to re-invent statistical computation, spatial, and graphing engines but it seems OpenTemp has to be both input and output to each.
John V | 23-Oct-07 at 10:16 pm | Permalink
Conard,
I apologize for the slow response. I’ve been busy, not “waging war”, but engaging in little skirmishes.
It’s late but I will try to quickly answer your questions:
Did I know what I was getting into?
Nope. I wrote a quick parser for GHCN data, then very quickly evolved it into a geographically weighted averaging program. It fills a useful niche and it’s gotten more attention than I expected. The ability for anyone to generate results is powerful.
1. Functional Requirements / Use Cases:
I haven’t yet stepped back to think about the big picture. I have some use cases in mind. I’ll write you offline with more info.
2. Steve Mosher:
The link was to the article (not a comment). Did you mean this one about OpenTemp becoming the standard?
http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=2200.#comment-149524
I didn’t have such lofty goals when I started. With a flexible design and great documentation it could become the standard.
Right now there’s nothing magical about it and to be honest it’s structure is a little embarassing (tested and well commented but quick and dirty).
3. Architecture/Design Guidance:
Although I’m a Windows/C# guy, I like the Unix mantra of sharp tools for a single job. I envision building it as many sharp tools (for parsing station data, calculating cell temps, geographic averaging, graphing, mapping, etc) that are linked together with higher-level programs or scripts. Some of the tools should be wrappers around existing software.
I will stop here before I ramble on much further. Let me know your thoughts.
Conard | 24-Oct-07 at 12:39 am | Permalink
I just got home from the office so I will only make a few quick scattered notes:
No apologies required or expected.
1. No hurry. I have recently found myself under an enormous pile of work.
2. It would be foolish to start in any other way. Get your bearings first. Sorry about the broken link. I noticed it earlier when considering a reply to Steve McIntyre and his admonition to use R.
3. Glad to see we are in agreement here. I have, when possible, written the core as a library, dll, or driver, and put a gui or scripting interface on the front end. I did not follow MS over to .NET and C#. Not because of an aversion to it the opportunity just has not presented itself. I am currently writing web services in Java.
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