Ascii databases

[npr@jach.hawaii.edu (Nick Rees)]

I have started looking at Marty's new ascii database software and, on
the whole, I like it a lot. However, I don't like the path construct -
it seems restrictive and, in particular, it depends on the ascii files
staying in the same relationship in the directory structure to work. If
I move my code around I don't want to have to edit it to get it to
work.

At a bare minimum I suggest that dbAsciiExpand take at least one
option, -I <path>, and its behaviour be identical to that of the C
precompiler. (If you hadn't used # as a comment character I would have
suggested using the precompiler itself). Like for the precompiler, the
-I option should be able to be repeated a number of times to build up a
list of search paths.

This will allow application environments to build a database
construction rule similar to normal compilation rules for C include
files. (This is something we know how to do and know works...)

I have had a brief look at the code and I feel that it can't be that
difficult to do, but of course Marty might enlighten me on this :-).

Comments anyone?

Nick Rees

Joint Astronomy Centre                    Ph:       +1 (808) 961-3756
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Hilo, HI.  96720                          Internet: npr@jach.hawaii.edu