idlastro / FITS Binary Table Extensions I/O: FXBINTABLE

[Source code]

NAME
FXBINTABLE
Purpose
Common block FXBINTABLE used by "FXB" routines.
Explanation
This is not an IDL routine as such, but contains the definition of the
common block FXBINTABLE for inclusion into other routines.  By defining
the common block in one place, the problem of conflicting definitions
is avoided.
This file is included into routines that need this common block with
the single line (left justified)
                          @fxbintable
FXBINTABLE contains the following arrays:
        LUN     = An array of logical unit numbers of currently (or
                  previously) opened binary table files.
        STATE   = Array containing the state of the FITS files
                  associated with the logical unit numbers, where
                  0=closed, 1=open for read, and 2=open for write.
        HEAD    = FITS binary table headers.
        MHEADER = Array containing the positions of the first data byte
                  of the header for each file referenced by array LUN.
        NHEADER = Array containing the positions of the first data byte
                  after the header for each file referenced by array
                  LUN.
        NAXIS1  = Values of NAXIS1 from the binary table headers.
        NAXIS2  = Values of NAXIS2 from the binary table headers.
        TFIELDS = Values of TFIELDS from the binary table headers.
        HEAP    = The start of the first byte of the heap area
                  for variable length arrays.
        DHEAP   = The start of the first byte of the next variable
                  length array, if writing.
        BYTOFF  = Byte offset from the beginning of the row for each
                  column in the binary table headers.
        TTYPE   = Values of TTYPE for each column in the binary table
                  headers.
        FORMAT  = Character code formats of the various columns.
        IDLTYPE = IDL type code for each column in the binary table
                  headers.
        N_ELEM  = Number of elements for each column in the binary
                  table headers.
        TSCAL   = Scale factors for the individual columns.
        TZERO   = Zero offsets for the individual columns.
        MAXVAL  = For variable length arrays, contains the maximum
                  number of elements for each column in the binary
                  table headers.
        N_DIMS  = Number of dimensions, and array of dimensions for
                  each column of type string in the binary table
                  headers.
Category
Data Handling, I/O, FITS, Generic.
Prev. Hist.
William Thompson, Feb 1992.
Written
William Thompson, GSFC, February 1992.
Modified
Version 1, William Thompson, GSFC, 12 April 1993.
        Incorporated into CDS library.
Version 2, William Thompson, GSFC, 21 July 1993.
        Added DHEAP variable to fix bug with variable length arrays.
Version
Version 2, 21 July 1993.