NEWS.md

Version 1.9.17 (2026-07-01)

• readDWD.binary and readDWD.rklim: use tz for timestamps
• readDWD.radar: dividebyten default fixed
• plotRadar: mar properly used again
• dataDWD: gains argument 'retryhist'
• several examples updated to reflect DWD changes

Version 1.9.7 (2025-12-20)

• locdir now defaults to R_user_dir
• dataDWD: gains argument removeftp
• website migrated from bookdown.org to github pages

Version 1.9.3 (2025-08-18)

• new functions: readDWD.hyras, readDWD.asczip, checkUpdates
• dataDWD: fileIndex warning now also visible for long vectors
• selectDWD: handles files removed from FTP but still in index
• readDWD.multia: new argument tryenc to try different encodings
• readDWD.data: convert timestamp to as.Date
• readDWD.meta: reflect DWD changes (Abgabe column, standard_format beschreibung file)
• readDWD.nc: flip the map upright
• indexFTP: more options and checks, reflect removal of tree.html
• nearbyStations: new arguments mindex and current
• checkIndex: checks + messages improved, false positives excluded
• documentation + website improved in several spots
• rhub tests updated

Version 1.8.0 (2023-06-17)

• readDWD.grib2: pack option rgdal removed.
• all instances of raster/rgdal/sp code replaced with terra code
• cross references and website improved

Version 1.7.0 (2023-04-14)

• dataDWD: dir default set to locdir()
• interactive weather comparison app added
• findID+selectDWD: new argument failempty to stop instead of warn if name does not match
• readDWD.grib2: rgdal retirement warning added
• dataDWD + readDWD: new argument hr to auto-merge historical and recent files
• createIndex: speed and correctness improved
• runLocalTests: tests expanded, internally restructured
• readDWD: new argument quietread
• this NEWS file is completely reformatted and changed into NEWS.md

Version 1.6.0 (2022-05-30)

new functions

• plotDWD
• locdir (will replace fixed "DWDdata" folder in dataDWD)
• readDWD.deriv
• readDWD.rklim
• readDWD.pdf
• validFileTypes (charstring vector)

improvements

• selectDWD: is completely rewritten and now vectorizes expandingly
• reading functions: use latin1 encoding
• dataDWD: new argument method, new default for overwrite
• several improvements for input checks, messages, tests and documentation
• metaInfo: accepts custom index
• readDWD.radar: new argument dividebyten
• readDWD.grib2: new argument pack
• website: new use case daily radar files

Version 1.5.0 (2021-04-08)

API changes

• readVars: new argument quiet (for updateIndexes)
• readDWD.grib2: initial release
• projectRasterDWD: new argument adjust05
• dataDWD: new default: dbin=TRUE

enhancements / bug fixes

• readDWD.data: fread checks for system command unzip, prints final value in message
• dataDWD: unfound URL messages also link to website fileIndex in German locale
• updateRdwd: version and date comparison improved, print local version if newer than on github
• createIndex: improved recognition of "Beschreibung_Stationen" meta files
• dwdparams + updateIndexes: missing/duplicate 'Kurz' entry messages improved
• readDWD: subfunction names in elegant message outside the loop to avoid interrupted progbars.
• indexFTP + dirDWD: trailing slashes removed with regexp
• fileType: more informative message for failed type determination
• DEU: now derived from NUTS regions and with new CRS (along with EUR)
• runLocalTests: improved logfiles, false positive messages removed

website changes

• package structure moved to first chapter
• fread instructions expanded
• FTP Folder list expanded
• more messages / warnings suppressed that are irrelevant to readers
• linked to in seeAlso sections of suitable function documentations
• redirected man pages are now correctly linked to (e.g. fileIndex -> index)
• documentation and dataset links are now opened in a new window
• new use case: values at locations in grid
• FTP address updated everywhere

Version 1.4.0 (2020-07-31)

