[horde] Weather Block and the Weather Channel API

[Simon Brereton]

On 14 October 2011 12:44, Michael J Rubinsky <mrubinsk at horde.org> wrote:
>
> Quoting Simon Brereton <simon.brereton at buongiorno.com>:
>
>> Hi
>>
>> I guess - like a lot of people on this list - that this email from the
>> Weather Channel is cause for some concern...
>>
>> Dear Registrant:
>>
>> We are writing to you because our records indicate that you are a
>> registered user of the weather.com® XML Data Feed (http://xoap.weather.com.)
>>
>> As a valued subscriber, we want to let you know that our data feed service
>> offerings are changing. Beginning the week of October 10th, 2011, we will be
>> launching a new subscription service, The Weather Channel® API.
>>
>> The Weather Channel® API is a subscription offering created by The Weather
>> Channel specifically to provide developers with access to an easy to use
>> weather data feed that they can use to power commercial applications across
>> a variety of technology platforms.
>>
>> Key Features include:
>> •       access to the most comprehensive global forecast set available
>> anywhere
>> •       white label solution (no logo; no links)
>> •       weather data provided by weather.com®
>> •       data may be accessed in either XML or JSON format
>> •       leverages a world class cloud-based Infrastructure
>> •       product support for the world wide web, the mobile web,
>> downloadable web / PC applications, and downloadable mobile phone / smart
>> phone applications
>> •       multi-language support for English, Spanish, French, German, &
>> Portuguese
>>
>> What this means to you:
>> In order to have access to an XML data feed from The Weather Channel, you
>> will need to subscribe to The Weather Channel® API. This letter serves as
>> formal notice to you that your access to the weather.com® XML Data Feed will
>> terminate at midnight Eastern time on October 31, 2011. To evaluate The
>> Weather Channel® API as an alternative to the weather.com® XML Data Feed,
>> please go to http://portal.theweatherchannel.com.
>>
>> --
>>
>> My question is - is there an Open Source alternative, and what is the
>> Horde roadmap for integrating it in H4?  We have 2 weeks to fix this before
>> that block becomes 404.
>
> Horde currently also supports METAR weather (aviation weather reports).
> While not as pretty, it is at least a source of free weather information.

Is there a guide to implementing this?  I went to the administration
panel, portal blocks and added it there..

$conf['portal']['fixed_blocks'] = array('horde:horde_Block_Metar',
'horde:horde_Block_Account');

However, even after going back to the portal and adding the block, I
just have an empty block that says current weather in the title and
nothing else.

Simon



> As far as what Horde plans to do, the package that actually takes care of
> the communication with weather.com is not a Horde package, but a PEAR
> package. We will, of course, make any updates to Horde code and update the
> minimum version of the PEAR package required once/if the PEAR package is
> updated. Not much else we can do about it...