The code on this page will provide all that is necessary to render an aviation METAR or TAF report into your website with PHP or WordPress shortcode. It's the first of a few posts that deals with different ways of dealing with aviation weather. There's another post scheduled that deals specifically with Australian reports - both METAR/TAF reports and the ARFOR.
What is a METAR and TAF? METAR and TAF reports are weather observations written in a global format standardised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Aircrew and operations departments usually make fuel and other operational determinations based on the actual observation (Metar) or the short-term forecast (TAF). The area forecast includes wind information, temperature, cloud, and other weather data that assists in route planning.
If you're using our Metar WordPress plugin, continue to use it. METAR will soon be completely rewritten to include more features than simple shortcode functions might provide.
METAR WordPress Shortcode
The result of [metar loc="klax"]
will return the following report.
Available attributes are p
and cache
. The former if true (p="1") will return the result in paragraph tags (this overcomes some WP issues). The latter defines the period for which the report is cached locally. Since the reports are generally valid for an hour we cache results for 60 minutes by default.
The METAR station must be listed in the NOAA database .
Copy and paste the WordPress function into your theme's functions.php
file or, if you sensibly have one installed, your custom functions plugin. You may optionally download and install our plugin from the bottom of of the page.
If you require shortcode to work in a sidebar widget, you'll have to enable the functionality with a filter. If you're using our custom functions plugin, you'll have that feature enabled by default.
TAF WordPress Shortcode
The result of [taf loc="kjfk"]
will return the following report (I've included it in a blockquote).
Available attributes are p
and cache
. The former if true (p="1") will return the result in paragraph tags (this overcomes some WP issues). The latter defines the period for which the report is cached locally. Since the reports are generally valid for an hour we cache results for 60 minutes by default.
The TAF station must be listed in the NOAA database .
Copy and paste the WordPress function into your theme's functions.php
file or, if you sensibly have one installed, your custom functions plugin. You may optionally download and install our plugin from the bottom of of the page.
PHP Functions
Used outside of WordPress, the following functions may be used. Usage of our Simple Cache plugin is required (it emulates the features of the WP transient API and avoids repeated requests to the slow NOAA server for data).
METAR
The following PHP function will return (and cache) a report for 60 minutes. Arguments are passed to the function in an array.
Usage:
TAF
The TAF function is a variation on the METAR theme. The arguments are passed to the function as an array.
Example usage (TAF for KLAX).
Returning Temperature and QNH with PHP
The WP plugin handles returning the QNH (air pressure) and temperature (although it's in desperate need of a rewrite). Not unlike the other two PHP functions, we require the use of Simple Cache to cache the result.
Temperature
The first function simply takes the report and converts the aviation temperature format to an integer (basically, adding a minus sign).
The second function will first check for a cached temperature value. If it doesn't exist or exceeds the cache period, it will make a request for a new valid METAR report and then parse the data for a result.
Usage is as follow:
The format of the the returned data can be altered with something like $format = '%d/%d'
, $format = 'T %d DP %d'
, $format = 'Temperature: %d'
, etc.
Use $unit = 0
to return Fahrenheit.
QNH (Altimeter)
The hectopascal (hPa) QNH is returned in most parts of the world. The USA, however, is stuck in its little imperial vacuum and still uses the archaic inches of mercury to measure pressure. Both values are returned by our function.
Usage is as follows:
Considerations
- We previously provided versions of this code on a few websites. However, this proved problematic with updates and other revisions. All other posts will now redirect to BeliefMedia for up-to-date code.
- Our WordPress plugin is in desperate need of an update (and it is forthcoming). It was submitted to WP because of a need at the time.
- Other information can be extracted from either report (wind, cloud etc). The next update to our plugin should include these features.
- Our client platform manages aviation weather. It's a default module... whether you want it or not. The system provides an API to graph changes in reports (dating back several years).
Download
Note: The WordPress plugin will soon get a substantial update.
Title: Aviation METAR and TAF Reports
Description: Aviation METAR or TAF Reports with PHP or WordPress Shortcode.
Download • Version 0.3, 860.0B, zip, Category: WordPress Shortcodes
PHP Code & Snippets, (1.7K)