[fitsbits] 64-bit integers

[William Pence]

A page has been added to the FITS Support Office web site to collect and 
summarize various information about the proposal to add 64-bit integer 
support to FITS.  The URL is

         http://fits.gsfc.nasa.gov/fits_64bit.html

It contains:

  - a description of the proposal, including a detailed mark-up of
    all the sections in the FITS Standard that would need to be
    modified if it were officially approved by the FITS committees

  - a brief history of the proposal

  - a sample FITS file containing 64-bit integer values

  - a list of software packages that already support all or part
    of the proposal

Please let me know of any suggestions for improving this web page.

I encourage anyone who has an interest in this issue of adding 64-bit 
integer support to FITS to post your comments here on FITSBIT (or the 
mirrored sci.astro.fits newsgroup).  This will enable the IAU FITS Working 
Group to gauge whether the proposal now has enough general support within 
the FITS user community to justify beginning the official review and 
approval process that is needed to make this proposal part of the FITS Standard.


Bill Pence
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____________________________________________________________________
Dr. William Pence                          William.D.Pence at nasa.gov
NASA/GSFC Code 662         HEASARC         +1-301-286-4599 (voice)
Greenbelt MD 20771                         +1-301-286-1684 (fax)