STL

File types: .TXT .txt

Mixed capitalisations, such as .Txt, are also supported.

CURSA can read and write catalogues in the STL (Small Text List) format. Unlike the other formats which CURSA can access the STL format is specific to CURSA. Nonetheless the STL format exists in order to allow easy access to both private tables and versions of standard catalogues held as text files. It is usually straightforward to create an STL catalogue from a text file containing a private list or standard catalogue.

In the STL format both the table of values for the catalogue and the definitions of its columns, parameters etc. are held in simple ASCII text files. These files may be created and modified with a text editor. The information defining the catalogue is called the description of the catalogue and the file in which it is held is called the description file.

When you specify a small text list you give the name of the description file. The table of values comprising the catalogue may either be in the same file as the description or in a separate file. If the table of values occurs in a separate file then the name of this file is specified in the description file and CURSA places no restrictions on this name other than those imposed by the host operating system.

Appendix  is a simple tutorial introduction to STL descriptions. The basic format is described in full in Appendix . In addition to the basic STL format there is a variant which allows STL format files to inter-operate with applications in the KAPPA image processing package (see SUN/95[5]). This variant is described in Appendix .

CURSA can read STL format catalogues with either a free format or a fixed-format table of values. However, CURSA can only write STL format catalogues with a free format table. The KAPPA variant of the STL may be both read and written.

As its name implies, the Small Text List format is intended for use with relatively small catalogues and it is unsuitable for very large catalogues. Currently there is no upper limit to the size of catalogue for which it can be used. However, if you attempt to read a catalogue containing more than 15,000 rows a warning message is issued. A large STL format catalogue may take a while to open for reading and CURSA may be unable to access a very large STL catalogue²⁰.