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diff --git a/math/README b/math/README new file mode 100644 index 00000000..57e8f2af --- /dev/null +++ b/math/README @@ -0,0 +1,20 @@ + +The IRAF math library provides a collection of general purpose numerical +routines for use in scientific applications programs. This library is +continually growing as we collect numerical packages from around the country. + +At present the library is just a collection of untested routines from various +sources. As time goes on, these routines will be edited to conform to a +standard which has not yet been developed. The standard is expected to provide +for different classes of routines, according to how well the routines have +been integrated into the system and tested. The standard for the math library +will affect programming style, naming conventions, documentation, and the +subset of Fortran which portable library routines are expected to comply with. + +A fundamental part of the standard is that math library routines should not do +i/o. Some of the otherwise numerical routines in these directories print +error messages when an error occurs, using Fortran i/o. This is bad because +Fortran i/o is not used elsewhere in the IRAF system, and because it is +preferable for a numerical routine to return an error code in the event of an +error. Before these codes are used in IRAF applications programs, this will +have to be fixed. |