program ENCODE_BUFR_EXAMPLE

C-----------------------------------------------------------------------
C  MAIN PROGRAM ENCODE_BUFR_EXAMPLE
C
C  This skeleton code reads through some input file (in some undefined
C   format), storing one report at a time into memory (array OBS_8,
C   undefined format) and then encodes this report into a BUFR message
C   in an output file.
C
C  The input  file is assumed to be connected to FORTRAN unit 21.
C  The output file is assumed to be connected to FORTRAN unit 51.
C
C  The input BUFR mnemonic table is assumed to be connected to FORTRAN
C    unit 31.
C
C-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
      character*8  SUBSET

      real*8  OBS_8(<number of parameters read from each report>)
     

      call DATELEN(10) ! we want to store a 10-digit idate in Sec. 1 of
                       !  each output BUFR message


      call OPENBF(51,'OUT',31) ! open BUFR file in unit 51 for output,
                               !  use external BUFR table in unit 31 to
                               !  define structure of BUFR reports

C  Now loop through the input file reading out one report at a time
C  ----------------------------------------------------------------

      do while (<there are input reports to be decoded>)

         call <subroutine to decode a report into obs_8 array>

         IDATE = ( ( <year of report> ) * 1000000 ) +
     +           ( ( <month of report> ) * 10000 )  +
     +           ( ( <day of report> ) * 100 ) +
     +             ( <hour of report> )

         SUBSET = 'NC<ttt><sss>'! where ttt=BUFR type (e.g., 012),
                                !       sss=BUFR subtype (e.g., 021)

         call OPENMB(51,SUBSET,IDATE)
           ! OPENMB must be called before potentially writing any new
           !  reports (subsets) to output messages; it will open a new
           !  output message (i.e., ready to write subsets into) if
           !  either the subset and/or the idate is different than for
           !  the previous output message (note: new messages are
           !  automatically opened by WRITSB with the same SUBSET and
           !  IDATE as the current open message if the next subset
           !  can't fit into the current open message - the current
           !  open message is first closed automatically by WRITSB)

C  Now, through a series of calls to UFBINT store the various
C   parameters for this report into internal BUFBLIB memory
C  ----------------------------------------------------------

     ! e.g., assume OBS_8(1) is coarse latitude, OBS_8(2) is coarse
     !       longitude

         call UFBINT(51,OBS_8(1),1,1,iret,'CLAT')
         call UFBINT(51,OBS_8(2),1,1,iret,'CLON')

     ! continue calling UFBINT to encode all variables into BUFR report

         call UFBINT(51.OBS_8(<index>),1,1,iret,'<mnemonic>')
         call UFBINT(51.OBS_8(<index>),1,1,iret,'<mnemonic>')
                 ... etc ...


         call WRITSB(51) ! encode report (subset) into BUFR message

C  Now go read in next report from input file
C  ------------------------------------------

      enddo

C  All reports have been processed
C  -------------------------------

      call CLOSBF(51)  ! close output BUFR file (writes out any
                       !  incomplete messages)

      stop

      end