# File rbot/utils.rb, line 463
      def parse
        @decoded = Hash.new
        puts @input
        @input.split(" ").each {|part|
          if (part == 'METAR')
            # Type of Report: METAR
            @decoded['type'] = 'METAR'
          elsif (part == 'SPECI')
            # Type of Report: SPECI
            @decoded['type'] = 'SPECI'
          elsif (part == 'AUTO')
            # Report Modifier: AUTO
            @decoded['report_mod'] = 'AUTO'
          elsif (part == 'NIL')
            @nodata = true
          elsif (part =~ /^\S{4}$/ && ! (@decoded.has_key?('station')))
            # Station Identifier
            @decoded['station'] = part
          elsif (part =~ /([0-9]{2})([0-9]{2})([0-9]{2})Z/)
            # ignore this bit, it's useless without month/year. some of these
            # things are hideously out of date.
            # now = Time.new
            # time = Time.gm(now.year, now.month, $1, $2, $3, 0)
            # Date and Time of Report
            # @decoded['time'] = time
          elsif (part == 'COR')
            # Report Modifier: COR
            @decoded['report_mod'] = 'COR'
          elsif (part =~ /([0-9]{3}|VRB)([0-9]{2,3}).*(KT|MPS|KMH)/)
            # Wind Group
            windunit = $3
            # now do ereg to get the actual values
            part =~ /([0-9]{3}|VRB)([0-9]{2,3})((G[0-9]{2,3})?#{windunit})/
            if ($1 == 'VRB')
              @decoded['wind_deg'] = 'variable directions'
              @decoded['wind_dir_text'] = 'variable directions'
              @decoded['wind_dir_text_short'] = 'VAR'
            else
              @decoded['wind_deg'] = $1
              @decoded['wind_dir_text'] = @wind_dir_texts[($1.to_i/22.5).round]
              @decoded['wind_dir_text_short'] = @wind_dir_texts_short[($1.to_i/22.5).round]
            end
            store_speed($2, windunit,
                        'wind_meters_per_second',
                        'wind_knots',
                        'wind_miles_per_hour')

            if ($4 != nil)
              # We have a report with information about the gust.
              # First we have the gust measured in knots
              store_speed($4,windunit,
                          'wind_gust_meters_per_second',
                          'wind_gust_knots',
                          'wind_gust_miles_per_hour')
            end
          elsif (part =~ /([0-9]{3})V([0-9]{3})/)
            #  Variable wind-direction
            @decoded['wind_var_beg'] = $1
            @decoded['wind_var_end'] = $2
          elsif (part == "9999")
            # A strange value. When you look at other pages you see it
            # interpreted like this (where I use > to signify 'Greater
            # than'):
            @decoded['visibility_miles'] = '>7';
            @decoded['visibility_km']    = '>11.3';
          elsif (part =~ /^([0-9]{4})$/)
            # Visibility in meters (4 digits only)
            # The visibility measured in kilometers, rounded to one decimal place.
            @decoded['visibility_km'] = sprintf("%.1f", $1.to_i / 1000)
            # The visibility measured in miles, rounded to one decimal place.
            @decoded['visibility_miles'] = sprintf("%.1f", $1.to_i / 1000 / 1.609344)
          elsif (part =~ /^[0-9]$/)
            # Temp Visibility Group, single digit followed by space
            @decoded['temp_visibility_miles'] = part
          elsif (@decoded['temp_visibility_miles'] && (@decoded['temp_visibility_miles']+' '+part) =~ /^M?(([0-9]?)[ ]?([0-9])(\/?)([0-9]*))SM$/)
            # Visibility Group
            if ($4 == '/')
              vis_miles = $2.to_i + $3.to_i/$5.to_i
            else
              vis_miles = $1.to_i;
            end
            if (@decoded['temp_visibility_miles'][0] == 'M')
              # The visibility measured in miles, prefixed with < to indicate 'Less than'
              @decoded['visibility_miles'] = '<' + sprintf("%.1f", vis_miles)
              # The visibility measured in kilometers. The value is rounded
              # to one decimal place, prefixed with < to indicate 'Less than' */
              @decoded['visibility_km']    = '<' . sprintf("%.1f", vis_miles * 1.609344)
            else
              # The visibility measured in mile.s */
              @decoded['visibility_miles'] = sprintf("%.1f", vis_miles)
              # The visibility measured in kilometers, rounded to one decimal place.
              @decoded['visibility_km']    = sprintf("%.1f", vis_miles * 1.609344)
            end
          elsif (part =~ /^(-|\+|VC|MI)?(TS|SH|FZ|BL|DR|BC|PR|RA|DZ|SN|SG|GR|GS|PE|IC|UP|BR|FG|FU|VA|DU|SA|HZ|PY|PO|SQ|FC|SS|DS)+$/)
            # Current weather-group
            @decoded['weather'] = '' unless @decoded.has_key?('weather')
            if (part[0].chr == '-')
              # A light phenomenon
              @decoded['weather'] += @strings['light']
              part = part[1,part.length]
            elsif (part[0].chr == '+')
              # A heavy phenomenon
              @decoded['weather'] += @strings['heavy']
              part = part[1,part.length]
            elsif (part[0,2] == 'VC')
              # Proximity Qualifier
              @decoded['weather'] += @strings['nearby']
              part = part[2,part.length]
            elsif (part[0,2] == 'MI')
              @decoded['weather'] += @strings['mild']
              part = part[2,part.length]
            else
              # no intensity code => moderate phenomenon
              @decoded['weather'] += @strings['moderate']
            end
            
