Standard Data Files

[zzt@ornl.gov (Jon Tischler)]

At the beam line controls meeting on Friday May 27 (after the APS users
meeting), I apparently became chairman of the standard data file
sub-committee.  This occurred after I had presented a proposal for such a
standard.  The proposed format (which was included in the information
packet that everyone at the meeting received) is clearly incomplete and it
also needs to be examined by other people; a standard needs wide agreement
and support to be of any use.  So, this is a call for two things:

1)  Anyone who has an interest in being on the standard data file
subcommittee should send me an email indicating interest.

2)  Those who have a draft copy of the standard, please read it with an eye
for the following:
Which parts of proposal are unclear.
Can it store your data.
What information do you need to store that is not covered by the standard.
Do entry_analysis and entry_intent need additional values (Appendix A).
Are there other SDS names that need to be officially predefined (Appendix B).
Do more SDS attributes need to be officially predefined (Appendix C).
What other examples should be described (Appendix E).


I already know of a number of things that I would like to add, these
include a method for defining default attributes and definitions for
describing beam polarization and applied magnetic fields.  Now is the time
to make your voice heard; after people start writing programs to write and
read files is too late.


Along with this standard, I would like to include a few extra predefined
names that will make this data file usable for neutron scattering.  I have
discussed this with some of the neutron scattering people here at Oak
Ridge, and we both agree that a common data format should prove beneficial
to both communities, due to the similarity between neutron and x-ray
scattering data.  The few additions necessary to support neutron scattering
data should not be apparent to the x-ray user (or programmer).

Jon Tischler, UNI-CAT



Jon Tischler                                        Solid State Division
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