Implement flexible output Times

[AliceHarang]

This is link to the task: Add more fexibility in time of output (Projects for FY24/25)

• : Reading a vector input in the shape: t_init : t_steps : t_end
• : Reading a vector in the shape: t1,t2,t3, ... , tn
• : Modifying the timing for outputs
• : Add / review sanity checks and initialisations of the XParam values
• : Testing the two different forms
• : Testing with dates
• : Adding the Toutput vector to the Zone_output input shape
• : Modifying the code to take the appropriate Toutput vector
• : Add a automatic test
• : Add in documentation

[AliceHarang]

Hi Cyp,
I have finish most of this branch.

Some little points where I would like to have your point of view:

• The user can give now vector time outputs in the form: "t_init : tsteps : t_end, value1, value2 ..., valueN". I kept the comma in the last part. I produce nc file not regular in times.
• I use an index to know if I output this zone, located in the Model.Block.zone, should it be in loop instead?
• I have conserved the "Outputtimesteps" entrance as an "easy / partial" input. Should I remove it for more consistency?
• Happy to discuss date testing and how it fits in.

[AliceHarang]

Things to check:

• merging of the Write nc files: Save2Netcdf around l.1550
• duplicate of allocation of TSnodesout (MemManagement.cu l.194)

[CyprienBosserelle]

Results from my stress testing:

• I agree we should keep the outputtimestep = mechanism for backward compatibility

• I wonder if it is worth adding a compulsory initial output and endtime output? i.e. the user will specify touput= 50,3600,5000 bt that implies touput= 0,50,3600,5000,endtime

• We need a sanity check step that the list is monotonically increasing.

• time range is not working properly

In the code.

I would have though it is easier to convert range to vector directly in the read input. While that may not be very efficient its a pretty low cost overall and easier to maintain in the future

[CyprienBosserelle]

Correction

• Adding start time and end time was done automatically if no range was specified. So I just removed the range capability and instead interpret the rang at readinput time.
• Also there was a bug that did strange things because the "in zone" output time vector was not sorted. I also noticed that the new function SaveInitialisation2Netcdf() was doing something that was already in Save2Netcdf() so I removed it.
• Using real dates is still a little bit of a challenge but I will think of something

[AliceHarang]

Hi @CyprienBosserelle , I saw that you directly read in to create the vector by putting it in "val".
Did you managed to keep the default "OutputTimeSteps" by doing this?

[CyprienBosserelle]

Not yet, thanks for the reminder. I also broke the test so I need to redo it. I was thinking of doing that in the Sanity check.
Most of my changes are just to try to setup for using real dates. but the more I think about it the more difficult it seems...

[AliceHarang]

I haven't thought it too much but if we keep the initial structure for the OutputT red but change it in string, we can see if there is a time reference and read them accordingly in the sanity check (as digit or date)?

I suppose all of this would be done in the sanity check after just reading basically the input in the readInput.

Happy to implement this if you this it can work!

[CyprienBosserelle]

Now with Dates!

Ok I shuffled a few things around and only had time to do minimal testing. But so far it works!

how to use:

User can now use Toutput for range or single value(s) as long as they are separated by a ,. Multiple ranges can be given and a mix of single values and range.

Ranges are defined with pipe symbol |

While : is commonly used to define ranges it wouldn't work for us. that is because we reserve: for separating time with specifying a date and there would be no way to distinguish between date and range.

Toutput=5.5,0|2.2|4,3.0

Time given in Toutput is either an absolute date or a time relative to the model start time

Toutput=3600.0 means 1 hour after start time!

Now supports units

time can be given with a unit.
Toutput=5days,0|2.2s|4h,3.0min

supported units are:
second= { "seconds","second","sec","s" }; as 1sec
minute = { "minutes","minute","min","m" }; as 60sec
hour = { "hours","hour","hrs","hr","h" }; as 3600sec
day = { "days","day","d" }; as 24*3600sec
month = { "months","month","mths", "mth", "mon" }; as 3600.0 * 24.0 * 30.4375 sec
year = { "years","year","yrs", "yr", "y" }; as 3600.0 * 24.0 * 365.25

Dates are also supported

as unique dates or ranges:
Toutput=2020-01-01T00:00:00|2.2s|2020-01-01T00:00:04,2020-01-01T00:00:03

Note that range step can't be a date but instead need to be second or have a unit attached

[CyprienBosserelle]

@AliceHarang I think this is done but I'd like to have your opinion about those last changes.
I may be doing a little more clean up but I'm happy the way this works.
Cheers