function [s] = read_scal_complete_ucf(file,varargin)
    % [s] = read_scal_complete_ucf(file,varargin)
    % Reads u,v,w,p from all processor chunks and combines them to a single field.
    % Input
    %   file              file name (if tar-mode: ustar handle)
    % ? step              index of timestep to be read (default: 1)
    % ? verbosity         verbose output? (default: 0)
    % ? debug             debug output? (default: 0)
    % ? tarmode           read from tar-file? (default: 0)
    % Output
    %   s                 complete scalar fields with dim(nx,ny,nz,nscal)

    % Parse optional input arguments
    par = inputParser;
    addParamValue(par,'step',1,@isnumeric);
    addParamValue(par,'verbosity',0,@isnumeric);
    addParamValue(par,'debug',0,@isnumeric);
    addParamValue(par,'tarmode',0,@isnumeric);  % deprecated
    parse(par,varargin{:});
    istep = par.Results.step;

    % Open first file
    obj = ucf('verbosity',par.Results.verbosity,'debug',par.Results.debug);
    switch class(file)
    case 'char'
      [fdir,fbase,fext] = fileparts(file);
      fname = sprintf('%s/%s.%05d',fdir,fbase,0);
      obj.open(fname);
    case {'ustar','ucfmulti'}
      fname = sprintf('scal.%05d',0);
      obj.opentar(file.pointer(fname));
    otherwise
      error('Input file type not supported: %s',class(file));
    end

    if ~obj.validateType('field')
      error('read error: no field data.');
    end
    nscal = obj.getNumDatasets(istep);

    % Read raw data
    q = cell(1,nscal);
    for iset=1:nscal
      [data,params] = obj.readSet(istep,iset);
      params = cast(params,'double');
      ighost = params(1);
      ib  = params(2);
      jb  = params(3);
      kb  = params(4);
      nxl = params(5);
      nyl = params(6);
      nzl = params(7);
      nx  = params(8);
      ny  = params(9);
      nz  = params(10);
      q{iset}  = reshape(data,nxl+2*ighost,nyl+2*ighost,nzl+2*ighost);
      if ighost
        q{iset} = q{iset}(2:end-1,2:end-1,2:end-1);
      end
    end

    % Reassign content from loop and create global arrays
    s = zeros(nx,ny,nz,nscal,class(q{1}));
    for iscal=1:nscal
      s(ib:ib+nxl-1,jb:jb+nyl-1,kb:kb+nzl-1,iscal) = q{iset};
    end

    % Close the first file
    obj.close();

    % Now loop consecutively through files
    ifile = 1;
    switch class(file)
    case 'char'
      loopCondition = @(x) exist(x,'file');
      fname = sprintf('%s/%s.%05d',fdir,fbase,ifile);
    case {'ustar','ucfmulti'}
      loopCondition = @(x) file.isSubfile(x);
      fname = sprintf('scal.%05d',ifile);
    end

    while loopCondition(fname)
      % Open file
      obj = ucf('verbosity',par.Results.verbosity,'debug',par.Results.debug);
      switch class(file)
      case 'char'
        obj.open(fname);
      case {'ustar','ucfmulti'}
        obj.opentar(file.pointer(fname));
      end

      if ~obj.validateType('field')
        error('read error: no field data.');
      end

      % Read raw data
      q  = cell(1,nscal);
      for iset=1:nscal
        [data,params] = obj.readSet(istep,iset);
        params = cast(params,'double');
        ighost = params(1);
        ib     = params(2);
        jb     = params(3);
        kb     = params(4);
        nxl    = params(5);
        nyl    = params(6);
        nzl    = params(7);
        q{iset} = reshape(data,nxl+2*ighost,nyl+2*ighost,nzl+2*ighost);
        if ighost
          q{iset} = q{iset}(2:end-1,2:end-1,2:end-1);
        end
      end

      % Reassign content from loop and create global arrays
      for iscal=1:nscal
        s(ib:ib+nxl-1,jb:jb+nyl-1,kb:kb+nzl-1,iscal) = q{iset};
      end

      % Close file
      obj.close();

      % Move on to next file
      ifile = ifile+1;
      switch class(file)
      case 'char'
        fname = sprintf('scal.%05d',ifile);
      case {'ustar','ucfmulti'}
        fname = sprintf('%s/%s.%05d',fdir,fbase,ifile);
      end
    end
end