[QUANTITY] : Java Quantity Data Model package available

[Brian Thomas]

	Hi all,

	Over the summer I have taken some time to put together a Java-based
	package for the Quantity. The serialization, as you might expect, is in
	XML, and it is capable of handling a great many different tentative 
	serializations for the Quantity.

	The main package is "VO-QDM" (Virtual observatory Quantity Data Model)
	and is built on top of a science-neutral Quantity package called "QML"
	(Quantity Modeling Language). In order to get the vo-qdm package to
	work, you will need to download and install the QML package as well.

	I have made this easy, by dumping all of the products to a single directory
	for easy access. Go to :

	http://nvo.gsfc.nasa.gov/QuantityDataModel/Java

	and you will find the various components there. Each distribution requires
	ANT to built (directions for downloading and installation exist) and has
	the option for building doxygen documentation as well. IF you don't want
	to built the projects, the jar files are also in the above directory.

	I have used this package to extend the Quantity to hold catalog and spectral
	data (Simple spectral model). I hope to release mini-packages which build
	upon the VO-QDM in the near future to illustrate further how the quantity
	may be used.


	Best regards to all,

	=b.t.

-- 

  * Dr. Brian Thomas 

  * Dept of Astronomy/University of Maryland-College Park 
  * Code 630.1/Goddard Space Flight Center-NASA

  *   fax: (301) 286-1775
  * phone: (301) 286-6128 [GSFC]
           (301) 405-2312 [UMD]