Use and syntax of the parameter file

spimodfit can be used from the command line after preparing the input data. This modality is suggested for advanced use. A script spimodfit_rmfgen.csh is created to call spirmf for the adopted energy binning. The script should be run after spimodfit from the command line.

The parameters of the the program are defined in a file called spimodfit .par. This file should be readable in one of the directory set in the PFILES environment variable. Usually, the user updates the parameter file in the working directory, so one should set the variable accordingly : setenv PFILES .

The syntax of the file follows the IRAF standards (that is the one used by ISDC software). In this file, each parameter is described in the format :

parameter_name, parameter_type, parameter_mode, default_value, minimum_value,
maximum_value, description_prompt

The parameter_type can be ``b'' (boolean), ``i'' (integer), ``r'' (real), ``s'' (string) or ``f'' (filename). The ``f'' type can be followed by any combination of ``r'' (read access), ``w'' (write access), ``e'' (existence of file) ``n'' (absence of file). Thus, the ``fw'' type means to test whether the file given as a value of the parameter is writable.

The parameter_mode can be ``a'' (auto), ``h'' (hidden), ``q'' (query), ``hl'' (hidden+learn), ``ql'' (query+learn). With the ``a'' mode, the effective mode is set to the value of the parameter named as ``mode'' in the parameter file. If the ``mode'' parameter is not found, the effective mode is set to ``h''. With the ``h'' mode, no questions are asked, unless the default value is invalid for a given data type, whereas with the ``q'' mode you are always asked for a parameter. With the additional ``l'' mode, if an application changes a parameter value, the new value will be written to the parameter file when the application terminates.

spimodfit makes use of parameter types ``i'', ``r'' and ``s''.

Some of the parameters require to enter multiple arguments with the same parameters. This is done via a string which is then decomposed into different elements and interpreted. A multiple arguments parameter can be either a vector or a list :

• A vector is an array of values of the same kind (i.e. reals, integers, etc.), separated by blanks, for example : ``1100.5 1433.0 1500.0'' is a vector of 3 reals. This is a extension or the IRAF format coded in the OSA PIL library.

• A list is a array of values or fields (not necessary of the same kind) separated by commas. Sometimes an additional keyword can be put at the end of the list to modify its interpretation. For example : ``1785-1802, 1802-1815, 1815-1826 keV'' selects 3 energy ranges in keV. This possibility is a local extension of the IRAF standards.

Unless specified in the parameter description, all parameters are required to appear in the parameter file, even if their value is not used by the program.

Blank lines and lines beginning with '#' (comments) are ignored.