[fitsbits] structurally compliant FITS

[Mark Calabretta]

On Mon, 29 Jun 2015 12:09:40 -0400
Erik Bray <embray at stsci.edu> wrote:

Erik,

> > As you suggest, inheritance would better be implemented in such a way
> > that ignoring it causes an error.  However, that would probably require
> > creating new syntax, and that's not something that conventions can do.
> 
> Sounds more and more like this is best left out of the standard then.  If 
> anything I would add an admonition that conventions that try to implement a 
> specific hierarchical data model on the standard are best left as local (but 
> documented, please) conventions :)

I believe FITS needs constructs such as INHERIT and the Green Bank
convention, the latter of which I have used myself.

However, I don't believe it's necessarily good enough simply to graft
existing conventions onto the standard without change, as a way of
legitimising past practice.

Regards,
Mark Calabretta