From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Wed Aug 18 12:46:55 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil t nil nil nil nil] ["786" "Wed" "18" "August" "93" "12:45:47" "-0400" "Archie Warnock" "warnock@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov " "<9308181644.AA03034@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov>" "19" "Identification of a FITS byte stream" "^From:" nil nil "8"]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA02759; Wed, 18 Aug 93 12:46:54 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA10415; Wed, 18 Aug 93 12:46:00 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA03078; Wed, 18 Aug 93 12:45:47 -0400 Message-Id: <9308181644.AA03034@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: warnock@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (Archie Warnock) Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Identification of a FITS byte stream Date: Wed, 18 Aug 93 12:45:47 -0400 The recent discussion on suitability of formats for archiving has reminded me of the following small issue I'd like to raise here. How does someone who knows nothing about FITS identify an arbitrary byte stream as FITS? Note - if we _know_ about FITS, we can tell it's FITS by the presence of the SIMPLE keyword at the start of the byte stream. But there's nothing required in the byte stream that says "I'm a FITS file and here's where you go to find out about me." Should such a comment be mandatory? -- -- _______________________________________________________________________ -- Archie Warnock Internet: warnock@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov -- Hughes STX "Unix --- JCL For The 90s" -- NASA/GSFC Project STELAR: WAIS to do science From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Wed Aug 18 16:00:08 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] [nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil "^From:" nil nil nil]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA04906; Wed, 18 Aug 93 16:00:06 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA13170; Wed, 18 Aug 93 15:59:02 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA05343; Wed, 18 Aug 93 15:58:15 -0400 Message-Id: <9308181955.AA02518@orangutan.cv.nrao.edu> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: pmurphy@orangutan.CV.NRAO.EDU (Pat Murphy) Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream Date: Wed, 18 Aug 93 15:58:15 -0400 On Wed, 18 Aug 93 12:45:19 -0400, warnock@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (Archie Warnock) said to WGAS-L: AW> Note - if we _know_ about FITS, we can tell it's FITS by the presence of AW> the SIMPLE keyword at the start of the byte stream. But there's nothing AW> required in the byte stream that says "I'm a FITS file and here's where AW> you go to find out about me." Should such a comment be mandatory? Certainly it should not be mandatory for FITS readers to look for and barf if they don't find it, but I don't think that's what you meant. I see nothing wrong with having existing FITS writers add something like: COMMENT The FITS format is documented in the following references: COMMENT Wells, D.C., Greisen, E.W., Harten, R.H.: 1980, Astronomy COMMENT and Astrophysics Supplement 44, 363. and so on. It's too bad something like this couldn't have been added from day one, but then hindsight usually is 20/20. Just MHO. - Pat -- ========================================================================== | Patrick P. Murphy, Ph.D. Scientific Programming Analyst | | National Radio Astronomy Observatory Net: pmurphy@nrao.edu | | 520 Edgemont Road Phone: (804) 296-0372 | | Charlottesville, VA 22903-2475 VoiceMail: (804) 980-5889 | | "I don't believe in the no-win scenario" --- James T. Kirk | ========================================================================== From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Wed Aug 18 16:22:46 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] [nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil "^From:" nil nil nil]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA04941; Wed, 18 Aug 93 16:22:44 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA13729; Wed, 18 Aug 93 16:21:50 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA05630; Wed, 18 Aug 93 16:21:11 -0400 Message-Id: <9308182019.AA05585@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: warnock@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (Archie Warnock) Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream Date: Wed, 18 Aug 93 16:21:11 -0400 So Pat Murphy sez to me: > Certainly it should not be mandatory for FITS readers to look for and > barf if they don't find it, but I don't think that's what you meant. I > see nothing wrong with having existing FITS writers add something like: That's not what I intended, though in any event I'd expect a FITS reader to be more robust than that. It's people who don't have FITS readers and don't even know what FITS is that I'm worried about. > COMMENT The FITS format is documented in the following references: > COMMENT Wells, D.C., Greisen, E.W., Harten, R.H.: 1980, Astronomy > COMMENT and Astrophysics Supplement 44, 363. That's exactly what I had in mind - we have to tell the world that "this is a FITS file and here's where to get more information". > and so on. It's too bad something like this couldn't have been added > from day one, but then hindsight usually is 20/20. Ain't it the truth. Now, the real question is, at what level to we implement this? Recommendation? Strongly recommended? Required? How serious are we about identifying the files? Archie _______________________________________________________________________ -- Archie Warnock Internet: warnock@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov -- Hughes STX "Unix --- JCL For The 90s" -- NASA/GSFC Project STELAR: WAIS to do science From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Thu Aug 19 02:52:52 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] ["1904" "Thu" "19" "August" "93" "02:49:54" "-0400" "Hans-Martin Adorf" "hmadorf@eso.org " nil "37" "Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream" "^From:" nil nil "8"]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA05888; Thu, 19 Aug 93 02:52:51 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA23695; Thu, 19 Aug 93 02:51:56 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA07028; Thu, 19 Aug 93 02:49:54 -0400 Message-Id: <9308190649.AA03005@ns3.hq.eso.org> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: hmadorf@eso.org (Hans-Martin Adorf) Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream Date: Thu, 19 Aug 93 02:49:54 -0400 Thus wrote Archie Warnock, NASA/GSFC: >The recent discussion on suitability of formats for archiving has >reminded me of the following small issue I'd like to raise here. How >does someone who knows nothing about FITS identify an arbitrary byte >stream as FITS? > >Note - if we _know_ about FITS, we can tell it's FITS by the presence of >the SIMPLE keyword at the start of the byte stream. But there's nothing >required in the byte stream that says "I'm a FITS file and here's where >you go to find out about me." Should such a comment be mandatory? I support the view that there should be some mechanism by which a FITS file identifies itself. Recently I found that the byte stream transmitted by the ZModem protocol (used for transferring files between a host and a personal computer) identifies itself and may trigger appropriate actions (e.g. a protocol selection for further transmission) on the recipient's side. I'd like to see something similar happen for FITS files, particularly in view of the rapid spreading of wide-area information services on the Internet. At least there should be an agreeement about the default file extension (some people use .FTS others use .FITS). Hans-Martin Adorf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ **** note the new postal code **** Hans-Martin Adorf adorf@eso.org (Internet) Space Telescope - European Coordinating Facility adorf@eso.uucp (UUCP) European Southern Observatory adorf@dgaeso51.bitnet (EARN) Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2 ESO::ADORF (SPAN) D-85748 Garching b. Muenchen +49-89-320 06-261 (Phone) F.R. Germany +49-89-320 06-480 (FAX) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Mon Aug 23 18:53:26 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] ["933" "Mon" "23" "August" "93" "18:49:40" "-0400" "Mike Newberry" "newberry@as.arizona.edu " nil "24" "Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream" "^From:" nil nil "8"]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA17729; Mon, 23 Aug 93 18:53:25 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA26538; Mon, 23 Aug 93 18:52:33 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA02717; Mon, 23 Aug 93 18:49:40 -0400 Message-Id: <9308232248.AA21514@as.arizona.edu> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: newberry@as.arizona.edu (Mike Newberry) Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream Date: Mon, 23 Aug 93 18:49:40 -0400 >I support the view that there should be some mechanism by which a FITS file >identifies itself. Recently I found that the byte stream transmitted by the >ZModem protocol (used for transferring files between a host and a personal >computer) identifies itself and may trigger appropriate actions (e.g. a >protocol selection for further transmission) on the recipient's side. There is such an identifier already in place: the SIMPLE keyword. >I'd like to see something similar happen for FITS files, particularly in >view of the rapid spreading of wide-area information services on the >Internet. At least there should be an agreeement about the default file >extension (some people use .FTS others use .FITS). For those of us who use PC's running DOS, the use of a filename extension such as .FTS uses 3 of the precious 11 characters that we can use for file names. Mike Newberry Steward Observatory University of Arizona From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Tue Aug 24 01:11:11 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] [nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil "^From:" nil nil nil]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA18805; Tue, 