This is the command starconvert that can be run in the OnWorks free hosting provider using one of our multiple free online workstations such as Ubuntu Online, Fedora Online, Windows online emulator or MAC OS online emulator
PROGRAM:
NAME
starconvert - convert text data files to StarPlot format
SYNOPSIS
starconvert [ options ] spec-file input-file [ output-file ]
DESCRIPTION
Although many stellar data files are publicly available on the Internet from NASA and
other astronomical organizations, there is no set format for these files. The program
starconvert acts as a buffer between this confusion and the format in which StarPlot
requires data files. To do so, it uses a specification file that details how various
fields of stellar data (name, distance, right ascension, etc.) may be extracted from the
original data file.
On the StarPlot web site are available some packages of data that include both an original
data file from NASA, and also a specification file. These packages are referred to as
"data sets", from which starconvert can produce a data file in StarPlot format. For ease
of use, this should be done via the starpkg(1) shell script.
The starconvert command uses the specifications in spec-file to convert input-file to
StarPlot data format and writes the results to output-file if specified, or standard
output if not. The first two arguments are required. Exactly ONE may be replaced with a
dash `-' for reading from standard input.
OPTIONS
-- Signals the end of the options. This allows you to use a spec-file whose filename
begins with the '-' character.
--add-sun
Add an entry for the Sun to the generated StarPlot-format data file, if it is not
already present in the original raw data file. This is the default behavior, so
this flag has an effect only if it reverses an earlier --no-add-sun flag.
--no-add-sun
Do not add an entry for the Sun to the generated StarPlot-format data file, unless
it is present in the original raw data file. Adding the Sun is otherwise done by
default, since most star catalogs do not include it.
SPECIFICATION FILES
For detailed information on how to write a specification file, see the example file listed
below. Be aware that I expect to change the default format of starconvert spec files
after version 1.0, although starconvert will remain backwards-compatible.
Use starconvert online using onworks.net services
