Image addition to IndexT

[avoorpool]

Hi Jacques,

That looks simply AWESOME....or.....MAGNIFIC!!!!
Exactly what I'm looking for!!!
What I do at the moment is make a copy of the "source" when I look at the WU forecast for my station (IONTARIO232).
Paste this in the page I have named "Forecast" and update it every once in a while......
They give a 10 day forecast, which I think is too unreliable...
I feel the Environment Canada forecast is much, much better, especially the way it looks in the template.
Any chance of getting a copy (= beta version) to play with in my template     ??
It would complete another goal in my wbsite design (the Moon page is nearly finished as well..!!)

Merci Beaucoup,

Arthur

[Mr.Meteo]

Hi Arthur,

Like I told you, I've played with ec_forecast file to see how it works.
But I have to confirm some things, I've mixed icon (brief) forecast
with plain text forecast, as brief are too cryptic.

As you can see in that test, icon for Thursday night is missing. I have
to check if it is the same during evenings. Also in 1st lines it seems that
an icon is there in the evening, but replaced with big temp numbers after 4pm.

Then a lot to look  for before sending it "unofficially" to you.
Tomorrow, I plan to solve these "problems"!

Regards,
Jacques

[avoorpool]

Hi Jacques,

I noticed a few of the things you mentioned, but it all is very exciting!!!
My neighbours and friends (frequent visitors of the website) have made many compliments about the layout, the clean overview, colours and template overall (blue is my favourite colour!!), but............asked me several times about a possible forecast (although they know it can't be given from my data only.....) (FYI, my data seems to be pretty good according CWOP / MADIS analysis. 2 green thumbs for all transfered data since I started 8 days ago!!)
Your forecast page looks very good.
Currently I'm studying the ec-forecast.php page of where to enter the station/location data etc, etc.

Merci, Merci,

Arthur

[Mr.Meteo]

Hi Arthur,

This morning, I've verified what I was thinking about non-stable layout...
and I'm right!    Yesterday night forecast text (in bottom), first 2 lines
mentionned Thursday and Thursday night, but this morning these lines
mention Today and Tonight.
[attachment=0:15nj704b]forecast.jpg[/attachment:15nj704b]Then, these 2 lines are not stable and have only one icon correspondance,
for 2 lines! My layout tried to merge icons with these lines, because
as you see, icons could have no text. Then, we have to stay with horizontal
"ribbon" icon layout and vertical descriptive text.

I've tried to enhance desing because it was a little weird. Saratoga design
is a medium size box (with box-line around), a wide icons "ribbon", and
a narrow column for descriptive text. I've tried to spread icon "ribbon"
to have more fluid design, but with 7 icons... no miracles to do.

Then, take ec_forecast as it is, and put it on a 1 column full-page latout.

Best regards,
Jacques

[avoorpool]

Bonjour Jacques,

Thanks for your message. Indeed I've checked a few websites who use the ec-forecast according to Saratoga-Weather script, and they all have the same lay-out....
If you keep the left-column "Forecast", will this still fit into 1 page?
Today I will play around a bit with the "empty" page and see if I can get the script to work.....(or are you implementing the ec-forecast script into Weather Blues "as-is"?)
Your example of Sorel-Tracy looks actually good.

On another note the following:
When it comes to weather information, for me, accuracy is a "Must"!! (I've checked weather stations in the Toronto area and saw wind records of 396 km/h......   ). (Toronto would be gone!!)
My problem with ec-forecast is that the information is observed at Oshawa Airport, approx 25km from my home/station (see: http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pag ... ric_e.html)
I've found a temp solution in my forecast page, to implement the Wunderground forecast icon (see: http://altonaweather.host22.com/forecast.htm) and click on the icon.
THIS forecast is of my direct surroundings, based on the WU BestforecastTM, however when you have a closer look it differs a bit from the ec-forecast  
Saratoga-Weather mentions that the WU forecast script can not be used in Canada.....Why??
I'm a registered WU user since 2009, however I can't get a API for the forecast script, although I have my personal key etc, etc.
Do you think the WU forecast will be another option to implement in Weather Blues?

Merci,

Arthur

[Mr.Meteo]

Hi Arthur,

This morning I'm redrawing completely ec_forecast layout to strech it (H & V).
I'll probabley include it in the Weather Blue v2.0, but as an optional page.
(When design meets my "standards")

For the WU Forecast, I'm a little mixed about their results. As you said,
their results are not so good, mainly because they are "machine-made",
while Environment Canada is doing theirs by human meteorologists.
But I think we can play with that to, since many Canadian cities are
availables.

When you go to WU api, you have a link to their "Playground"
http://english.wunderground.com/weather ... l?apigee=1
You could check, but I have checked (just a little) with Montréal ans it check
Dorval/Trudeau airport, that make sens!

Then, I'll continue we EC and depend on time spent on that I'll check WU

Bonne journée,
Jacques

EDIT: Playground too hate IE, I had to use PC Firefox or my tablet to "play" with it!

