Two suggestions for changes to Unidata's UDUNITS web pages

[semmerson]

Hello,

I have two suggestions for changes to Unidata's UDUNITS web pages.

1) Fix an apparent mistake in the page describing Unit Grammar, at

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/udunits/udunits-2.0.4/udunits2lib.html#Grammar.

This text defines Timestamp:

 Timestamp: one of
         DATE
         DATE CLOCK
         DATE CLOCK CLOCK
         DATE CLOCK INT
         DATE CLOCK ID
         TIMESTAMP
         TIMESTAMP INT
         TIMESTAMP ID

I think an explicit is needed before each 'CLOCK'. I am assuming that, for instance, 'DATE CLOCK' means a string formatted like '2014-04-28 23:59:59'.

2) Place a link to the Unit Syntax documentation in a prominent place on a page close to the Home page.

Many times I have unsuccessfully searched for a definition of UDUNITS syntax on this website. I recently stumbled on what I sought as Section 6 'Unit Syntax' of the page on the UDUNITS-2 C API, at www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/udunits/udunits-2.0.4/udunits2lib.html#Syntax. Having no interest in the C API, I had never thought to navigate to this page. While I understand that UDUNITS[-2] is first of all a software package, the adoption of the UDUNITS time format by the CF Conventions means that there is a large set of users who need just the syntax itself. A good place for a link might be on the page at http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/udunits/udunits-2.2.19/doc/udunits/udunits2.html

Regards, Ian

Ian Grant | Satellite Specialist