new_contents: #!/usr/bin/env python
  #
  # An example script to compare reduced data streams sent to shore.
  
  import numpy as np
  import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
  
  import okeanidanalysis as oa
  
  expressfile = "/Users/squall/Desktop/daphne-bin-logs/20150310T204202/shore.mat" 
  priorityfile = "/Users/squall/Desktop/daphne-bin-logs/20150310T204202/cell-Priority.mat"
  normalfile = "/Users/squall/Desktop/daphne-bin-logs/20150310T204202/cell-Normal.mat"
  fullfile = None
  
  files_to_compare, slate = [], []
  if expressfile is not None:
      files_to_compare.extend(expressfile)
      slate.extend(oa.logs.OkeanidLog(expressfile))
  if priorityfile is not None:
      files_to_compare.extend(priorityfile)
      slate.extend(oa.logs.OkeanidLog(priorityfile))
  if normalfile is not None:
      files_to_compare.extend(normalfile)
      slate.extend(oa.logs.OkeanidLog(normalfile))
  if fullfile is not None:
      files_to_compare.extend(fullfile)
      slate.extend(oa.logs.OkeanidLog(fullfile))
  number_of_streams = len(files_to_compare)
  
  
  # define a timeseries to compare on
  dt = 10
  t_start, t_end = slate[-1]['depth/time'][[0,-1]]
  t_total = t_end - t_start
  t = np.arange(t_start, t_end, dt)
  
  # calculate the size and average bitrate of each stream (# of samples, # of bytes with timestamps)
  sizeof_serialized_float = 8 # assume single-precision float
  sizeof_serialized_timestamp = 8 # assume single-byte timestamp, but this might be wrong
  sizeof_serialized_sample = sizeof_serialized_float + sizeof_serialized_timestamp
  
  n_D = [len(s['depth/time']) for s in slate]
  n_chl, n_T, n_S = [], [], []
  for s in slate:
      try: 
          n_chl_ = len(s['WetLabsBB2FL/bin_mean_mass_concentration_of_chlorophyll_in_sea_water/time'])
      except:
          n_chl_ = len(s['mass_concentration_of_chlorophyll_in_sea_water/time'])
      n_chl.extend(n_chl_)
      try: 
          n_T_ = len(s['CTD_NeilBrown/bin_mean_sea_water_temperature/time'])
      except:
          n_T_ = len(s['sea_water_temperature/time'])
      n_T.extend(n_T_)
      try: 
          n_S_ = len(s['CTD_NeilBrown/bin_mean_sea_water_salinity/time'])
      except:
          n_S_ = len(s['sea_water_salinity/time'])
      n_S.extend(n_S_)
  
  br_D = n_D / t_total
  br_chl = n_chl / t_total
  br_T = n_T / t_total
  br_S = n_S / t_total
  
  # plot comparisons
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
subject: add example script to compare reduced data streams