[avoorpool]

Hi Jacques,

So far it's been  :roll:
I get dizzy reading everything in the ec-forecast.php script, however I managed to get a correct link in my Forecast page to the appropriate .php display. (htttp://altonaweather.host22.com/forecast.htm) click on [Pickering]
This, of course is not embedded into the Weather Blues template.
How can I incorporate the script (copy/paste script in current html page???, like your display of Sorel-Tracy) or is there a way you can share a preview of the optional page for WB V2   ??

Thanks,

Arthur

[Mr.Meteo]

Hi Arthur,

I'm still working on my own version.
I want to keep layout near from EC's layout,
but just a bit strech to "fill" a page nicely!  

WIP....

Jacques

[avoorpool]

Hi Jacques,

I didn't spend much time behind my PC this weekend, instead had a great father's day weekend with my 8 year old son Max.
This morning I had a "sneak-peek" at your working page, and you did do a great, great job with implementing the ec-forecast info into Weather Blues!!
I don't know if the numbers are updated correctly, you can tell....but the lay-out looks very nice with the seperations and it's very much like the EC forecast page!!!
Is there a chance you can share a "beta" version already, and some instructions of how to implement the script into the existing template?

Merci Beaucoup,

Arthur

[Mr.Meteo]

Hi Arthur,

I've worked on that page this weekend to made it working live.
Then this page is working correctly, but I'm not impressed with
its speed! When browser's cache is empty, the page display its
header, but nothing below, during a few seconds.

Presently, I'm working on my own script, instead of working with
public page to extract data like ec-forecast script, I'm working
on raw data directly. By that way I hope to have speedier page
and in the same time having all data necessary to build an exclusive
graph of the day... then Canadian users of this template will be able
to switch from Cumulus graphs to my own based on EC data.

Then many work to do before launch.

Regards,
Jacques

[avoorpool]

Hi Jacques,

Thanks for your message.
Your ec-forecast "test" page is great. It looks like the data is uploaded correctly (once per hour looking at the time stamp), but I can't say much about the speed.
I very much like your idea of creating your own script, not being depending on public data. Does that mean the information comes from each individual PWS?
In the mean time, is there a possibility to "try-out" the current script in the current version of Weather Blues (not V2)?
I'm trying to get the script to work in my Template, but that will never look as great as the test version displayed with Sorel-Tracy Regional data.

Thanks,

Arthur

[Mr.Meteo]

Hi Arthur,

Yes, future script will manipulate  all EC weather stations, more
then 500 is available in Canada wide. Also Quebec gov. have near
300 other stations. I think you could see if Ontario gov. has its own too!
I've found also some water level monitoring stations... then ideas are boiling! :ugeek:

For older script, I have to take time to sweep it a lot

Jacques

[avoorpool]

Hi Jacques,

Sounds very promising to me!!
In case many weather stations are incorporated, even WU "Bestforecast" might be an option to implement..??
(there are several pws with Lake Ontario water temp as well..!!)

For the time being, I would like to add a "simple" forecast page with ec info to my site. (currently I have 2 links embedded: 1 to my pws with bestforecast and 1 with a link to EC which is not displayed in the page, but in pop-up php format).
Maybe you can give me a bit of advise in how to implement the standard Saratoga script in my current page?. So far it's not working and I'm strugling and strugling  :roll:
I've uploaded the entire (unpacked) zip-file in the public_html/forecast directory on the server.
Tried numerous options of where to enter the script in my standard page (keeping the header with image as is), but obviously made some mistake somewhere!!
Any adivse is very much appreciated!!

Thanks,

Arthur

[Mr.Meteo]

Hi Arthur,

For WU forecast, I'll check that later, but it could be a good thing
to incorporate as many "serious" forecast as we can.

As I think your watching my current Beta forecast page, based on
EC's forecast. I have to say that this page haven't moved any farther.
Working on that kind of project is a little as a ride in forest...
we can be lost with all those trees!  :shock:

Actually, I've done a "map" of what's inside, and found that
EC have 849 weather stations Canada wide.  

Each of these stations are represented by a file with around 700 lines.
Then, what's available on EC's web page is only a "summary"
of what is available, as example, long term forecast text are
only a real short sommary of the complete text, See:

EC's website display that text:
- Chance of showers
But in station's file, that text is available:
- A mix of sun and cloud with 40 percent chance of showers. Low 13. High 26.

Also there is an "Almanac", for all records for a station (I haven't see
them all, but found as old as 1930).

Then, I'm about to extract all weather infos availables and created a menu
to select any of 849 stations.

A real good Beta will be available in a few days!

Regards,
Jacques
Ps. I've tried to see your forecast page, but wasn't there anymore!!

[avoorpool]

Hi Jacques,

WAUW, that sounds very impressive!!
Especially after the enormous storm we had yesterday (I guess Quebec was hit as well) I followed some other official websites, and indeed the display is alwasy very minimal (except for Global, they have a nice forecast which includes a lot of information: http://www.globaltoronto.com/weather/fo ... dium=email

My forecast page should be normal visible (it has 2 links to EC forecast and WU bestforecast)

One question remains: Looking at your "work-page" it looks like WB V2 is written in .php scripts. Will this be compatible with the current version (upgradeable to V2??)
I also visited some other weather sites, completely running on .php, and most of them show a bit of a delay with displaying the pages once you click on it!! (I guess bacause it's build on the server??)

Have a nice weekend,

Arthur