WHARF is interested in keeping our daily rainfall and other agrometeorological data files updated, and in receiving additional long term daily rainfall records from agricultural areas anywhere in the world. These data may be donated to WHARF or exchanged for the CONVERT, WHARFDAT & WHARF computer programs, and/or our data on a year for year basis. E-mail to Dr J Ian Stewart to make arrangements (wharf@davis,com).

When receiving data files, WHARF will also need descriptive notes about data type (daily rainfall plus other as applicable), units (mm, to tenths; inches to hundreths, etc), designations for days with zero rainfall versus days with missing data, and about the originating meteorological station, including station name, latitude and longitude, altitude, and additional available information such as ID Number, etc. These notes are best sent separately by regular e-mail. Data files should be compressed to maintain integrity in electronic transfer, using a "ZIP" program such that decompression can be accomplished using WINZIP95. The most desirable format for data files will be one of those for which a conversion module has already been programmed into the CONVERT program. These include CLICOM (ASCII) *.DAT and CLICOM (ASCII) *.PLU files as exported by the ICRISAT Sahelian Centre, Niamey, Niger or by the Mali Met Department. Other CONVERT modules handle data from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, CO; Washington State University (WSU), yearly *.DAT files containing Rainfall, Evaporation, Radiation, Tmax and Tmin; Longterm rainfall records from South Africa; CERESMAIZE files containing long term records of Rainfall, Radiation, Tmax and Tmin; and *.RAI files of long term rainfall records from CIAT in Colombia.

Programs and data files exported from WHARF will be compressed using "PKZIP" to maintain integrity in the electronic transfer process. They may be decompressed using PKUNZIP (1989 or newer version) or WINZIP or WINZIP95.