Subject: string arrays

From: leb at Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (Lee E. Brotzman)
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1992 16:01:59 GMT

I guess I should have quoted more of my original message.  My original intent
in proposing a general convention for a suffix was to introduce something
approaching an "object" into FITS.  The objections like "that's just a 2-d
array" strengthen my feelings that the FITS implementors are too absorbed
in "bit" descriptions and not "data" descriptions.  It's not a 2-dimensional
array, it's a one dimensional array of objects consisting of multiple members.
Granted, the notatation I offered is very shallow compared to the much more
advanced data description languages already in exisitance, but it would be at
least a humble start and about all that FITS could handle at present.

Oh well, all I wanted was some discussion, and it was quite one-sided against
the idea, so I'll drop it.  However, the FITS community should really start to
consider the fact that there are a growing set of powerful, object-oriented
data description languages out there, Object Description Language (ODL) and
Abstract Syntax Notation 1 (ASN.1), just to name two.  Perhaps the scientists
that the software developers are supposed to be supporting would be better
served if they had access to data description tools that allowed them to
concentrate on what the data is more than what it looks like internally.

Just a thought.  I'll get off the soapbox, now.

--
-- Lee E. Brotzman                    Internet:  leb at hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov
-- Hughes STX                         DECNET:    NDADSA::BROTZMAN
-- National Space Science Data Center BITNET:    ZMLEB at SCFMVS
-- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

---

From: warnock at Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (Archie Warnock)
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1992 18:36:52 GMT

In article <leb.709920119 at Hypatia>, leb at Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (Lee E. Brotzman) writes:
|> approaching an "object" into FITS.  The objections like "that's just a 2-d
|> array" strengthen my feelings that the FITS implementors are too absorbed
|> in "bit" descriptions and not "data" descriptions.  It's not a 2-dimensional
|> array, it's a one dimensional array of objects consisting of multiple members.

|> Oh well, all I wanted was some discussion, and it was quite one-sided against
|> the idea, so I'll drop it.  However, the FITS community should really start to

Well, it wasn't all one-sided.  Objects are something worth working
towards.  I never cease to be amazed at how the astronomical community
seems to believe science only moves forward in astronomy.  Someday,
we'll have to realize that useful things have happened in other fields
in the last 20 years.  Computer science has lots of improvements to
offer.  How many astronomers are still using Bevington as their primary
statistics reference, pretending that nothing useful has been
contributed to the literature in the 25 years since he wrote his book?

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Archie Warnock                   Internet:  warnock at hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov
-- Hughes STX                       "Unix --- JCL For The 90s"
-- NASA/GSFC