=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= DENDROCHRONOLOGY PROGRAM LIBRARY Update number 150 18 April 2001 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= SOME NEW FEATURES OF THE PROGRAMS * This A-NEWS.TXT file is updated when a new version of one or more programs or routines becomes available. It describes new features in the programs, with the most recent changes first. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= DISCLAIMER (See below) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= * If you find problems or have suggestions about any of the programs, please contact Richard Holmes at this e-mail address: RHolmes@dakotacom.net * If you have detected a problem, it is possible that it has already been found and the corrected version has been made available. Make sure you have the latest versions of the programs. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= * All programs were recompiled, although some do not have significant changes. [18APR01] * Program YUX allows you to limit the length of column identification if you select series identifications as the column headers. Default maximum length is 16 characters. Since Feb 1999 Program YUX will include up to 200 series (columns), with a maximum length of 4096 values (rows). In Mar 1998 precision was improved; there are more than double the number of significant digits. This means that large and small values are given with maximum precision, an important improvement. [09FEB01] * Programs ARSTAN and ARSTANL print as part of the common interval analysis the time span of years over which the variance agreement between finite and theoretical infinite sample size, or signal strength (SS) attains the levels 0.75, 0.80, 0.85 and 0.90, and how many trees are required to attain this level. Also indicated is whether the time span is (C) continuous, (I) interrupted or (N) not attained. [24JAN01] * Program COFECHA will handle highly skewed series or series where the spline does not fit well. It is recommendable in these cases to use a more flexible spline. [21NOV00] * Program FMT has an additional capability to sort files of time series. You may sort by first year of the series,, last year, or number of data in the series; and in ascending or descending order. [10OCT00] * Program FMT handles meteorological data in any format with the year and 12 monthly values. This includes the standard (I4,12I5) or (I4,12F5.1) as well as a free form delimited by one or more spaces. [29APR99] * Program COFECHA will compute Spearman rank correlations (nonparametric) as well as the quantitative Pearson correlations (parametric). Spearman correlations are more robust than Pearson correlations, and may be prove helpful to diminish the effect of outliers. Feedback from users is welcome; please e-mail me at RHolmes@dakotacom.net [26APR99] * Data in Compact format are more secure. The routine which reads data in Compact format will do it correctly even when the fields on the first line for the number of data (=N) and the initial year (=I) are longer or shorter than 8 columns. It acommodates the format and tilde (~) in a column left of column 80, but the tilde must be present and not beyond column 80. All programs were recompiled with this capability. [30MAR99] * Program SSA (Singular Spectra Analysis) places output PCs correctly in time. PCs and Eigenvectors are saved in separate files. [30MAR99] * Programs COFECHA and COF10K: Discovery and placement of locally absent rings is the most subjective step in tree-ring dating. For quality control you may elect to omit (recommended) or to include absent rings in the Master Dating Series and in segment correlations. If you omit absent rings from correlations, they will still be checked to verify that they occur where rings are usually narrow. Omitting absent rings in segment correlations provides a check on observed ring patterns. By default, Program COFECHA (and COF10K) omit absent rings from computing the master series and from the correlations of segments. The program also more conveniently lists absent rings on the first page by series identification. [30MAR99] * Programs ARSTAN and ARSTANL allow the option of fitting a constant spline whose rigidity is a user-determined proportion of the mean length of series. For example, if you specify the detrending option of "-67" (67% of the length of each series), you are asked if you wish to apply a spline of constant rigidity of a proportion of the length of the mean series. The programs also save files for plotting (alternating series of measure- ments and curves) on request in either Compact or Measurement format. [30MAR99] * The scattergram program is available with the name SCATTER. Warning: The output may be difficult to print, as each scattergram plot is intended to be printed on two pages with a line length of 132 characters. [15FEB99] * A new program, SAMDEP, selects from a large set of tree-ring series, those series which include the longest series and provide a relatively homogeneous sample depth through time. [08JAN99] * Program CASE handles correctly casewise files where the header is all numeric. [18NOV98] * A problem with series identification was corrected and the programs were recompiled. [09NOV98] * Program SIGLOF yields accurate percent of variance. [03SEP98] * The following routines are independent and are no longer included within Program DPL: Routine in DPL Independent program -------------- ------------------- COF COFECHA & COF12K CRN CRONOL EDT EDRM FMT FMT PCA PCA SCA SCATTER YUX YUX Graphics software produces much better scattergrams than program SCATTER. Programs such as SCRPLT make far better screen plots than routine DPL/SCR. [25AUG98] * Program COFECHA was recompiled with a minor change to the log-transform algorithm. [30JUL98] * Program ARSTAN permits specification of the percent of variance in indices from a cubic smoothing spline. [24JUL98] * A new program, CASE, will read files in column or casewise format, such as those for spreadsheet