|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
[fitsbits] Blank strings in FITS keywords.
Here's a little FITS lawyer nit.
Section 5.2.1 of the FITS standards document notes that KEYWORD1= '' is distinct from KEYWORD1= ' ' However I am unclear as to whether either of these are distinct from KEYWORD1= ' ' (where there are at least 8 blanks between the quotes). The first two examples clearly use the free format for the headers, but the third example could be in the fixed format. Since a fixed format line cannot have fewer than 8 characters in a character string header value, a sequence of 8 blanks is the only way to specify these strings in the format that that standard recommends people use. Since one is allowed to intermix free and fixed format cards in the header there is no context that can tell you which format the card is in. So it looks like Example 1 EQV example 3 Example 2 EQV example 3 but Example 1 NOT EQV example 2. Is this true? If so I think this may be the only example where this is the case and seems a little inelegant to me. Probably too late to change but it might have been better to have the first two examples equivalent too. Not a big issue, but it actually has come up in practice! Regards, Tom McGlynn |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Life and The Universe | lifehealer | History | 8 | February 2nd 04 08:36 PM |
[fitsbits] BLANK keyword misinterpretation | Steve Allen | FITS | 4 | November 21st 03 04:42 PM |