24 Aug 93 01:11:10 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA29679; Tue, 24 Aug 93 01:10:10 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA03666; Tue, 24 Aug 93 01:04:14 -0400 Message-Id: <9308240502.AA19731@ns3.hq.eso.org> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: hmadorf@eso.org (Hans-Martin Adorf) Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream Date: Tue, 24 Aug 93 01:04:14 -0400 >>I support the view that there should be some mechanism by which a FITS file >>identifies itself. Recently I found that the byte stream transmitted by the >>ZModem protocol (used for transferring files between a host and a personal >>computer) identifies itself and may trigger appropriate actions (e.g. a >>protocol selection for further transmission) on the recipient's side. > > There is such an identifier already in place: the SIMPLE > keyword. That is, as far as I can see, insufficient for self-identifying a byte-stream as being a FITS file. It only specifies a particular FITS-format. >>I'd like to see something similar happen for FITS files, particularly in >>view of the rapid spreading of wide-area information services on the >>Internet. At least there should be an agreeement about the default file >>extension (some people use .FTS others use .FITS). > > For those of us who use PC's running DOS, the use of a filename > extension such as .FTS uses 3 of the precious 11 characters > that we can use for file names. Fair enough. I could live with .FTS or .FIT (also used). My only other comment would be: anyone who wants to do serious astronomy at the end of the 20th century, should get hold of a professional computer. Hans-Martin Adorf ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ **** note the new postal code **** Hans-Martin Adorf adorf@eso.org (Internet) Space Telescope - European Coordinating Facility adorf@eso.uucp (UUCP) European Southern Observatory adorf@dgaeso51.bitnet (EARN) Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2 ESO::ADORF (SPAN) D-85748 Garching b. Muenchen +49-89-320 06-261 (Phone) F.R. Germany +49-89-320 06-480 (FAX) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Tue Aug 24 10:05:22 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] ["2004" "Tue" "24" "August" "93" "09:58:28" "-0400" "Pat Murphy" "pmurphy@orangutan.CV.NRAO.EDU " nil "41" "Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream" "^From:" nil nil "8"]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA19799; Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:05:21 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA15867; Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:04:22 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA04903; Tue, 24 Aug 93 09:58:28 -0400 Message-Id: <9308241356.AA17359@orangutan.cv.nrao.edu> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: pmurphy@orangutan.CV.NRAO.EDU (Pat Murphy) Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream Date: Tue, 24 Aug 93 09:58:28 -0400 On Tue, 24 Aug 93 01:04:14 -0400, hmadorf@eso.org (Hans-Martin Adorf) said to wgas-l: (quoting someone who quoted someone else as saying:) >>I support the view that there should be some mechanism by which a FITS file >>identifies itself. Recently I found that the byte stream transmitted by the ( ... ) > There is such an identifier already in place: the SIMPLE keyword HA> That is, as far as I can see, insufficient for self-identifying a HA> byte-stream as being a FITS file. It only specifies a particular HA> FITS-format. I suspect what the previous poster was thinking of might have been something analogous to the "file" command on unix systems. This command identifies what it thinks is in a file based on a set of rules, and it can be (and has been) extended to deal with, e.g. gif, jpg, etc files. It would not take much to extend it further to check if the first 10 bytes of the file are "SIMPLE = " (did I get the = in the right place?). Agreed that this is not what the original gist of the debate was, i.e. an identifier for human eyes that leads to references in a library or elsewhere that fully describe the FITS format. And whether such additional COMMENT keywords should be mandatory, strongly recommended, or what. I tend to lean towards strongly recommended (and that we should lean on fits programmers to put something into their fits writers once we can agree on what to put in). I won't comment on the rest of the article. - Pat -- ========================================================================== | Patrick P. Murphy, Ph.D. Scientific Programming Analyst | | National Radio Astronomy Observatory Net: pmurphy@nrao.edu | | 520 Edgemont Road Phone: (804) 296-0372 | | Charlottesville, VA 22903-2475 VoiceMail: (804) 980-5889 | | "I don't believe in the no-win scenario" --- James T. Kirk | ========================================================================== From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Tue Aug 24 10:40:48 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] [nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil "^From:" nil nil