[GLIMS] GLIMS download function improved and slightly changed

[Bruce RAUP]

Hello,

I just implemented a new and improved GLIMS download service.  This is the 
service that is accessed from the map interface ("Download GLIMS outlines 
in current view") or the text search interface at http://glims.org.  If you
have any automated processes that download GLIMS data, they may need to be
modified to accommodate a few slight changes.  Below is a summary of what
is new and different.  Please let me or NSIDC User Services
(nsidc at nsidc.org) know if you encounter any problems.

Cheers,
Bruce


Summary of changes in new GLIMS download service:

- Fixed the problem of long process descriptions bleeding into other fields
   in the downloaded shapefiles.  Long process descriptions are now
   truncated to the shapefile maximum of 255 characters.  Other formats,
   such as GMT's text format, do not truncate.

- Updated the citation information in the README file to include DOIs.

- The downloaded package (either a zip file or a gzipped tar file) now
   contains one subdirectory, which in turn contains all the associated
   files.

- The outline polygons are stored in a file called "glims_polygons.XXX",
   where XXX is determined by the format (shapefile, KML, GMT, etc.)

- The points file (which contains point locations for the glaciers and the
   GLIMS IDs) is called "glims_points.XXX".

- The code is now written in Python and is simpler, which means it might
   run faster.

-- 
Bruce H. RAUP
National Snow and Ice Data Center
University of Colorado
449 UCB,  Boulder, CO 80309
Phone:  303-492-8814
http://cires.colorado.edu/~braup/