API changes

• dataDWD: argument file renamed to url to avoid confusion with local file names
• readDWD: fread default set to NA. This is an experiment, see issue #22
• readDWD: now has argument type (determined by new function fileType) to replace the ever growing list of types
• dataDWD, readDWD, selectDWD: order of arguments changed to reflect importance
• plotRadar: gains arguments axes, las, zlim, col, mar, keeppar. main now defaults to (and correctly keeps) x@title.
• selectDWD: gains argument remove_dupli to ignore DWD file upload errors
• readDWD.*: All subfunctions message their identity and have a quiet argument
• new function: rdwdquiet()
• readDWD.meta: station and bundesland names are now char instead of factor (since R 4.0.0)
• indexFTP: new argument fast to read file tree with data.table
• createIndex: gains argument checklog
• runLocalTests: new arguments for devtools::check and checkIndex
• readVars: params now an explicit argument (defaults to dwdparams)

enhancements / bug fixes

• EUR: extends further east for plots with large width compared to height
• updateRdwd: unloads package before installation and informs about the need to re-load
• checkIndex: new check for duplicate meta files, writes to logfile (append, no overwrite), nicer path print, logs modification time of index files
• lldist: fix error that occurred when a df with a single row was given
• runLocalTests: warning logfile cleared before writing, checkIndex results included, false positives removed, on github
• source code function argument sections all have line breaks (except readDWD.*)
• documentation source code now is written in markdown, source files have been reorganized
• cross-references in documentation improved
• metaInfo: from/to columns date conversion corrected
• indexFTP + dataDWD: up to date and centralized sleep information
• dataDWD: Download failure message improved, refer to fileIndex section on homepage if applicable.
• readDWD.nc: ncdf warning suppressed
• selectDWD: combines all warnings within the loop to a single message

website changes

• improved (and stand-alone) fileIndex section
• plotRadar used for nice maps
• huxtable fixed
• use global quiet option instead of explicit quiet=TRUE all the time
• history section added
• package schematic revamped completely

Version 1.3.1 (2020-02-18)

API changes

• projectRasterDWD: latlon=T/F replaced with targetproj
• readDWD.binary: output list element renamed to 'dat' (from 'data') for consistency with other functions
• dataDWD: new argument dbin
• new functions: updateRdwd, plotRadar

enhancements / bug fixes

• readDWD.data: now correctly reads 10 minute timestamps
• readDWD.meta: column widths identified more elegantly and safely
• indexFTP: warn about requests to https instead of ftp servers, new argument exclude.latest.bin
• addBorders: added sp to 'Suggests', moved DEU + EUR to inst/extdata to handle CRAN build+check on systems without sp installed

website changes

• list of FTP Folders now with clickable URLs
• RQ example added
• order of radar graphs changed for better comparison in pdf

Version 1.2.0 (2019-10-26)

Highlights

• Vignettes moved to bookdown.org/brry/rdwd with nice structure
• improved reading of gridded data, documented in vignette chapter "Raster data"
• readRadarFile expanded + moved to own package (dwdradar) with proper tests and better warnings
• Hexsticker created

Important changes

• readDWD.binary: untarring improved
• projectRasterDWD: default extents + projs added for seasonal + nc
• source code directory structure updated
• quiet argument added to many functions
• readDWD: order and documentation of method selection improved
• metaIndex + fileIndex: date columns are now of class Date
• dataDWD: force can now be number of hours after which to re-download
• various minor fixes, see https://github.com/brry/rdwd/commits

New functions + datasets

• readDWD.radar + readDWD.nc + readDWD.stand
• checkSuggestedPackages
• EUR + addBorders
• formatIndex
• runLocalTests
• updateIndexes (not exported)

Version 1.1.0 (2019-05-30)

Highlights:

• Binary Radolan data can now be read correctly
• The new FTP server is used
• Raster data can easily be projected
• All readDWD subfunctions now have their own documentation

Important changes:

• dataDWD: arguments to readDWD removed (can be passed with ...)
• dataDWD: gains joinbf argument to join base and relative url path
• readDWD: can expand DWD abbreviations in column names (varnames=TRUE)
• readDWD: source code structure is improved.
• readDWD.multia: ignores EndOfFile characters in multiannual data on Unix
• readDWD.raster: accepts gunzip arguments, reads faster on second calls
• readDWD.data: informatively handles empty files
• readDWD.binary+raster+asc: overlay Germany maps in example plots
• readDWD.binary: unzips into a given exdir (and reads faster on second calls)
• readDWD.binary: transforms output to a raster stack
• selectDWD: suggests only available data in interactive option
• selectDWD and nearbyStations: fail informatively for typical errors
• fileIndex: loses the unnnecessary leading slashes
• indexFTP: uses tree of files at new FTP server

New user-visible functions + objects:

• newColumnNames
• dwdparams (renamed from parameter_abreviations)
• gridbase
• gridIndex
• projectRasterDWD
• localtestdir (though mainly for internal usage)

New unexported functions:

• readDWD.asc
• readRadarfile + bin2num + FORTRAN code
• checkIndex

Version 1.0.0 (2019-03-17)

First major version increase!

