jpmcfarland / darma

A Data Access, Representation, and MAnipulation interface

DARMA

A Data Access, Representation, and MAnipulation interface using AstroPy/PyFITS for FITS input/ouput and NumPy for Array manipulation, adapted from ESO's Eclipse library Python interface and some of its C-code (http://www.eso.org/eclipse/).

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Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines the progenitor term 'dharma' from Hinduism & Buddhism as:

2a: the basic principles of cosmic or individual existence

Thus, DARMA objects access, represent, and manipulate the most basic form of information that the data can take.

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Author: John P. McFarland [email protected]

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This package provides a number of modules currently interfacing with the AstroPy.io.fits/PyFITS module to represent many forms of FITS data. The PyFITS module was developed by Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and provides an interface between FITS images and NumPy arrays. The AstroPy.io.fits module is a port of the PyFITS module by the AstroPy project. NumPy was also developed by STScI. For more information, see:

• http://www.astropy.org/
• http://www.stsci.edu/resources/software_hardware/pyfits
• http://www.numpy.org/

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This package provides the following modules:

          image: implements the image object with methods to process
                 2D FITS image data
        bitmask: An 8-bit structure to store up to 8 bitmasks
                 parallel with an image
           cube: a cube object is list of images with methods that
                 process stacks of images
         header: a FITS header object, resembling a dictionary
       pixelmap: a map of boolean pixel values indicating good/bad
                (1/0) data
         common: auxiliary data structures and constants
image_generator: Genenerate artificial data

Incomplete modules:

          table: a representation of a binary FITS table and
                 associated methods (currently limited to readonly)
         mosaic: a mosaic object is a set of images linked by a
                 common spatial layout (e.g., astrometry)

In addition the package provides:

        bitmask_test: unit tests for bitmask module
         common_test: unit tests for common module
           cube_test: unit tests for cube module
         header_test: unit tests for header module
image_generator_test: unit tests for image_generator module
          image_test: unit tests for image module
       pixelmap_test: unit tests for pixelmap module
         tables_test: unit tests for tables module

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