HEAsoft 5.0, Patch 1

May 15, 2000

Summary of changes in the first patch to HEAsoft 5.0
----------------------------------------------------

XIMAGE - new version includes bug fixes and minor improvements.
      A complete list of changes is available at:
      http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xanadu/ximage/ximrel301.html

XSPEC - new version. A complete list of changes is attached below.
      Note 11.0c in particular - this is a silent bug which generates
      incorrect results when using fakeit none.

CFITSIO - updated library contains several new features: (1) will
      no longer allow compressed FITS files to be opened with write
      access, (2) modified configure file supports the egcs g77
      compiler, and (3) lexical parser supports a new #NULL constant
      which acts to set the corresponding value to null.

GHKDUMP (ASCA) - new version supports latest format of GIS HK files.

MKGISBGD (ASCA) - new version supports 128 channel GIS3 data.

TIMECONV, ASCALIN, and FASTTIME (ASCA)- these 3 ASCA tasks are rebuilt
      with the new CFITSIO library so that they cannot mistakenly
      operate on compressed FITS files.

ADDARF (CALTOOLS) - new version fixes bug which looks for NAXIS2 in
      the primary array instead of the binary table, increases maximum
      length of a filename to 255 chars, and increases the maximum
      number of files to 2500.

ADDRMF (CALTOOLS) - supports up to 2500 input files

RBNRMF (CALTOOLS) -  supports 255-character length file names 

FADDCOL (FUTILS) - supports longer column names

FLX2XSP (HEASARC) - fixes bug in the output diagonal response file

MATHPHA (HEASARC) - filenames beginning with a digit are allowed

XSELECT and EXTRACTOR (HEASARC) - fixes problem with annulus region
      files containing negative coordinate values.  Extractor also no
      longer writes illegal BLANK = -1 keyword in the primary header.
      When creating a new events file, extractor now checks for basic
      mission keywords in both the primary and events extension. This
      fixes a problem in BeppoSAX processing where the DATAMODE was
      being dropped.


DEADTIME (TIME) - no longer requires a EXTNAME keyword in the primary
      header, updates the exposure time in all HDUs, and fixes other
      minor keyword problems.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
The following bugs in XSPEC v11.0 are fixed in 11.0.1.

    11.0a     Xspec will SEGV and dump core if parameter linking
              expressions are entered in Reverse Polish Notation
              rather than Algebraic Notation.

    11.0b     The Xanadu/HEAsoft help system may cause a SEGV if
              help is entered twice during a session.

    11.0c     The fakeit command ignores auxiliary response files.

    11.0d     The fakeit command does not process correctly
              within a tcl script. See the updated documentation
              referred to in 11.0e for further information.

    11.0e     Methods for using xspec interactive commands such
              as model, fakeit, & newpar inside tcl procedures
              are not documented.

    11.0f     XSPEC will SEGV if an attempt is made to invoke a
              script using the "@" syntax within another script
              invoked with the "@" syntax

    11.0h     If a negative multiplicative factor is used to
              link parameters, e.g.
              XSPEC> newpar 2 = 3 * -2.5
              Then if the model is saved, the save file will
              read the factor back as an offset, not a
              multiplicative factor.
 
              N.B. Parameters with negative factors may be read
              back from the save file as "frozen." One may
              workaround this by thawing the parameter after
              restoring the model.
 
    11.0i     Invalid filename entered for table model causes
              SEGV
 
    11.0j     XSPEC does not recognize correct OGIP / 1992a
              files (as indicated by the PHAVERSN keyword) if
              the file is lacking the HDUCLASS keyword
 
    11.0k     There are updated data files available for the
              APEC model package (APEC v1.0).

    11.0l     Spurious scaling factors are generated when
              reading models back from "save" files.
 
    11.0m     XSPEC will SEGV if the character "@" is typed in
              on a line by itself.
 
    11.0n     XSPEC goes into infinite loop if an incorrect
              plotting device is entered.
 
    11.0o     The URL on the PGPLOT "splash" screen for the bugs
              page is out of date.
 
    11.0p     The entry prompt for response files in fakeit
              ignores files given by absolute paths.
 
    11.0q     tclout error sets $xspec_tclout to the lower limit and
              the best fit, not to the lower and upper limits.