pro SUB_accumulate_step5_tims_nobs, $
        publisher_ts, nobs_total_ts, nobs_qced_ts, julian_ts, $
        publisher,    nobs_total,    nobs_qced,    pointStart_julian

if n_elements(publisher) eq 0 then begin ; if publisher is empty, then insert dummy column; required by json format

  if n_elements(nobs_total_ts) gt 0 then begin 
    size_this = size(nobs_total_ts, /dim)
    nobs_total_ts = [nobs_total, fltarr([1,size_this[1:-1]])+!values.f_nan]
    nobs_qced_ts  = [nobs_qced,  fltarr([1,size_this[1:-1]])+!values.f_nan]
    julian_ts     = [julian_ts,  pointStart_julian]
  endif

endif else begin

  if n_elements(nobs_total_ts) eq 0 then begin ; the first element, simply give the current value

    publisher_ts = publisher
    nobs_total_ts = reform(nobs_total,  [1, size(nobs_total, /dim)])
    nobs_qced_ts = reform(nobs_qced,  [1, size(nobs_qced, /dim)])
    julian_ts = pointStart_julian

  endif else begin

    existing = 0
    for combine_loop = 0, n_elements(publisher)-1 do begin

      this_id = where(publisher_ts eq publisher[combine_loop], this_num)

      if this_num eq 0 then begin ; new combine, rebuild the whole line for the new combine

;        print,'new combine'

        publisher_ts = [publisher_ts, publisher[combine_loop]]
        size_this = size(nobs_total_ts,/dim)

        ; switch dim 0 (time) and dim 1 (combine), to add new combine
        nobs_total_ts= [transpose(nobs_total_ts, [1,0,2,3]), fltarr([1, size_this[0], size_this[2:-1]])+!values.f_nan]
        nobs_total_ts = transpose(nobs_total_ts, [1,0,2,3])

        nobs_qced_ts= [transpose(nobs_qced_ts, [1,0,2,3]), fltarr([1, size_this[0], size_this[2:-1]])+!values.f_nan]
        nobs_qced_ts = transpose(nobs_qced_ts, [1,0,2,3])

        ;; if the new combine is the first in current combine list, then we need to additionally append column (along time) 
        ;; if not the first, not need 
        if combine_loop eq 0 then begin ; only append once
          size_this = size(nobs_total_ts,/dim)
          nobs_total_ts= [nobs_total_ts, fltarr([1, size_this[1], size_this[2:-1]])+!values.f_nan]
          nobs_qced_ts= [nobs_qced_ts, fltarr([1, size_this[1], size_this[2:-1]])+!values.f_nan]
          julian_ts = [julian_ts, pointStart_julian]
          existing=1
        endif 

        nobs_total_ts[-1, -1, *, *] = nobs_total[combine_loop, *, *]
        nobs_qced_ts[-1, -1, *, *] = nobs_qced[combine_loop, *, *]

      endif else begin  ; existing combine, append to column

;        print,'existing combine', existing
;        print, 'combine_loop',combine_loop

        if existing eq 0 then begin ; only append once
;        save, /variable, filename='test.sav'
;        stop

          size_this = size(nobs_total_ts,/dim)

          nobs_total_ts = [nobs_total_ts, fltarr([1,size_this[1], size_this[2:-1]])+!values.f_nan]
          nobs_qced_ts = [nobs_qced_ts, fltarr([1,size_this[1], size_this[2:-1]])+!values.f_nan]
          julian_ts = [julian_ts, pointStart_julian]
          existing = 1
        endif 

        nobs_total_ts[-1, this_id,*, *] = nobs_total[combine_loop, *, *]
        nobs_qced_ts[-1, this_id,*, *] = nobs_qced[combine_loop, *, *]

      endelse
      ;print,'-----------'

    endfor ; combine_loop

  endelse  ; n_elements(var_mean_all) eq 0 
endelse ; n_elements(var_combine) eq 0

end