Catch a few more exceptions, and Pylint fixes

[infoex-autowx.git] / README.md

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a02bfba816e401e406934f29ed862b3a3d62d982..1a5cbefdef9497d37d31b573c232e43ca9beac0f 100644 (file)
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 InfoEx AutoWx (IEAW)
 =============
 
 InfoEx AutoWx (IEAW)
 =============
 

-This program fetches data from an NRCS SNOTEL or MesoWest station and
-pushes it into the InfoEx system using the new automated weather system
-implementation.
+This program fetches data from an NRCS SNOTEL or MesoWest station, or
+your own custom data source, and pushes it into the InfoEx system using
+the new automated weather system implementation.

 
 Licensed under the ISC license (see file: LICENSE).
 
 
 Licensed under the ISC license (see file: LICENSE).
 


@@ -78,11 +78,13 @@ weather station FTP server and other InfoEx-related configuration
 options.
 
 `[station]`  
 options.
 
 `[station]`  

-`type = # either mesowest or nrcs #`  
-`token = # MesoWest API token -- ignored when type is nrcs #`  
+`type = # mesowest, nrcs, or python #`  
+`token = # MesoWest API token -- only applies when type is mesowest #`  

 `station_id = # the NRCS/MesoWest identifier for a particular station #`  
 `desired_data = # a comma-delimited list of fields you're interested in #`  
 `station_id = # the NRCS/MesoWest identifier for a particular station #`  
 `desired_data = # a comma-delimited list of fields you're interested in #`  

-`units = # either english or metric -- ignored when type is nrcs #`  
+`units = # either english or metric -- only applies when type is mesowest #`  
+`tz = # any entry from the Olson tz database e.g. America/Denver #`  
+`path = # the filesystem path to the Python program -- only applies when type is python #`  

 
 `[infoex]`  
 `host = # InfoEx FTP host address #`  
 
 `[infoex]`  
 `host = # InfoEx FTP host address #`  


@@ -191,6 +193,46 @@ indicates that I'd like to import "Temperature" and "Precipitation
 accumulated" from the MesoWest station at Santiam Pass, OR, into InfoEx,
 and that I want that data in imperial units.
 
 accumulated" from the MesoWest station at Santiam Pass, OR, into InfoEx,
 and that I want that data in imperial units.
 

+Custom weather station support
+------------------------------
+
+This program supports custom weather station data by allowing the user
+to specify the path to an external Python program. The external Python
+program should emit its data in the form expected by infoex-autowx.
+
+This is a powerful feature which enables the user to upload data from
+any source imaginable into InfoEx. Common examples are a local database
+or a remote web page which requires some custom parsing.
+
+Please see the program located at examples/custom-wx.example.py for a
+complete description of what's required.
+
+A note on time zones
+--------------------
+
+This program is aware of time zones via the pytz library. The way in
+which NRCS and MesoWest deal with time zones differs as follows:
+
+NRCS expects the request to come in the appropriate time zone, and the
+data retrieved will be in the same time zone (no transformation
+required before sending to InfoEx).
+
+MesoWest expects the request to come in UTC, and the data retrieved will
+be in the same time zone (transformation from UTC to the desired time
+zone is required before sending to InfoEx).
+
+As long as you specify the correct timezone in your configuration file,
+all will be handled correctly. The list of time zones comes from the
+Olson tz database. See that for more information.
+
+If you specify an invalid time zone, the program will exit and inform
+you of such.
+
+Lastly, InfoEx itself is timezone aware. If you notice that the data
+which makes it into your operation is inaccurate, start your
+investigation with time zone-related issues and move on only once you've
+ruled this out as a cause of the inaccuracy.
+

 A note on supported measurements
 --------------------------------
 
 A note on supported measurements
 --------------------------------
 


@@ -200,7 +242,6 @@ weather station may not record them. In this case, the data will simply
 be ignored (i.e. it will NOT log "0" when there's no measurement
 available).
 
 be ignored (i.e. it will NOT log "0" when there's no measurement
 available).
 

-

 InfoEx provides a mechanism for inspecting your automated weather
 station data, so use that after setting this program up and compare it
 with the data you see in your web browser.
 InfoEx provides a mechanism for inspecting your automated weather
 station data, so use that after setting this program up and compare it
 with the data you see in your web browser.


@@ -226,15 +267,70 @@ wind\_speed
 wind\_direction  
 wind\_gust  
 
 wind\_direction  
 wind\_gust  
 

+**Custom Wx program**  
+*infoex-autowx expects a custom Wx data provider to provide at least one
+of the following:*  
+precipitationGauge  
+tempPres  
+tempMaxHour  
+tempMinHour  
+hS  
+baro  
+rH  
+windSpeedNum  
+windDirectionNum  
+windGustSpeedNum  
+

 Future plans
 ------------
 
 Future plans
 ------------
 

-- Improve the documentation

 - Implement unit conversion for NRCS stations
 
 Version history
 ---------------
 
 - Implement unit conversion for NRCS stations
 
 Version history
 ---------------
 

+- 3.1.0 (Jan 2021)
+
+  Implement time zone support.
+
+- 3.0.2 (Jan 2021)
+
+  Use UTC time when asking MesoWest for data.
+
+- 3.0.1 (Jan 2021)
+
+  General fixes.
+
+  - MesoWest wind data (speed and gust speed) units are now transformed
+    from their origin unit (meters per second) to the unit expected by
+    InfoEx (miles per hour).
+
+  - Relative humidity is now rounded to one decimal place, preventing
+    InfoEx from reddening the auto-filled value.
+
+- 3.0.0 (Nov 2020)
+
+  Implement Custom Wx data providers.
+
+  This release enables the user to write their own Python programs and
+  specify them to infoex-autowx as a data provider.
+
+  This in turn enables the user to pull data from e.g. a local database
+  or an HTML page and push it into their InfoEx auto station data,
+  limited only by the imagination.
+
+- 2.2.0 (Nov 2020)
+
+  Add support for Tmin/Tmax values (directly from MesoWest/NRCS).
+
+- 2.1.0 (Nov 2020)
+
+  Adjust precision of certain values before sending them to InfoEx.
+
+- 2.0.2 (Jul 2020)
+
+  Fix issues shown by pylint(1).
+

 - 2.0.1 (Jul 2020)
 
   Major restructuring, but nothing which should impact the end user.
 - 2.0.1 (Jul 2020)
 
   Major restructuring, but nothing which should impact the end user.