• Tests are now systematic and comprehensive (albeit run locally and manually to reduce CRAN load and enable local file writing).
• selectDWD got a very noticable performance boost and an interactive res/var/per selection.
• Handling raster files is now supported in rdwd.
• Examples and vignettes have been refined.
• Detailed changes can be found on https://github.com/brry/rdwd/commits

main overview

• dataDWD: dots now passed to readDWD, download errors checked and returned as informative warning
• readDWD: reading functions added for binary, raster and multi_annual files, MESS_DATUM POSIXct column added in monthly data, list output now named
• indexFTP: now removes duplicates from file list, sped up in default 1min/prec usage
• rdwd now works fine with multi_annual and subdaily data
• readVars: parameter abbreviations completed, output now visible
• selectDWD: order of arguments changed, interactive res/var/per selection enabled, computing speed extremely increased
• localtests.R heavily expanded, examples reduced and refined
• indexes + vignettes updated, use cases expanded with nearbyStations example
• New functions and objects: readMeta, dwdbase (central package base url)

Version 0.11.0 (2018-11-26)

• dataDWD: argument force can now be NA to download files older than 24 hours
• hourly/solar timestamp now processed automatically
• use cases vignette added
• vignettes precompiled + CRAN tests removed to reduce automated load on DWD Server
• indexFTP: got much smarter in discerning files from folders
• indexes expanded for new DWD data
• New function: readVars, along with parameter_abreviations

Version 0.10.0 (2018-03-26)

• created new index with sub-hourly data, reflected in data overview at selectDWD
• dataDWD,readDWD,selectDWD: file ending checks more elegant
• createIndex: updated to handle the new files
• some minor improvements, see https://github.com/brry/rdwd/commits

Version 0.9.0 (2017-11-03)

• readDWD: readDWD.data and readDWD.meta are now separate (non-exported) functions
• readDWD: fread default is now FALSE
• dataDWD: fread and overwrite arguments added
• references dutch meteo package and useR!2017 rdwd presentation
• importFrom entries completed
• DESCRIPTION: BugReports entry added

Version 0.8.0 (2017-06-09)

• reflects DWD FTP update June 1
• indexFTP: ftp blockage chance reduced, data loss avoided, progress bar added
• errors/warnings/messages now often include a traceback
• metaInfo: tells about non-public files
• createIndex + readDWD: read meta files in German locale to handle Umlaute
• Index documentation and creation unified
• Vignettes and readme improved
• various minor improvements and fixes, see https://github.com/brry/rdwd/commits

renamed: indexDWD -> indexFTP
added: lldist, maxlldist, nearbyStations
no longer exported in NAMESPACE: rowDisplay, dirDWD
removed: fileDWD, geoIndexAll

Version 0.7.0 (2017-02-03)

• interactive map now colored by availability of recent file
• stations with slightly varying coordinates (<900 m apart) aggregated in geoIndex
• documentation corrections, improved messages in fileDWD and dirDWD
• map vignette expanded, package vignette abbreviated slightly
• metaInfo: printout greatly improved
• duplicate index entries removed
• New function: rowDisplay
• New object: geoIndexAll
• Removed object: mapDWD (to reduce package size)

Version 0.6.1 (2017-01-24)

Initial release of the package, development can be seen at https://github.com/brry/rdwd/compare/master@{2016-10-19}...master@{2017-01-24}

• selectDWD: uses index information to find files matching a path or station criteria.
• With the returned path/file names, dataDWD and readDWD download and read data.
• dirDWD and fileDWD: control that no file will be overwritten and path messages are useful.
• indexDWD: lists all the files on the FTP server with DWD data.
• createIndex: uses that list to create fileIndex, metaIndex and geoIndex.
• mapDWD: is an interactive leaflet map also useful to explore datasets.

Note: dataDWD and readDWD were started in June 2016 within my misc package berryFunctions, from which they will be deleted after rdwd is on CRAN