sexagesimal

[Roy Williams]

On Sep 16, 2006, at 6:09 PM, Tom McGlynn wrote:

> There are lots of perfectly readable coordinates that would flunk  
> and are used in the literature.

Well then they are not compliant. I just want to know if there is a  
serious momentum to clean up the sexg mess. Am I the only person who  
thinks it's a mess? If so, then I will be happy to forget about it.

> Anywhere we have coordinates
> (especially coordinate pairs) we are very likely to see target
> names as well -- by design or because of user error.

So you try to parse out six numbers. If you don't, then you see if it  
is an object name. But your statement of how to parse sexg is long,  
complex and fluffy. But in the end, can you parse 23".54, which is  
what they did back when I learned this stuff? But my parsing is  
simple (also for Micol scheme), and can be explained in ten words or  
so -- "six numbers separated by non-digits". I want to know if the  
IVOA has the will to voluntarily simplify, see if they see enough  
benefit.

"If we can do this one thing, if we can clean up sexagesimal formats,  
then all the VO money has been well spent!" -- Johannes Kepler*

Roy

(*) Kepler did not say this

California Institute of Technology
626 395 3670

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