nil]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA19912; Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:40:47 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA16683; Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:39:50 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA05073; Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:15:44 -0400 Message-Id: <199308241414.AA14135@lynx.astro.umd.edu> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: wls@astro.UMD.EDU (William L. Sebok) Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream Date: Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:15:44 -0400 pmurphy@orangutan.CV.NRAO.EDU (Pat Murphy) says: > I suspect what the previous poster was thinking of might have been > something analogous to the "file" command on unix systems. This command > identifies what it thinks is in a file based on a set of rules, and it > can be (and has been) extended to deal with, e.g. gif, jpg, etc files. > It would not take much to extend it further to check if the first 10 > bytes of the file are "SIMPLE = " (did I get the = in the right place?). Indeed we have the line: 0 string SIMPLE\040\040= FITS file in /etc/magic, the file that controls the behavior of the "file" command. Bill Sebok Univ. of Maryland, Astronomy Internet: wls@astro.umd.edu From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Tue Aug 24 10:50:07 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] [nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil "^From:" nil nil nil]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA19924; Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:50:06 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA16916; Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:48:31 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA05366; Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:39:55 -0400 Message-Id: <9308241440.AA17343@cfa165.harvard.edu.HARVARD.EDU> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: mink@cfa165.harvard.edu (Doug Mink) Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream Date: Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:39:55 -0400 A minor flaw in the use of "SIMPLE =" to detect FITS files is that it flags IRAF STF format header files as FITS files, too. -Doug Mink (mink@cfa.harvard.edu) Telescope Data Center Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Tue Aug 24 11:09:02 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] ["223" "Tue" "24" "August" "93" "10:50:24" "-0400" "Lucio Chiappetti" "lucio@ifctr.mi.cnr.it" nil "11" "Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream" "^From:" nil nil "8"]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA19930; Tue, 24 Aug 93 11:09:02 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA17113; Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:58:03 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA05527; Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:50:24 -0400 Message-Id: Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: Lucio Chiappetti Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream Date: Tue, 24 Aug 93 10:50:24 -0400 On Tue, 24 Aug 1993, Doug Mink wrote: > A minor flaw in the use of "SIMPLE =" to detect FITS files is that it > flags IRAF STF format header files as FITS files, too. What about "SIMPLE = T" ? From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Thu Aug 26 19:56:56 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] [nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil "^From:" nil nil nil]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA01432; Thu, 26 Aug 93 19:56:54 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA03108; Thu, 26 Aug 93 19:55:56 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA27319; Thu, 26 Aug 93 19:40:45 -0400 Message-Id: <9308262347.AA21654@as.arizona.edu> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: newberry@as.arizona.edu (Mike Newberry) Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream Date: Thu, 26 Aug 93 19:40:45 -0400 >From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Mon Aug 23 22:04:46 1993 Return-Path: Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by as.arizona.edu (4.1/1.2) id AA28513; Mon, 23 Aug 93 22:04:44 MST Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA03663; Tue, 24 Aug 93 01:02:57 -0400 Date: Tue, 24 Aug 93 01:02:57 -0400 Message-Id: <9308240502.AA19731@ns3.hq.eso.org> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: hmadorf@eso.org (Hans-Martin Adorf) To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream Status: R >> >> There is such an identifier already in place: the SIMPLE >> keyword. > >That is, as far as I can see, insufficient for self-identifying a >byte-stream as being a FITS file. It only specifies a particular >FITS-format. But simply reading the word "SIMPLE" as the first 6 bytes of the FITS file has to be as good as identifying a TIFF format file by reading the number "42" in ASCII as bytes 3 and 4 of the TIFF file, right? >> >> For those of us who use PC's running DOS, the use of a filename >> extension such as .FTS uses 3 of the precious 11 characters >> that we can use