GFE Configuration Information

Table of Contents

Overview
GFE Configuration Modification Options
How the GFE Gets Its Configuration
Location of Files

Overview

The gfe may be started with different configuration files.  Some of these files may be overridden by the site or by individual users.  The GFE configuration files define many of the display characteristics of weather elements, such as color tables, contour intervals, user interface fonts, as well as default modes for many of the tool states.

By default, the GFE uses a configuration file called gfeConfig.GFECONFIG.  This is provided as an installed file in BASE, and can be overridden by the site or individual users.   At no time should the files that are sent with the software release or install be modified directly.  These will be overwritten with the next upgrade.

The technique to modify or create new gfe configuration files is through the GFE -- not by hand editing.

Sites will need to create alternative GFE configuration files for use with the ifpIMAGE program.  That program uses the GFE in background mode to generate Portable Network Graphics imagery.

The format of the GFE configuration file is documented here.

GFE Configuration Modification Options

There are several scenarios for modifying the standard gfe configuration option.  The recommended option is partial site overrides and user overrides from the installed base.  You can override all entries in the gfe configuration file.    The configuration overrides described below describe the actual locations of the files.  Normally you would define a new configuration file by using the GFE GUI.

The technique for the GFE to pick up configuration files uses the standard BASE, SITE, USER concept.  With this concept, files can be merged using the Python "import statement" since GFE configuration files contain Python code.

The basic rule is that using the same name as an existing file "up the tree", e.g., from SITE or USER,  will result in a complete override of the definitions "up the tree".  If your site or user files are of a different name, then you can import the symbols from the site or base files with the result that your configuration file simply contains overrides.

No Changes From Installed Files

This is the default case.  There is nothing you need to do.
 

Partial Site Override of Standard GFE Configuration (recommended)

Start the GFE with username "SITE". Create a new gfe configuration file with just the entries you want to override.  The filename must be different from the base configuration file since you will be importing all of the definitions from the base configuration file. This should be a small file.  Save the file, which puts it in the SITE area of the server.  The advantage of partial overrides is that new BASE files can be installed and your overrides will still work. Be sure to include the appropriate Python "import" statement.
 

Partial User Override of Site's or Standard GFE Configuration (recommended)

Start the GFE with the particular username for which you wish to create a gfe configuration file. Create a new gfe configuration file with just the entries you want to override, but use a different name. Be sure to use the Python import statement to include all of the definitions from the SITE or BASE files. (Note: the list of all of the available files are presented to you when you start the GFE.) The created file should be a small file.   Save the file, which puts it at the user's customized location in the server.  The advantage of partial overrides is that new BASE or SITE  files can be installed and your overrides will still work.
 

Complete Site Override of Standard GFE Configuration (not recommended)

The GFE will not let you do this directly since when you try to edit the original BASE file, it will be displayed as a read-only version.  In order to completely override the standard GFE configuration, you must go into the server directories and copy the gfe configuration file from the original location (leave the original one there) to the site's customized location.  The filename should remain the same. The disadvantage of this situation is that you will need to do a careful comparison between newly upgraded files and your modified files after each upgrade, and you will not be able to import files of the same name.
 

Complete User Override of Standard GFE Configuration (not recommended)

The GFE will not let you do this directly since when you try to edit the original BASE file, it will be displayed as a read-only version.  In order to completely override the standard GFE configuration, you must go into the server directories and copy the gfe configuration file  from the original location (leave the original one there) to the user's customized location. The filename should remain the same. The disadvantage of this situation is that you will need to do a careful comparison between newly upgraded files and your modified files after each upgrade, and you will not be able to import files of the same name.
 

How the GFE Gets Its Configuration

The GFE and ifpIMAGE programs get their configuration through the standard BASE, SITE, USER file access scheme. Only those items that you wish changed are necessary to place in the SITE and USER directories since you can refer to the files at the higher level using the "import" statement.

The method you use to place files at the SITE and USER level is to start the GFE and supply either a user name or "SITE" for the SITE administrator.  You then access the define gfe configuration file through the main menu entry GFE->Define Config and ifpIMAGE files.   Please do not  modify the files directly in the server directories; instead use the GFE.

The illustration shows how the access is performed:

In the above picture, configuration file "d" imports "c" which imports "b".  Only a few items need to be overridden in files "c" and "d" to result in a gfe configuration file that resembles b+c+d.  File "a" in the USER imports "b" in the BASE so the result is a+b.  Note that since there is a file "a" in the USER that it completely hides the "a" in BASE.

The following examples illustrates this merging concept for configration file "d".  Only portions of the configuration files are shown.

BASE file (b)

The comments have been removed from this example.  Only a portion of the configuration file is shown.  Three entries are shown : the default sample set, the default map backgrounds, and the default color table for weather element "T".  For this example, we are assuming that the base gfe configuration file is named BASEgfeConfig.

.....
DefaultSamples = ['DefaultSamples']
MapBackgrounds_default = ['CWA','States']
T_defaultColorTable="midrange enhanced"
....
 

SITE file (c)

This is the entire configuration file ( 4 lines).  A DefaultSamples is shown, as well as a default color table for weather element "Td".

from b import *
DefaultSamples = ['CitySamples','ObsSamples']
Td_defaultColorTable="mid temp enhanced"
 

USER file (d)

This is the entire configuration file (4 lines).  The user has defined the default map backgrounds and contour font.  It is assumed that the site configuration file is called SITEgfeConfig.

from c import *
MapBackgrounds_default = ['CWA_Zones']
Contour_font = 4

The following shows the effective composite configuration file for the USER (keeping in mind there are other entries in the BASE file that are not shown):

DefaultSamples = ['DefaultSamples']
MapBackgrounds_default = ['CWA','States']
T_defaultColorTable="midrange enhanced"
DefaultSamples = ['CitySamples','ObsSamples']
Td_defaultColorTable="mid temp enhanced"
MapBackgrounds_default = ['CWA_Zones']
Contour_font = 4

which simplifies to:

T_defaultColorTable="midrange enhanced"
DefaultSamples = ['CitySamples','ObsSamples']
Td_defaultColorTable="mid temp enhanced"
MapBackgrounds_default = ['CWA_Zones']
Contour_font = 4

Location of Files

The gfe configuration files are served out of the ifpServer.  As a result, you should NEVER edit these files directly.  The location of the gfe configuration files are shown for your convenience, but not for you to edit directly:
 
File Purpose Part of Std. Rel. RPP File Location, directory
(~/release/data/databases...)		 AWIPS File Location, directory
(/data/adapt/ifps/databases...)
Base gfe configuration files
YES
 /BASE/TEXT/GFECONFIG/ /BASE/TEXT/GFECONFIG/
Site modified gfe configuration files NO /SITE/TEXT/GFECONFIG/ /SITE/TEXT/GFECONFIG/
Customized user gfe configuration files NO /user/TEXT/GFECONFIG/ /user/TEXT/GFECONFIG/
* user is the user name


 
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