Second example

Figure  is an example of a more complicated description file for an STL catalogue. This example is available as file:

/star/share/cursa/complex.TXT

It is basically similar to the description file for the small text list in Figure , but with the differences listed below.

Figure: A more complicated STL description file

• Here the `position' of each column (the third item of information given for each column) is not a simple sequence number, but rather is the position of the first character associated with the column in each record of the table (starting counting at one). The directive POSITION=CHARACTER indicates that positions are specified in this way. This option is particularly useful for reading existing fixed-format files. If a fixed-format STL is being read then a format must be specified for each column using either TBLFMT or EXFMT. Similarly, if a sexagesimal angle in hours or degrees is being read from a fixed-format STL then the total width of the column must be appended to the units of HOURS or DEGREES specified for the TBLFMT item.

• Column FLUX is a four-element vector. Vector columns are defined using the usual CURSA notation: appending the number of elements in the vector, enclosed in square brackets (`[]'), after the column name.

• The details specified for FLUX are continued on a second line. If the first non-blank character in a line is a colon (` :') then the line continues the definition on the previous line. The colon must be followed by at least one space. An arbitrary number of continuation lines are allowed.

• The lines beginning with `T' are lines of textual information associated with the catalogue. They are processed by CURSA in the order in which they appear. Note that the `T' must be followed by at least one space.

• The lines beginning with `D' define additional directives associated with the catalogue (see Section ). There must be at least one space following the `D'. In the example each directive occurs on its own line. However, an arbitrary number can be included on a single line, if required (though if more than one are included on a line they must be separated by one or more spaces). Note also the use of in-line comments in these lines; the text to the right of the exclamation marks is a comment and is ignored.

  FILE is the name and directory specification of the file holding the table of values comprising the catalogue. It is expressed using the syntax of the host operating system and there are no restrictions on it other than those imposed by the host operating system.