advanced

CQT is an application that allows a user to perform arbitrarily complex queries into the data stored in the 4DWX Weather Database (WXDB), and more. With the proper training and experience in Java and SQL programming, users may define their own custom queries using this tool, but for now, the 4DWX team will focus on creating a robust set of reusable queries. Existing queries range from simple data retrieval, producing ASCII files, to climatological analysis, producing custom graphical plots, published to a web page (with an email sent to the user giving the web page's URL).

The CQT tool works for all data in the WXDB database, plus other data types that exist in "flat files" such as model based climatology volumes. The rule is simple: if the data exists in the 4DWX system, then a CQT query may access that data. Once a new custom query is written and added into the system, the user can easily configure query "parameters" such as a date range, a lat-lon bounding box, output formats, and more, with an intuitive point-and-click interface. Note that it is also easy to import query results into an excel spreadsheet. Also note that in the near future, this tool will contain 100% of the functionality of the VCR tool; as soon as all of that functionality is ported to CQT, then the VCR tool will cease to exist. The sky's the limit as to what CQT can do!