for file names. > >Fair enough. I could live with .FTS or .FIT (also used). My only other >comment would be: anyone who wants to do serious astronomy at the end of >the 20th century, should get hold of a professional computer. But MIRA running on a 486/33 or 486/66 runs a lot faster and more user friendly that IRAF running on a Sun Sparcstation. MIRA runs in 32-bit mode on a DOS-based system and can process enourmous images rapidly. I don't know if that's professional enough or not. MIRA is available from Axiom Research, Inc. here in Tucson, AZ. See advertisement in August 1993 Sky & Telescope magazine. From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Fri Aug 27 08:31:26 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] [nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil "^From:" nil nil nil]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA03461; Fri, 27 Aug 93 08:31:25 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA22708; Fri, 27 Aug 93 08:30:31 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA28919; Fri, 27 Aug 93 08:15:51 -0400 Message-Id: <9308271214.AA28889@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: warnock@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (Archie Warnock) Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Identification of a FITS byte stream Date: Fri, 27 Aug 93 08:15:51 -0400 So Mike Newberry sez to me: > But simply reading the word "SIMPLE" as the first 6 bytes of > the FITS file has to be as good as identifying a TIFF format file > by reading the number "42" in ASCII as bytes 3 and 4 of the > TIFF file, right? Right - and neither one is sufficient to identify the format to someone not already familiar with the format. _______________________________________________________________________ -- Archie Warnock Internet: warnock@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov -- Hughes STX "Unix --- JCL For The 90s" -- NASA/GSFC Project STELAR: WAIS to do science From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Wed Aug 11 10:14:05 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil t nil nil nil nil] ["667" "Wed" "11" "August" "93" "10:08:16" "-0400" "\"BARRY M. SCHLESINGER\"" "BSCHLESINGER@NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV" "<930811101048.21800715@NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV>" "12" "Postscript copy of FITS User's Guide available" "^From:" nil nil "8"]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA21692; Wed, 11 Aug 93 10:14:04 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA02811; Wed, 11 Aug 93 10:13:12 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA01540; Wed, 11 Aug 93 10:08:16 -0400 Message-Id: <930811101048.21800715@NSSDCA.GSFC.NASA.GOV> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: "BARRY M. SCHLESINGER" Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Postscript copy of FITS User's Guide available Date: Wed, 11 Aug 93 10:08:16 -0400 An exerimental PostScript copy of the User's Guide for FITS, commissioned by NASA Headquarters, and maintained by the NOST FITS Support Office, has been added to the anonymous ftp files in the FITS directory at nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov. This PostScript file was generated by capturing the Macintosh MS Word original in PostScript format. Although it has been tested on other systems and printers here, because of the well-known problems in converting Macintosh Word to portable PostScript, we do not know how portable it will prove. If you retrieve it, please notify the FITS Support Office (NCF::FITS or fits@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov) electronic mail of the result. From wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Wed Aug 11 13:20:15 1993 Status: RO X-VM-v5-Data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] ["180" "Wed" "11" "August" "93" "13:14:03" "-0400" "Don Wells" "dwells@fits.CV.NRAO.EDU " nil "9" "Re: Postscript copy of FITS User's Guide available" "^From:" nil nil "8"]) Return-Path: Received: from cv3.cv.nrao.edu by fits.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.5) id AA21845; Wed, 11 Aug 93 13:20:14 EDT Received: from Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov by cv3.cv.nrao.edu (4.1/DDN-DLB/1.13) id AA04748; Wed, 11 Aug 93 13:19:17 EDT Received: from localhost.gsfc.nasa.gov by Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (911016.SGI/1.35) id AA02711; Wed, 11 Aug 93 13:14:03 -0400 Message-Id: <9308111717.AA21839@fits.cv.nrao.edu> Comment: AAS Working Group for Astronomical Software Originator: wgas@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Errors-To: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov Reply-To: Version: 5.41 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas From: dwells@fits.CV.NRAO.EDU (Don Wells) Sender: wgas@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Postscript copy of FITS User's Guide available Date: Wed, 11 Aug 93 13:14:03 -0400 I printed it duplex (two-sided) on an HP LaserJet IIIsi printer. Thanks for providing this, Barry. It is a great advance. May I put a copy in /fits/documents/overviews ? -Don