20000718: new-GIF driver

Scott and Steve,


Some general comments about $GEMPAK/source/driver/active/gif/

I found that the new gif driver for the tdl radmap program was
missing the CDEV parameter in the argument list to hinita.f.
CDEV was added after the version of the source code from which
the Texas A&M gdr driver was modified.

In general, I think that many university users would use the gif driver
for generating web graphics so that they don't have to have an
X server to draw to. However, the driver as it stands now has been
modified from the TAMU source to hardcode 4 colors, rather
than using the standard tables (according to the radmap README, this
was to speed the program as well as remove dependence of the executable 
on the GEMPAK environment). If this driver is only to be used by
the contrib program tdl/radmap, then I would suggest that it be placed
in that part of the tree. Since the radmap program is really only intended 
to be run as a self contained program without the gplt queues, then 
it can be built and linked within the tdl tree. The gif executable 
is not needed in this case as a separate program.

I have uploaded hinita.f and hsctbl.f to the upc account on AS2.
The hinita.f has cdev added to the parameter list, and hsctbl.f
is restored to the TAMU version with coltbl.xw changed to coltbl.xwp.
I'd prefer to see the gif driver generally usable by all the gempak
programs.

Let me know of any thoughts or opinions you have,
Steve