KAPPA format STL

CURSA also supports a variant of the STL format which allows STL catalogues to inter-operate with applications in the KAPPA image processing package (see SUN/95[5]).

The KAPPA variant of the STL format is very similar to the standard form but a `#' character is used instead of an `!' to introduce comments and the lines defining columns, parameters etc. begin with `#C ', `#P ' etc. respectively. The KAPPA variant versions are listed in full in Table .

Table: Items in a KAPPA format STL

KAPPA variant	Standard form	Description
#	!	Comment
#C	C	Column
#P	P	Parameter
#T	T	Textual information
#D	D	Directive
#:	:	Continuation
#BEGINTABLE	BEGINTABLE	Start of table

A `#' used to introduce a comment must be followed by at least one blank space. Currently null values are not permitted in the table of values for a KAPPA format STL. In all other respects a KAPPA format STL behaves like a standard one. Blank lines are permitted in a KAPPA format STL description.

KAPPA format STLs have the same file types as standard ones: .TXT or .txt. In fact the standard and KAPPA forms can be mixed freely in an input STL catalogue, though I do not recommend that you do this because the result looks rather untidy.

By default CURSA writes standard STLs. It can be made to write a KAPPA format STL by appending `KAPPA' inside curly brackets after the name of the file²¹. For example, to write a KAPPA format STL called perseus.TXT you would specify:

perseus.TXT{KAPPA}

`KAPPA' may be abbreviated down to just `K' and may be given in either case. Also the closing curly bracket is optional. An example KAPPA format STL is available in file:

/star/share/cursa/kappa.TXT