[ferret_users] array subset assignment after smoothing

[John Luick <john.luick@xxxxxxxxxx>]

If I smooth a data set with:
let hsmo = h[x=4:221@shn:7,y=4:142@shn:7]
then hsmo loses the outer three rows and columns of the original h, ie 
it is six rows and six columns smaller than h.
But I need an array whose dimensions are the same as h - the values in 
the outer rows and columns can be identical to h (ie unsmoothed), but 
not all '_' symbols.
Can this be done? I tried variations on xact, asn, etc. but no joy (only 
unjoy).
p.s., am I just getting old, or is the ferret syntax really strange? 
I've used GMT, GrADS, Matlab, Tecplot, NCAR - you name it - and I'm 
finding ferret the least intuitive of all. Is it worth learning to think 
like a ferret?
Thanks,
John (trying ferret out for a specific purpose)
(and if you are a long-lost friend: "hi!")