OB9 brings the addition of call-to-action (CTA) markers to the following templates:

SVR - wwa_svr.wwaProd
TOR - wwa_tor.wwaProd
EWW - wwa_eww.wwaProd
SVS - wwa_svrwx_sta_county.wwaProd and wwa_eww_svs.wwaProd
SMW - wwa_specmarine.wwaProd
MWS - wwa_mar_wx_sta.wwaProd
FFW - wwa_ffw.wwaProd and wwa_dam_break.wwaProd
FFS - wwa_flflood_sta.wwaProd and wwa_flflood_sta_county.wwaProd
FLW - wwa_flood_warn.wwaProd
FLS - wwa_flood_sta.wwaProd, wwa_flood_adv.wwaProd and wwa_flood_adv_sta.wwaProd

The OB9 warnGen code is expecting very specific entries in these templates regarding the markers. It may be best to start with the OB9 templates and add in your customizations. But specifically, the following is required to be in the initial warning templates (SVR, TOR, FFW, etc.) n order for warnings to be properly formatted and disseminated with no QC errors.

  1. { ****** CALLS TO ACTIONS (CHOOSE ONE OR MORE) ****** | }

    The header for the section containing the calls to action must have the above header. Specifically, the warnGen code must see ****** CALLS TO ACTION in order to work correctly.

  2. {= ^No call to action |}

    This line is critical because it indicates that this product is a CTA-marker product. It must be in the template as the first call to action choice available to forecasters so that markers are not generated if no CTA is desired.
  3. { [$$CTA_TAG!.eq.TRUE] |
    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
    }

    This will create first part of the marker (PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...) if any CTA item(s) other than "No call to action" is selected.

  4. { [$$CTA_TAG!.eq.TRUE] |
    \&\&
    }

    This will create end of the marker (&&) if any CTA item(s) other than "No call to action" is selected.

    \&\& will be converted to && by WarnGen code. Note: && without backslashes cannot be put directly in a template as they are reserved words in WarnGen. WarnGen will convert it to a blank line.

    Here is the baseline SVR template, with the above required items in blue, as a reference.

For the followup templates (SVSs, MWS, FFS, etc.), the following code needs to appear:

  1. { ****** CALLS TO ACTIONS (CHOOSE ONE OR MORE) ****** | }

    The header for the section containing the calls to action must have the above header. Specifically, the warnGen code must see ****** CALLS TO ACTION in order to work correctly.

  2. <VAR |test=$$CTA_TAG!.eq.TRUE |test=$$ACT_VAL!.eq.CON
    |value=TRUE |value=FALSE |var=cta_tag>

    This code creates a variable substitution for the CTA_TAG! variable so that comparisons can be made to the initial warning as well as prevent unnecessary markers in CAN and EXP segments.

  3. { [$$cta_tag!.eq.TRUE] |
    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
    }

    This will create first part of the marker (PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...) if any CTA item(s) other than "No call to action" is selected, but will not create the markers in a CAN or EXP segment.

  4. {= ^No call to action [show $$ACT_VAL!.eq.CON]|}

    This line is must be in the template to include the "No call to action" as the first CTA choice available to forecasters so that markers are not generated if no CTA is desired. The     difference between this line and the one in the initial warning templates is the CTA choices are only shown for continuations.

  5. { [$$cta_tag!.eq.TRUE] |
    \&\&
    }

    This will create end of the marker (&&) if any CTA item(s) other than "No call to action" is selected, but will not create the markers in a CAN or EXP segment.

    Here is the baseline Flood advisory followup template, with the above required items in blue, as a reference.