Data download help document

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Help in downloading data

Package Type | Compression | Parameterization | Formatting | Package name

When you click on the Download Data option on the "Other options" page, you will be guided through a series of forms allowing you to select options for packaging the data you have been viewing. You may choose data package type, compression method, parameters by which to subdivide the data and data formatting options. When you have responded to all the necessary questions, your data will be packaged per your specifications and available for download.

### Data package types

The Package Type option allows you to choose whether you would like your data to end up in one single file or have it divided up into multiple smaller files as determined by some user-selected parameters. For example you might like to have all data from cruise 99 packaged into one file named cruise99.all or you might prefer to have the data divided by station number into multiple smaller files in directory cruise#99. dataobject/cruise#99 station#1
station#2
station#3
station#last

### Compression

The compression option allows you to choose which compression style you would like to use. There are four choices:

- zip - recommended for PC and Mac; generates a .zip file which can then be unpacked with Unzip or MacZip
- tar.Z - UNIX compressed tar file; generates a .tar.Z file; unpack as:
  zcat package.tar.Z | tar -xvf -
- tar.gz - UNIX GNU compressed tar file; generates a .tar.gz file; unpack as:
  gzcat package.tar.gz | tar -xvf -
- tar - UNIX tar file; generates a .tar file; unpack as:
  tar -xvf package.tar

### Parameterization

The Parameterization option allows you to select one parameter at each level on which to divide the data. For example, if level 0 parameters are: leg, year and month and level 1 parameters are: station, latitude and longitude, you could choose to divide the dataset into separate files first by leg (level 0 parameter) and then further by station (level 1 parameter). You must choose at least one parameter on which to divide the data, but you are not required to select parameters at all levels. Using the previous example, you might wish to divide data by longitude only.

### Data formatting options

The data formatting options allow you to separate data fields by some character and to visually align data in columns?

- space-separated, with data visually aligned in columns
- tab-separated, with data visually aligned in columns
- comma-separated, with data visually aligned in columns
- comma-separated but data is not aligned in columns

The default is to generate a space-separated file with column header information, and data visually aligned in columns, suitable for importing into a spreadsheet program. You may override this by selecting options from the list above.

### Naming your packaged data file

The selected 'name' will be used in naming the final packaged data file. The default is to name the file according to the selected data object. If this works for you, then skip on down. However, there are several other options for naming the file. For example, if you wish to name the final packaged file according to one of the parameters by which the data was subdivided, select that name from the drop-down list. To provide maximum flexibility, you may also type in a name for your file into the text box. Whichever method you choose, the appropriate file extension (.zip .tar .tar.Z or .tar.gz) will be appended to the 'name' specified. Use your browser's Back button to return to the download form.