File I/O Routines

1

Open an existing FITS file with readonly or readwrite access

        FTOPEN(unit,filename,rwmode, > blocksize,status)

2

Open and initialize a new empty FITS file

        FTINIT(unit,filename,blocksize, > status)

3

Close a FITS file previously opened with ftopen or ftinit

        FTCLOS(unit, > status)

4

Move to a specified (absolute) HDU in the FITS file (nhdu = 1 for the FITS primary array)

        FTMAHD(unit,nhdu, > hdutype,status)

5

Create a primary array (if none already exists), or insert a new IMAGE extension immediately following the CHDU. Any following extensions will be shifted down to make room for the new extension. If there are no other following extensions then the new image extension will simply be appended to the end of the file. The new extension will become the CHDU.

        FTIIMG(unit,bitpix,naxis,naxes, > status)

6

Insert a new ASCII TABLE extension immediately following the CHDU. Any following extensions will be shifted down to make room for the new extension. If there are no other following extensions then the new table extension will simply be appended to the end of the file. The new extension will become the CHDU.

        FTITAB(unit,rowlen,nrows,tfields,ttype,tbcol,tform,tunit,extname, >
               status)

7

Insert a new binary table extension immediately following the CHDU. Any following extensions will be shifted down to make room for the new extension. If there are no other following extensions then the new bintable extension will simply be appended to the end of the file. The new extension will become the CHDU.

        FTIBIN(unit,nrows,tfields,ttype,tform,tunit,extname,varidat > status)