New app emerging for WXML and vantage pro

[Kevin Oleniczak]

Greetings!

I've been playing around with my Vantage Pro for some time now and have noticed that there is a significant gap in terms of free software tools that would support the wxml format. I've spent a few days dusting off of my delphi compiler to create an app that does the following:

-Run as a Windows Service
-NOT require anything from WeatherLink (other then data module for connectivity)
-Supports web access via a typical page request (GET) to instantly repond with the current wx in wxml format.
-Data caching controllable by user to set frequency at which retrievals of latest wx data is performed. Although I also made it so that no updates from the vantage pro would occur without a request.
-Multi-threaded through web connection where the user can specify the port.
-A few more tweaks still in the works...maybe some graphics, alerts or dynamic GIS support...

Here's my motivation:
-I don't like having to leave Weather Link up and running all the time just to support web access to the latest wx at my station.
-I wanted a program that would generate the required format(s) only as often as needed. No need to generate xml files all night long if no one is around to look at them.
-Wanted to leverage a format (xml) that simultaneously supports multiple uses like simple web pages, reporting wx data to another site (either pushed or pulled), supported mobile phone formats (XHTML/WML).
-Other weather related xml formats like the ones used for government (OMF xml format) are not well suited for hobbiest.
-I have other plans for automation that were not possible with WeatherLink.

Here's how it works:
-install app
-run config utility
-startup service
-pull up a web browser and enter the url of your web server and path identified in config file
-Within moments.... you got wxml with your data

How it works:
-The app listens for web requests on the port you specify.
-When it receives a request, it checks how old the latest snapshot of weather data was from the vantage pro. If it is more then the number of minutes specified, then it will connect to the wx station, download the latest data, format it into wxml and return it too the requester.

It is definately a beta app still, but it does seem to work very well at this point. I do have to map several more wx attributes from those exposed by the vantage pro to the wxml format.

If any documentation is available about the definitions of all the elements in the wxml format that would be helpful. I plan to make this app available for free in the near future.

Cheers!

[Admin]

The wXML data format is really little more than a laundry list of the available HTML tags from WeatherLink formatted into a "well-formed" XML document. Probably the easiest thing to do is to look at the wXML template; here's a link www.qsl.net/n6skk/wlfulldata.htx.

Your idea sounds quite intriguing...

[Kevin Oleniczak]

Ok... I am curious about some of the history behind how this format (wxml) came to be. How was the spec for wxml determined? Does anyone else use it yet?

Is there any involvement with the weather underground? Are there other similar xml formats that appear to address the same needs?

I'm curious because there is a lot of potential for this format being used in weather data logging.

One idea I had in mind was hook in support to read the NMEA protocol which is commonly used by GPS receivers to report coordinates. Currently it appears that most wx stations are statically located. One application for the tool I am building is to support automated wx reporting by a mobile station (i.e. a test van or storm chaser). In this scenerio the coordinates would often be changing as the vehicle moves around.

I also have a working prototype that queries the NWS to get up to date severe wx alerts in xml format. This is a new product they are offering and is being tested at this time. It seems only natural that with the current wx one would also like to know if there are any severe wx alerts in close proximity to their wx station. It seems that this xml data could be embeded within the wxml specification and supported through automation?!

Greets to my fellow ham operators!

-KB9WWV

[Admin]

This was just something I dreamt up on my own after learning about XML and data binding. There's a small grassroots effort called the "wXML Project" - home page is at mysite.verizon.net/vze7ij1o/pws.html. As you can see there, there are 18-20 people around the world contributing data. I developed templates for Virtual Weather Station, WeatherLink, and WxSolution, and Brian Hamilton of Weather Display created a tempalte on his own (saving me many hours!) There is no official standard involved; arguably, that being used constitutes a de facto standard.

I agree with XML having huge potential for data sharing. I'm also playing with some NWS METAR data on another page, mysite.verizon.net/vze7ij1o/airports.html - takes a while to load.

Your idea sounds great; I'd sure like to see XML getting used for widespread data sharing. There's no facility currently for getting this XML data to Weather Underground. I offered to work to get these data to the Citizen Weather Observer Project at NOAA as another alternative, but while they were appreciative, wanted to stick with what they have now (data feeds generated from within the various weather software.)

[Kevin Oleniczak]

Here's a link to a simple web page I put together to communicate where I'm at with the tool (Weather Station Agent). Next week I should have a download ready. There is a link to see a live sample using this new tool and connected to my vantage pro. Feedback and ideas welcome!

kevino.gotdns.com/projects/wsa/wx_station_agent.htm