[fitsbits] Storing PDF and other graphics binary files in FITS {External}

[William Pence]

How would one view the PDF file if it is imbedded inside a FITS binary table?  Would users find it more convenient to distribute ancillary data like this as separate files where they can be directly accessed alongside the primary FITS file.

Bill

> On Mar 15, 2026, at 12:26 PM, jaffe via fitsbits <fitsbits at listmgr.nrao.edu> wrote:
> 
> For an interferometric application I am storing the binary data in the so-called OI-FITS convention of FITS.  But on the side I am generating rather complicated graphics files for my users, in this case in PDF.  I would like to store the .pdf file as a table in the same FITS file.  Is there a conventional way of doing this?  I could create a 1 row binary table with the entire PDF file as the single column, but this could be several megabytes and might bother some reading or writing routines.
> 
> Is there any need to create a "GRAPHICS" extension to FITS?
> 
> Walter
> 
> _______________________________________________
> fitsbits mailing list
> fitsbits at listmgr.nrao.edu
> https://listmgr.nrao.edu/mailman/listinfo/fitsbits