[fitsbits] Proposed Changes to the FITS Standard

This is to announce the start of the public comment period on proposed
changes to update and clarify the "FITS Standard" format definition
document. The last major revision to this document was made in 1998 -
1999, so it is due for for an update to reflect changes that have
occurred since then.

These proposed changes have been recommended by a small technical panel
that was appointed by the IAU FITS Working Group in early 2007. This
panel has produced 3 documents that describe the proposed changes:

1. A short (9 page) summary of the main recommendations.

2. A color coded "differences" document (137 pages) that shows
most of the changes in detail.

3. A draft of the new Standard document (version 3.0, 125 pages) as
it would appear if all these changes are accepted.

This material is now available for public review and comment via links
on the FITS Support Office home page at

http://fits.gsfc.nasa.gov

No radical changes to the FITS format are being proposed, but some of
the proposals do modify basic FITS requirements or recommendations. We
urge that everyone who uses or is interested in the future of the FITS
format should at least read the summary document.

Please post any comments, suggestions, or concerns regarding these
proposals (or any other suggestions for improving the Standard document)
here on the FITSBITS email list, or on the associated sci.astro.fits
newsgroup. Comments may also be submitted to any member of the FITS
technical panel that produced these recommendations (listed below).

This public comment period will remain open at least until the end of
September 2007. It is anticipated that these proposals will also be
discussed during a session at the ADASS meeting in London, September 23
- 26. These proposals will likely be revised in response to the
comments that are received. Eventually, it is expected that the
regional FITS committees, and the IAU FITS Working Group, will formally
consider adopting the proposed changes.


The FITS Technical Panel,

William D. Pence (Chair), NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center
Lucio Chiappetti, IASF Milano, INAF, Italy
Clive G. Page, University of Leicester, UK
Richard Shaw, National Optical Astronomical Obs
Elizabeth Stobie, University of Arizona

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__________________________________________________ __________________
Dr. William Pence
NASA/GSFC Code 662 HEASARC +1-301-286-4599 (voice)
Greenbelt MD 20771 +1-301-286-1684 (fax)

Bill, one incompatible change I see is that the EXTEND keyword is no
longer mandatory. I am aware of several IDL FITS libraries which
follow the existing standard and require the presence of the EXTEND
keyword before extensions will be examined. These libraries would no
longer function as-is if the EXTEND keyword became optional.

Also, the summary mentions an "Appendix E" about time standards, but
shouldn't this be Appendix B?

Craig Markwardt

Craig Markwardt wrote:

Also, the summary mentions an "Appendix E" about time standards, but
shouldn't this be Appendix B?


Yes. This has now been fixed in the version of the document available
from the FITS Support Office web site.

Bill Pence