Introduction IF block structure

The -if option returns either true or false. What happens next depends on whether you are using Version 1 or Version 2 of the "If blocks". Prior to wgrib2 v3.0.0, you only get Version 1. With wgrib2 3.0.0+, you can use either Version 1 or 2 but not both at the same time.

Version 1 If blocks

For Version 1 "IF blocks", the -if option returns true or false. If true, then all the options up to and including the next "output" option are executed. If false, then all the options up to and including the next "output" option are not executed. Options following the output option are executed as normal.With Version 1, nesting of IF blocks is not defined. The option -fi is a NULL output option. Note that -fi cannot be used in Version 2 "IF blocks".

Definition

    wgrib2 (...) [if] [list of non-ouput options] [output option]

   [if] = -if, -not_if, -if_fs, -not_if_fs, -if_n, -if_rec

   if [if] returns the value of false, the list of non-output options
                                       and the next output option are not executed
           returns the value of true, the following options are executed
   [output option] is the terminator of the if block

   If blocks should not be nested. The results are undefined.

Example

     wgrib2 gribfile -if ":(UGRD|VGRD):" -grib winds.grb \
                     -if ":TMP:" -grib tmp.grb \
                     -if ":HGT:" -grib hgt.grb \
                     -not_if ":(UGRD|VGRD|TMP|HGT):" -grib rest.grb

     note: -grib is an output option

     wgrib2 gribfile -new_grid_interpolation bilinear \
        -if ":SOTYP:" -new_grid_interpolation neighbor -fi \
        ...

     note: -fi is an output option

Version 2 IF blocks (introduced wgrib2 v3.0.0)

For Version 2 of the IF blocks, wgrib2 uses -if, -elseif, -else and -endif options to implement a proper IF blocking structure. IF blocks can be nested. Note, the "if" flag is reset prior to processing of a record.

Definition

1. The if blocks can now be nested, and are terminated by an -endif.
2. Within the if block, you can have -else and -elseif options.
3. The -elseif options must proceed the -else option.
4. The -fi option is not allowed.
5. Version 1 and Version 2 if blocks cannot be mixed.

Example 1

     wgrib2 gribfile -if ":(UGRD|VGRD):" -grib winds.grb \
                     -elseif ":TMP:" -grib tmp.grb \
                     -elseif ":HGT:" -grib hgt.grb \
                     -else -grib rest.grb -endif

     wgrib2 gribfile -new_grid_interpolation bilinear \
        -if ":SOTYP:" -new_grid_interpolation neighbor -endif \
        ...

Example 2

# bash: fix SNOHF and CS(radiances) timing info
for f in *.grb
do
  wgrib2 $f \
    -if "(:SNOHF:|:CS)" \
      -if ":3 hour fcst:" -set_ftime "0-3 hour ave fcst" -endif  \
      -if ":6 hour fcst:" -set_ftime "3-6 hour ave fcst" -endif  \
      -if ":9 hour fcst:" -set_ftime "6-9 hour ave fcst" -endif \
      -if ":12 hour fcst:" -set_ftime "9-12 hour ave fcst" -endif \
      -if ":15 hour fcst:" -set_ftime "12-15 hour ave fcst" -endif \
    -endif \
    -grib ../test/$f
done

Limitations

The Version 1 limits, the maximum number of -if options on a command line is limited by (1) system limit of open files (2) maximum length of a command line, (3) maximum number of regular expressions allowed MAX_MATCH (wgrib.h), and (4) maximum number of parsed arguments N_ARGLIST (wgrib.h).

The Version 2 limits include the Version 1 limits and include a limit of the number of nested IF blocks (10).

Version 1 and Version 2 IF blocks cannot be mixed. The -fi option is restricted to Version 1 IF blocks. There are NO plans to eliminate Version 1 IF blocks. However, Version 2 IF blocks are recommended for future development.

Introduction -if and -not_if

Usage

-if X

X is a regular expression
sets the "run_flag" if X matches the "match inventory",
used to control the execution of following options

Future Changes

The format of the "match inventory" has evolved and will continue to evolve. The rule for future changes is that new items in the "match inventory" will be added as the second last item. Consequently the last item in the inventory will always be ":vt=YYYYMMDDHH:". In order to future proof your -match, and -not selections, you must not include any item before the ":vt=YYYYMMDD:" field.

    -match ":vt=2011111500:"                  good
    -not ":vt=2011111500:$"                   good (dollar sign matches the end of the line)
    -not ":n=10:vt=2011111500:"               bad (item before :vt=)
    -match ":RH:975 mb:anl::vt=2010050806:"   bad (item before :vt=)

• adding the "extended name of the variable", ex. TMP.prob_<273
• adding the inventory number, ex. n=10
• adding ensemble/chemical/probability information (-misc)

See also: -not, -end, -match, -i, -if. -if_fs. -fi. -set_regex.