            while (part && bite = part[0,2]) do
              # Now we take the first two letters and determine what they
              # mean. We append this to the variable so that we gradually
              # build up a phrase.

              @decoded['weather'] += @weather_array[bite]
              # Here we chop off the two first letters, so that we can take
              # a new bite at top of the while-loop.
              part = part[2,-1]
            end
          elsif (part =~ /(SKC|CLR)/)
            # Cloud-layer-group.
            # There can be up to three of these groups, so we store them as
            # cloud_layer1, cloud_layer2 and cloud_layer3.
            
            @cloud_layers += 1;
            # Again we have to translate the code-characters to a
            # meaningful string.
            @decoded['cloud_layer'+ (@cloud_layers.to_s) +'_condition']  = @cloud_condition_array[$1]
            @decoded['cloud_layer'+ (@cloud_layers.to_s) +'_coverage'] = @cloud_coverage[$1]
          elsif (part =~ /^(VV|FEW|SCT|BKN|OVC)([0-9]{3})(CB|TCU)?$/)
            # We have found (another) a cloud-layer-group. There can be up
            # to three of these groups, so we store them as cloud_layer1,
            # cloud_layer2 and cloud_layer3.
            @cloud_layers += 1;
            # Again we have to translate the code-characters to a meaningful string.
            if ($3 == 'CB')
              # cumulonimbus (CB) clouds were observed. */
              @decoded['cloud_layer'+ (@cloud_layers.to_s) +'_condition'] =
                          @cloud_condition_array[$1] + @strings['clouds_cb']
            elsif ($3 == 'TCU')
              # towering cumulus (TCU) clouds were observed.
              @decoded['cloud_layer'+ (@cloud_layers.to_s) +'_condition'] =
                          @cloud_condition_array[$1] + @strings['clouds_tcu']
            else
              @decoded['cloud_layer'+ (@cloud_layers.to_s) +'_condition'] =
                          @cloud_condition_array[$1] + @strings['clouds']
            end
            @decoded['cloud_layer'+ (@cloud_layers.to_s) +'_coverage'] = @cloud_coverage[$1]
            @decoded['cloud_layer'+ (@cloud_layers.to_s) +'_altitude_ft'] = $2.to_i * 100
            @decoded['cloud_layer'+ (@cloud_layers.to_s) +'_altitude_m']  = ($2.to_f * 30.48).round
          elsif (part =~ /^T([0-9]{4})$/)
            store_temp($1,'temp_c','temp_f')
          elsif (part =~ /^T?(M?[0-9]{2})\/(M?[0-9\/]{1,2})?$/)
            # Temperature/Dew Point Group
            # The temperature and dew-point measured in Celsius.
            @decoded['temp_c'] = sprintf("%.1f", $1.tr('M', '-'))
            if $2 == "//" || !$2
              @decoded['dew_c'] = 0
            else
              @decoded['dew_c'] = sprintf("%.1f", $2.tr('M', '-'))
            end
            # The temperature and dew-point measured in Fahrenheit, rounded to
            # the nearest degree.
            @decoded['temp_f'] = (@decoded['temp_c'].to_f * (9/5) + 32).round
            @decoded['dew_f']  = (@decoded['dew_c'].to_f * (9/5) + 32).round
          elsif(part =~ /A([0-9]{4})/)
            # Altimeter
            # The pressure measured in inHg
            @decoded['altimeter_inhg'] = sprintf("%.2f", $1.to_i/100)
            # The pressure measured in mmHg, hPa and atm
            @decoded['altimeter_mmhg'] = sprintf("%.1f", $1.to_f * 0.254)
            @decoded['altimeter_hpa']  = sprintf("%.1f", $1.to_f * 0.33863881578947)
            @decoded['altimeter_atm']  = sprintf("%.3f", $1.to_f * 3.3421052631579e-4)
