METADATA script file

[Ronald Thomas]

GRASS-users:

I have completed work on an in-depth script that facilitates the entry of
metadata, and am seeking interested user's to test it out.  The metadata 
standards it uses are based on the suggested METADATA file forwarded to the
grassu-list by USACERL a month or so ago.  Attempting to adopt GRASS 
standards, the metadata file is named the same as its data layer, and 
the files are stored at $LOCATION in a directory named "metadata".

Called "r.meta", the script file:

1)	checks to see if GRASS is running (required)

2)	checks to see if the cell file exists in the user's current mapset
         (required)

3)	checks the map to see if it is "whole" or a reclass, and offers
	to resample a reclass (my choice, no metadata for reclassed maps)

4)	checks for the existence of the directory 'metadata' at
	$LOCATION, and offers to create it if it doesn't exist

5)	offers the choice of viewing, editing, or deleting an existing
	metadata file

6)	for editing, the script uses 'vi'

7)	when starting a new file, or after deleting an old file and then
	electing to continue, the script defines many variables from the 
	data layer's cellhd and cats files, and writes these automatically 
	to the new metadata file

8)	progresses through the list of fields that require an entry, one
	at a time, writing the both question and answer to the metadata
	file.  At this point, a NULL answer is NOT accepted (again, my
	choice); the user can not progress to the next field until an
	answer of some type is entered.  (This is to require an "unknown"
	or "n/a"  or something equivilant to be entered.)

"r.meta" only uses the raster portion of the metadata list, the imagery
fields will be included in a script I am developing called "i.meta".

These scripts will have to be redone once (if) the national metadata standards
come on line, and for the metadata file to become an integrated part of GRASS,
the code for "g.remove", "g.rename", and "g.copy" will have to be modified
so that these functions include the metadata file. I currently don't know how 
do this, but am looking into it.

If you are interested in a copy for testing, you can retrieve a copy via
anonymous 'ftp' at picea.cfnr.colostate.edu, in directory /pub , 
where the file is "r.meta.Z"   Uncompress the file and install it in the GRASS
scripts directory, or in /usr/local/bin, or $HOME/bin (if you have one), or
any directory that your PATH statement points to.  There is NO manual page,
the menus are meant to be self-explanatory.  The program was written on
a SPARC IPX running GRASS4.0 using Solaris 1.x.

PLEASE e-mail to ME DIRECTLY, not to the grass-lists, if you have questions,
suggestions, etc. 

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   Ronald Thomas                         ^  ront at meeker.cfnr.colostate.edu
    Natural Resources Spec. (GIS)        ^  
     Resources Management Division       ^   Phone: 303-586-3565  x285
      Rocky Mountain National Park       ^          700-323-7285  (FTS)
       Estes Park, CO  80517             ^   FAX:   303-586-4702
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