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User Interface

Both IRAF and ZODIAC are command-line based systems. Common user-level features include: Features particular to IRAF include: Features particular to ZODIAC include:

From a user point of view, IRAF is substantially more powerful and robust than ZODIAC. The presentation of each task in a standard parameter system and the organization of tasks into packages based upon function are extremely useful, given the large numbers of tasks in these systems. (However, search routines, such as the APROPOS task, are still necessary, as in UNIX.) The lack of image header information in ZODIAC is a major problem, especially as space-based observatories proliferate and ground-based instruments and telescopes become more complex. The ability of ZODIAC to mathematically manipulate multi-dimensional data (e.g., a=b+c, where a, b, and c have arbitrary dimensions) is much more intuitive than the IMEXPR and IMARITH tasks.


next up previous
Next: Programming Interface Up: Features of IRAF and Previous: Features of IRAF and
Patrick Shopbell
8/7/1997