What is DChart?

DChart is a Web application that allows you to visualize and download in-situ and gridded oceanographic and atmospheric data from files or OPeNDAP servers. Features include an interactive map, an in-situ station layer that allows you to select data stations, and a plot window that allows you to plot data from one or more stations. Several in-situ (profile, property-property, and time series) and gridded (raster and Google Earth animations) plot types are supported, and users can interact directly with the plot to pan or zoom to a desired location.

Why was DChart created?

Several Web browser based technologies (XHTML/CSS/DOM/XML/XSLT and AJAX) have matured over the last few years to the point where it is now possible to design OPeNDAP compatible Web applications with richer user interfaces than are possible with traditional Web technologies.

DChart takes advantage of this technology to allow interactive selection, browsing, plotting and downloading of gridded or in-situ observations from OPeNDAP servers. Users have access to the functionality of a desktop application in a Web browser without having to download any plugins or applets.

What is Dapper?

Dapper is a Java-based Web server that serves in-situ or gridded oceanographic and meterological data using the OPeNDAP protocol. The Dapper servlet contains a set of configurable services that convert in-situ or gridded data to the OPeNDAP protocol. This servlet can easily be embedded in any Web server that implements the Java servlet API (such as Jetty or Tomcat). More information on the conventions that Dapper uses for in-situ data are available here.