          elsif(part =~ /Q([0-9]{4})/)
            # Altimeter
            # This is strange, the specification doesnt say anything about
            # the Qxxxx-form, but it's in the METARs.
            # The pressure measured in hPa
            @decoded['altimeter_hpa']  = sprintf("%.1f", $1.to_f)
            # The pressure measured in mmHg, inHg and atm
            @decoded['altimeter_mmhg'] = sprintf("%.1f", $1.to_f * 0.7500616827)
            @decoded['altimeter_inhg'] = sprintf("%.2f", $1.to_f * 0.0295299875)
            @decoded['altimeter_atm']  = sprintf("%.3f", $1.to_f * 9.869232667e-4)
          elsif (part =~ /^T([0-9]{4})([0-9]{4})/)
            # Temperature/Dew Point Group, coded to tenth of degree.
            # The temperature and dew-point measured in Celsius.
            store_temp($1,'temp_c','temp_f')
            store_temp($2,'dew_c','dew_f')
          elsif (part =~ /^1([0-9]{4}$)/)
            # 6 hour maximum temperature Celsius, coded to tenth of degree
            store_temp($1,'temp_max6h_c','temp_max6h_f')
          elsif (part =~ /^2([0-9]{4}$)/)
            # 6 hour minimum temperature Celsius, coded to tenth of degree
            store_temp($1,'temp_min6h_c','temp_min6h_f')
          elsif (part =~ /^4([0-9]{4})([0-9]{4})$/)
            # 24 hour maximum and minimum temperature Celsius, coded to
            # tenth of degree
            store_temp($1,'temp_max24h_c','temp_max24h_f')
            store_temp($2,'temp_min24h_c','temp_min24h_f')
          elsif (part =~ /^P([0-9]{4})/)
            # Precipitation during last hour in hundredths of an inch
            # (store as inches)
            @decoded['precip_in'] = sprintf("%.2f", $1.to_f/100)
            @decoded['precip_mm'] = sprintf("%.2f", $1.to_f * 0.254)
          elsif (part =~ /^6([0-9]{4})/)
            # Precipitation during last 3 or 6 hours in hundredths of an
            # inch  (store as inches)
            @decoded['precip_6h_in'] = sprintf("%.2f", $1.to_f/100)
            @decoded['precip_6h_mm'] = sprintf("%.2f", $1.to_f * 0.254)
          elsif (part =~ /^7([0-9]{4})/)
            # Precipitation during last 24 hours in hundredths of an inch
            # (store as inches)
            @decoded['precip_24h_in'] = sprintf("%.2f", $1.to_f/100)
            @decoded['precip_24h_mm'] = sprintf("%.2f", $1.to_f * 0.254)
          elsif(part =~ /^4\/([0-9]{3})/)
            # Snow depth in inches
            @decoded['snow_in'] = sprintf("%.2f", $1);
            @decoded['snow_mm'] = sprintf("%.2f", $1.to_f * 25.4)
          else
            # If we couldn't match the group, we assume that it was a
            # remark.
            @decoded['remarks'] = '' unless @decoded.has_key?("remarks")
            @decoded['remarks'] += ' ' + part;
          end
        }
        
        # Relative humidity
        @decoded['rel_humidity'] = sprintf("%.1f",100 * 
          (
           610.710701 + 
           44.4293573 * @decoded['dew_c'].to_f +
           1.41696846 * ((@decoded['dew_c'].to_f ** 2)) + 
           0.0274759545 * ((@decoded['dew_c'].to_f ** 3)) + 
           2.61145937E-4 * ((@decoded['dew_c'].to_f ** 4)) + 
           2.85993708E-6 * ((@decoded['dew_c'].to_f ** 5))
           ) / (
           610.710701 + 
           44.4293573 * @decoded['temp_c'].to_f +
           1.41696846 * ((@decoded['temp_c'].to_f ** 2)) + 
           0.0274759545 * ((@decoded['temp_c'].to_f ** 3)) + 
           2.61145937E-4 * ((@decoded['temp_c'].to_f ** 4)) + 
           2.85993708E-6 * ((@decoded['temp_c'].to_f ** 5))
           )) if @decoded.has_key?('dew_c')
      end