[[Image(Rlogo.jpg)]]

= Overview of the `ecomsUDG.Raccess` package  

Since the [http://www.r-project.org/ R language] has been adopted for some key tasks in the EUPORIAS and SPECS projects (including the development of comprehensive validation and statistical-downscaling packages), the `ecomsUDG.Raccess` is envisaged as a user-friendly, R-based interface to the ECOMS User Data Gateway, enabling [wiki:./Authentication authentication] and remote access to the different datasets (seasonal forecasting, observations, reanalysis) currently available. Moreover, `ecomsUDG.Raccess` implements data homogenization (a single vocabulary) and time filtering/aggregation functionality.

The `ecomsUDG.Raccess` package relies on the `rJava` package as an interface to the powerful capabilities of the [http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/downloads/netcdf/netcdf-java-4/index.jsp Unidata's netCDF Java library].

  * [wiki:./prerequisites Pre-requisites]
  * [wiki:./Authentication Authentication]
  * [wiki:./Homogeneization Data Homogeneization]
  * [wiki:./Examples Examples]
{{{#!comment
  * [wiki:./Functions Defined Functions]
 }}}

= Versions

The latest versions (stable and/or devel) can be installed directly from [https://github.com/SantanderMetGroup/ecomsUDG.Raccess gitHub], but please note that the R package [http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/devtools/index.html devtools] must be installed.

== Latest stable release 2.2-4 (25 Aug 2014)

[https://github.com/SantanderMetGroup/ecomsUDG.Raccess/releases/tag/v2.2-4 see what's new]

[attachment:userManual.pdf User's manual]

 
To obtain the latest stable release of the `ecomsUDG.Raccess` package (and the associated dependencies), type the following commands from your R console:

{{{
#!text/R
devtools::install_github(c("SantanderMetGroup/downscaleR.java@stable",
"SantanderMetGroup/downscaleR@stable",
"SantanderMetGroup/ecomsUDG.Raccess@stable"))

}}}


If attempting the installation from a proxy server and getting an error, please [http://meteo.unican.es/ecoms-udg/RPackage/setup_proxy try this].


{{{#!comment
Once installed, when loading the library it should look something like this:

{{{
> library(ecomsUDG.Raccess)
Loading required package: downscaleR.java
Loading required package: rJava
NetCDF Java Library v4.3.22 (27 May 2014) loaded and ready
Loading required package: abind
ecomsUDG.Raccess version 2.1.0 (08-Jul-2014) is loaded
>
}}}
}}}


== Older versions

{{{#!comment
Current stable version sources: '''ecomsUDG.Raccess v2.0-0 (16-Jun-2014)''' [attachment:ecomsUDG.Raccess_2.0-0.tar.gz Linux/Mac] [attachment:ecomsUDG.Raccess_2.0-0.zip Windows]  [attachment:vignette.pdf Package Manual (pdf)]
}}}

* '''version 2.2-3''' (18 Aug 2014)
 * Bug fix for 1-dimensional output data queries (i.e. time series at single point locations, without members)

* '''version 2.2-2''' (18 Aug 2014)
 * New global attributes in output (thanks to Stefan Siegert for this suggestion):
    * `dataset`: Name of the dataset returned (e.g. "System4_seasonal_15", "NCEP", etc.)
    * `source`
    * `URL`
 * Consistent ordering of array dimensions: The output n-dimensional array now preserves the canonical ordering of its dimensions: (member, time, level, lat, lon) (thanks to Stefan Siegert for this suggestion)
 * New daily aggregation options: minimum and maximum daily data are now returned when using the `time = "DD"` option for the relevant variables (e.g. "tasmin", "tasmax" ...).


* '''version 2.2-1''' (05 Aug 2014)
 * Minor enhancements:
   * Improved on screen error messages with clearer instructions for error fixing
   * The 'runtime' dimension in CFSv2 output data array has been changed to 'member' for better integration with `downscaleR::plotMeanField`



* '''version 2.2-0''' (16 Jul 2014)
  * New dependency on R Package downscaleR with inherited features such as:
     * Plotting mean fields
     * Fast Multi-member Interpolation/re-gridding capabilities
     * Many more coming in the next major downscaleR release (bias correction, perfect-prog downscaling methods...)
  * HTTP Java authenticator on-screen messages have been suppressed: Only user-relevant information is now displayed
  * Automatically checks and warns the user about new available versions on attach
  * Other minor bug fixes and improvements


* '''version 2.1-1''' (11 Jul 2014)
  * Bug fix accessing surface air temperature and derived variables in System4 with mean daily temporal aggregation (thanks to Maria Dolores Frías for pointing to the error) 

* '''version 2.1-0''' (8 Jul 2014)
  * New extended list of available variables
  * NCEP reanalysis included in available datasets
  * On-the-fly computation of derived variables
  * Support for variables with vertical levels and static (e.g. geopotential surface zs)
  * New dependency on downscaleR.java R package containing Java dependencies


 * '''version 2.0-0''' (16-jun-2014).
  * New input/output format
  * Access to a extended list of surface variables
  * New observational gridded dataset WFDEI
  * On-the-fly time filtering/aggregation capabilities

 * '''version 1.0-0''' (17-feb-2014). Access to a limited list of surface variables for System4 and CFSv2 datasets. 


== Development version

The development version is available at the 'master' branch of the ​[http://github.com/santandermetgroup/ecomsudg.raccess gitHub repository], but please note that '''the development version is unstable and may not be functional'''

{{{
#!text/R
devtools::install_github(c("SantanderMetGroup/downscaleR.java@stable",
 "SantanderMetGroup/downscaleR@stable",
 "SantanderMetGroup/ecomsUDG.Raccess"))

}}}