[fitsbits] Start of the CONTINUE keyword Public Comment Period

[LC's NoSpam Newsreading account]

Before I disappear, I give some brief comments :

I think the material supplied to document the convention is clear enough 
(and the convention is sound and simple, although I remind everybody 
that inclusion in the Registry should NOT imply a discussion on the 
merit of a convention, but only on completeness of documentation, 
usefulness and actual use at one or more institution).

I do not think the issue of keyword ordering and repetition of a keyword 
with same name is an issue, considering the proposed modifications to 
the Standard, and the nature of "commentary" keyword of CONTINUE.

I am also pleased by the fact that this convention can be clearly 
spotted by a reader because of the presence of the "magic" string
LONGSTRN= 'OGIP 1.0'

So my only request for change is very formal. The explanatory document 
http://fits.gsfc.nasa.gov/registry/continue/continue_keyword.html is
correctly titled "CONTINUE *Long String* Keyword Convention"

I suggest this title (including the words *Long String*) be used even in 
higher level pages in the Registry instead of the shorter "CONTINUE 
Keyword Convention".

The convention is clearly documented to deal with long STRINGS "only" 
(not numeric valued keywords which somebody mentioned), and is not 
characterized *just by the presence* of the CONTINUE keywords.

But the specific ways it uses the CONTINUE keywords are flagged by
LONGSTRN= 'OGIP 1.0'.

So the proper name would be "CONTINUE *Long String* Keyword Convention" 
or "OGIP 1.0 *Long String* Keyword Convention"

(assuming one could develop e.g. a LONGSTRN= 'Erewhon University 7.3' 
which uses a different continuation mechanism)


Lucio Chiappetti - INAF IASF Milano

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