Ferret Version 5.41 Release notes
 
New Features and Enhancements in Version 
5.41
- 
New attribute for calendar type in NetCDF descriptor 
files.   In the $BACKGROUND_RECORD use 
D_CALTYPE   =  'NOLEAP'  for example, to specify a 
non-standard calendar type for your data.
 
 
- 
New internal string handling functions:  STRLEN, UPCASE, DNCASE,
STRINDEX, STRRINDEX, SUBSTRING, STRCAT and STRFLOAT.
 
 
- 
New option for continuous color keys FILL/KEY=CONTINUOUS, and 
SHADE/KEY=CONTINUOUS
plot a color key without the lines between the different levels.
 
 
- 
New option VECTOR/NOKEY
 
 
- 
New option CANCEL AXIS/ALL  cancels user-defined axes, and 
restores coordinate storage for irregularly-spaced axes.  Also, 
"yes? CANCEL AXIS axisname" cancels an axis and restores the coordinate 
storage used when an irregular axes was defined.
 
 
- 
Symbols YAXIS_MIN and YAXIS_MAX always defined after a plot is drawn.
Previously these were only defined when /VLIM option was specified on 
the plotting command.  Now they are also defined when auto-scaling is used.
 
 
Changed option in Version 5.41
- 
PLOT/SYMBOL=DOT has been temporarily removed.  We need to 
resolve some issues regarding metafiles and postscript.  This option 
will be restored in future versions.
 
 
Bug fixes in Version 5.41
- Installation: Error messages about libXm.so.2: cannot open shared 
object file  Motif libraries are no longer required, as 
they are linked statically in with the Ferret executable.
 
 
- 
"**ERROR: illegal data type (float,string,...) for operation:" 
This error message occurred for some graphical operations on expressions 
involving IF--THEN.  Fixed.
 
 
- 
Bug in strides at the IO level which resulted in improper 
wrapping of data (highly visible corruption).  Fixed.
 
 
- 
Ferret hangs when attempting to access invalid DODS URLS Fixed.
 
 
- 
SET DATA filename  finds files with the extension .nc as 
well as .cdf
 
 
- 
GIF creation now works with TrueColor visuals as well as 
PseudoColor visuals
 
 
- 
Nested REPEATs involving parentheses were parsed incorrectly. 
Fixed.
 
 
- 
Bugs/backwards compatibility issues with PPL commands.  Previous 
behavior is restored.  PPL commands make settings that persist 
throughout the Ferret session.  Qualifiers to plot commands have their  
effect only on that command:
- PPL AXLABP settings persist.
 
 
- PPL AXSET persists; PLOT/AXES=  or SHADE/NOAXES apply only to 
that one command.
 
 
- PPL LINE settings persist, setting dash characteristics; 
PLOT/DASH settings are only for that plot command
 
 
 
- 
PLOT/VS/DASH[=]   allows dashed lines on PLOT/VS 
plots.
 
 
- 
SAMPLEXY function did not check for missing data in the (x,y) 
values to sample.
 
 
- 
Horizontal log plots had wrong pattern of tic marks on the axis.
 
 
- 
POLYGONS with missing vertices in overlay plots were not treated 
correctly.
 
 
- 
POLYGON plots now load all the PPLUS memory needed for the plot 
once per polygon call.
 
 
- 
Overlays on POLYGON plots now work.
 
 
- 
POLYGON plots over a depth axis work correctly (previously needed 
a workaround where the vertices on the depth axis had to be multiplied 
by -1).
 
 
- 
Axis label formatting for small negative numbers has been 
corrected.
 
 
- 
Regridding with @AVE between unlike grids gave wrong results in 
some cases. This is corrected.
 
 
- 
Overlays having No Valid Data now put this information in the key, 
rather than across the middle of the plot.
 
 
Known bugs  Version 5.41
- Scaling of Curvilinear Vectors: Vector arrows in curvilinear 
coordinates are not scaled.  We have a fix for this which will be in the
next release.
 
 
- Support for GIF creation using 24 bit color (TrueColor) visuals 
does not work under Solaris. 
 
 
17-Sep-2002