or graphics programs, and convert them to Compact format. This file may in turn be converted to any standard format with Program FMT. (This routine will be incorporated into programs such as COFECHA, ARSTAN and CRONOL.) [10JUL98] * Program ARSTANL is identical to ARSTAN, but it will handle very large data sets, up to 600 time series spanning up to 12000 years. Warning: A program of this size may not load on some computers, or it may be very slow to load. [24JUN98] * In Programs ARSTAN, CRONOL and DPL/CRN, if a time series is to be divided by a detrending curve, it is subtracted instead if the time series goes negative or the detrending curve goes to zero or negative. The mean of the resulting indices will be 1.0 [09JUN98] * Program ARSTAN uses the Compact format by default, and saves files with the number of radii (_ARS.NRA) and the number of trees (_ARS.NTR). [29MAY98] * A new format for data, known as "New compact", is now available in Programs DPL, FMT, COFECHA and SCRPLT. It will eventually be available in all programs in this group. The advantage of this format is the preservation of precision even when extremely large values are found in the same data set. [20MAY98] * Now available is a new version of COF10K, a high-capacity COFECHA. It will work with time spans of up to 10240 years in length and 8000 series. The program will run slowly with a very large data set. [19MAY98] * The following programs are now independent of DPL: FMT (Manipulate data or change format) PCA (Principal Components Analysis) YUX (Makes casewise file for spreadsheet) [13MAY98] * Program ARSTAN no longer adjusts the mean of the chronology to unity. Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors are saved in a file with the extension _.EV; and Principal component amplitude series are saved in a file with extension _.PC [16APR98] * Program EDRM and routine DPL/EDT had a problem with series identifications; this has been remedied. [16MAR98] * Program ARSTAN tree summaries are truncated if required to include only continuous time spans; they do not include voids between non-continuous radial series. [29JAN98] * DPL/FMT now allows you to fit a spline curve of rigidity proportional to the length of the series. For example, a rigidity of "-67" will fit a spline of 50% frequency response of 67% of the series length. You may also save both spline and indices in a single run. [01DEC97] * The date computation in all programs was corrected so that there will be no problem when the year 2000 arrives. Version was set to 3.00 in most programs. [14JUL97] * The algorithm in Programs ARSTAN, CRONOL and DPL/CRN for computing the negative exponential curve fit was extensively modified and dramatically improved by Ed Cook of the Tree Ring Laboratory at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. The new routine is now included in all versions of the programs. The negative exponential curve fit may go negative, that is, the curve may have a negative asymptote. The user may override this provision and revert to linear regression fit. This is in Option 2, "Detrending Method", when curve fit type "1" is selected. When the series of measurements is divided by the curve, however, a constant is added to raise both series to all positive values, the division is performed, and the constant is subtracted again. Program ARSTAN checks for indices over 4.0 and lists them by series; this is one tool you may use to find problems in the curve fit. [02FEB98], [03JUN97] * You may now set your favorite default colors for text and screen. You may have one color combination during execution of programs and another when you are outside them. Use either DPL and type (~), or use program SETCLR. If the file ANSI.SYS is not activated in your CONFIG.SYS file, use SETCLR and respond with a slash (/). All programs were recompiled today. [24OCT96] * Program EVENT (Superposed Epoch Analysis) now will handle a maximum window size of 102 years -- those before plus those after plus key year. [11SEP96] * Mean sensitivity is now calculated even for series that contain negative values, according to the formula: MS = SUM(I=2,N)/(N-1) 2. * |(Y(I) - Y(I-1))| / ( |Y(I)| + |Y(I-1)| ) if ( |Y(I)| + |Y(I-1)| ) is non-zero Where MS is mean sensitivity of the series Y is the time series of values N is the number of values in the series With the caveat: If there are any negative values in a series, the decimal point for mean sensitivity is printed as an asterisk. In such cases mean sensitivity cannot strictly be calculated correctly. [24APR96] * In opening files two new convenient features are added. The program spells out the format it finds for the data file; you may correct it. After seeing the first eight lines of the data file, you may close the file with a backslash (\) and open another file as desired. Data series in Compact format may be interspersed among those in ITRDB Measurement or Index format, if the first series is not in Compact format. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= DISCLAIMER * The following disclaimer applies to the Dendrochronology Program Library, Program ARSTAN, all programs in the Dendroecology Program Library, and any other software distributed by myself directly, via anonymous FTP, or by any other means. * All software has received only limited testing and neither the author(s), the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, nor the University of Arizona can accept responsibility for its compatibility with other computer systems or user needs. The user must judge its efficacy for the intended use. * Although every effort is made to ensure that the software functions properly, no guarantee is made to this effect and we cannot be responsible for any problems with it, including adaptation of the software to any particular computer system. * The software is made available free of charge. Any payment accepted is for actual costs of diskettes, copying, printing and/or postage. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=