Contents

• Introduction
  • A Brief Overview
  • Sources of FITS Software and Information
  • Acknowledgements
  • Legal Stuff
  
  
• Creating the CFITSIO Library
  • Building the Library
    • Unix Systems
    • VMS
    • Windows PCs
    • Macintosh PCs
  • Testing the Library
  • Linking Programs with CFITSIO
  • Getting Started with CFITSIO
  • Example Program
  
  
• A FITS Primer
• Programming Guidelines
  • CFITSIO Definitions
  • Current Header Data Unit (CHDU)
  • Function Names and Variable Datatypes
  • Support for Unsigned Integers
  • Dealing with Character Strings
  • Implicit Data Type Conversion
  • Data Scaling
  • Support for IEEE Special Values
  • Error Status Values and the Error Message Stack
  • Variable-Length Arrays in Binary Tables
  • Multiple Access to the Same FITS File
  • When the Final Size of the FITS HDU is Unknown
  • CFITSIO Size Limitations
  
  
• Basic CFITSIO Interface Routines
  • CFITSIO Error Status Routines
  • FITS File Access Routines
  • HDU Access Routines
  • Header Keyword Read/Write Routines
    • Keyword Reading Routines
    • Keyword Writing Routines
  • Primary Array or IMAGE Extension I/O Routines
  • Image Compression
  • ASCII and Binary Table Routines
    • Column Information Routines
    • Routines to Edit Rows or Columns
    • Read and Write Column Data Routines
    • Row Selection and Calculator Routines
  • Utility Routines
    • File Checksum Routines
    • Date and Time Utility Routines
    • General Utility Routines
  
  
• The CFITSIO Iterator Function
  • The Iterator Work Function
  • The Iterator Driver Function
  • Guidelines for Using the Iterator Function
  • Complete List of Iterator Routines
  
  
• Celestial Coordinate System Routines
  • Self-contained WCS Routines
  • WCS Routines that require the WCS library
  
  
• Hierarchical Grouping Routines
  • Grouping Table Routines
  • Group Member Routines
  
  
• Specialized CFITSIO Interface Routines
  • FITS File Access Routines
  • HDU Access Routines
  • Specialized Header Keyword Routines
    • Header Information Routines
    • Read and Write the Required Keywords
    • Write Keyword Routines
    • Insert Keyword Routines
    • Read Keyword Routines
    • Modify Keyword Routines
    • Update Keyword Routines
  • Define Data Scaling and Undefined Pixel Parameters
  • Specialized FITS Primary Array or IMAGE Extension I/O Routines
  • Specialized FITS ASCII and Binary Table Routines
    • General Column Routines
    • Low-Level Table Access Routines
    • Write Column Data Routines
    • Read Column Data Routines
  
  
• Extended File Name Syntax
  • Overview
  • Filetype
    • Notes about the root filetype
    • Notes about the shmem filetype:
  • Base Filename
  • Output File Name when Opening an Existing File
  • Template File Name when Creating a New File
  • Image Tile-Compression Specification
  • HDU Location Specification
  • Image Section
  • Column and Keyword Filtering Specification
  • Row Filtering Specification
    • General Syntax
    • Vector Columns
    • Good Time Interval Filtering
    • Spatial Region Filtering
    • Example Row Filters
  • Binning or Histogramming Specification
  
  
• Template Files
  • Detailed Template Line Format
  • Auto-indexing of Keywords
  • Template Parser Directives
  • Formal Template Syntax
  • Errors
  • Examples
  
  
• Local FITS Conventions
  • 64-Bit Long Integers
  • Long String Keyword Values.
  • Arrays of Fixed-Length Strings in Binary Tables
  • Keyword Units Strings
  • HIERARCH Convention for Extended Keyword Names
  • Tile-Compressed Image Format
  
  
• Optimizing Programs
  • How CFITSIO Manages Data I/O
  • Optimization Strategies
  
  
• Index of Routines
• Parameter Definitions
• CFITSIO Error Status Codes