This is the overview page of the MATBX Java API and examples documentation.

Overview

The MATBX (Meris and (A)ATSR ToolBoX) Java library comprises a development framework and a great number of packages containing specific, problem-oriented implementations.

The MATBX Framework API

The MATBX Framework API is a core part of the MATBX API which defines all interfaces, classes and recurring design patterns used to implement concrete software modules such as VISAT, the processing tools, data product readers and writers or map projections.

This package provides the software frameworks used throughout the MERIS/(A)ATSR Toolbox software.

Currently, the following framework packages exist:

• {@link matbx.framework.datamodel} - Product in-memory resentation - the most important MATBX package
• {@link matbx.framework.dataio} - Product Data I/O plug-in framework
• {@link matbx.framework.dataop} - Product data manipulation interfaces and design patterns
• {@link matbx.framework.processor} Product processing framework, used by all scientific data processors
• {@link matbx.framework.param} - Generalized parameter handling
• {@link matbx.framework.ui} - User interface (UI) related classes and sub-packages
• {@link matbx.framework.log} - Logging capabilities

Note that all classes and packages contained in matbx.framework are independent from other matbx.* classes and packages.

The {@link matbx.util} Package

Currently the following sub-packages exist:

• {@link matbx.util.io} - I/O-Utilities
• {@link matbx.util.jai} - Support classes for JAI (Java Advanced Imaging API)
• {@link matbx.util.math} - Mathematical helper classes

The MATBX API Source Code Examples

1. {@link matbx.examples.data_export}: very simple examples showing how to read data from a product and write them out: The package conatins three source files:

• BandWriterMain.java
• BitmaskWriterMain.java
• TiePointGridWriterMain.java

2. {@link matbx.examples.ndvi_simple}: a very simple NDVI (normalized differential vegetation index) processor. The package contains a single source file:

• NdviSimpleMain.java

3. {@link matbx.examples.ndvi_processor}: a more advanced NDVI processor which uses parts of the MATBX processing framework. The example comprises two source files:

• NdviProcessorMain.java
• NdviProcessor.java
• an example NDVI processing request file

You can also download the bundled examples as a single ZIP file. In order to compile the examples, the ZIP file also contains a build.xml file for use with the open source tool ant (a kind of make for Java) developed by the Apache Software Foundation.

Newcomers who want to develop export tools and data processors are invited to look at {@link matbx.examples.data_export} and {@link matbx.examples.ndvi_simple} first. The first package contains basic tools which lets you extract geophysical data from products. The {@link matbx.examples.ndvi_simple} package contains a few lines of code showing you how to compute the NDVI value from a MERIS Level 1b input product.

Once you have understood that, please examine the {@link matbx.examples.ndvi_processor} example contained in this package. {@link matbx.examples.ndvi_processor.NdviProcessorMain} implements is a fully functional data processor which uses some important concepts and mechanisms of the MATBX processing framework. Don't be afraid, it is still very easy code. It can be used as a template for your own data processors.

This is the list of the most important API packages used by the examples:

1. The {@link matbx.framework.datamodel} package.
2. The {@link matbx.framework.dataio} package.
3. The {@link matbx.util} package.