B
% @(#)createtcat.hlq	17.1.1.1 (ESO-IPG) 01/25/02 17:43:28 
%++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
%.COPYRIGHT  (c)  1990 European Southern Observatory
%.IDENT      createtcat.hlq
%.AUTHOR     KB, IPG/ESO
%.KEYWORDS   MIDAS, help files, CREATE/TCAT
%.PURPOSE    On-line help file for the command: CREATE/TCAT
%.VERSION    1.0  16-JAN-1990 : Creation, KB
%.VERSION    1.1  17-MAR-1992 : Update, KB
%----------------------------------------------------------------
\se
SECTION./TCAT
\es\co
CREATE/TCAT                                             14-JUL-1994  KB
\oc\su
CREATE/TCAT [catname] [dir_spec] [descr]
	create a catalog of tables in the current directory
\us\pu
Purpose: 
          Create a catalog of tables in the current directory.
\up\sy
Syntax:
          CREATE/TCAT [catname] [dir_spec] [descr]
\ys\pa
          catname = name of catalog, defaulted to `tcatalog.cat'
\ap\pa
          dir_spec = file specifications as used in the VMS `$ DIRECTORY'
              or UNIX `$ ls' command;
\\
              or table,label if the filenames are specified in a column of a 
              Midas table;
\\
              or file.ascii if the filenames are specified in the records of
              ASCII file file.ascii (i.e. the file type must be `.ascii')
\\
              if set to `NULL', the catalog is created without entries;
\\
              defaulted to `*.tbl'
\ap\pa
          descr = name of char. descr. used for the Ident field in the
              catalog records (you can sort the catalog according to the
              Ident field);
\\
              defaulted to IDENT
\ap\no
Note:  
          The file type of a MIDAS catalog is `.cat' . The catalog contains
          for each table frame an entry with:
\\
          sequence no., name, Nocols, Norows
\\
          The catalog `xyz' is updated automatically by the system, if the
          catalog is the currently active table catalog (use the command
          "SET/TCAT xyz" to do that). I.e. creating a new table will also
          add a new entry to the catalog, whereas the command ADD/TCAT has to
          be used explicitly to add an entry to any other table catalog.
\\
          A table can then be accessed either via its name or via \#NO ,
          where NO is its sequence number (if it's in the currently active
          table catalog), resp. via \#NO_catname, where NO is its sequence
          number in the table catalog catname.
\\
          Use the command CREATE/TCAT whenever your catalog does not
          reflect the actual directory because you executed some operating
          system commands like `$ COPY' (for VMS) or `$cp ' (for Unix) !
\\
          The no. of entries in the new table catalog will be displayed and
          also stored in the integer keyword OUTPUTI(10).
\\
          With the command STORE/FRAME you can loop over a catalog in a Midas
          procedure in a straight forward way.
\on\sa
See also: 
          READ/TCAT, SET/TCAT, CLEAR/TCAT, SHOW/TCAT, DELETE/TCAT
\\
          ADD/TCAT, SUBTRACT/TCAT, SORT/TCAT, SEARCH/TCAT, PRINT/TCAT
\\
          CREATE/ICAT, CREATE/FCAT, CREATE/ACAT
\\
          STORE/FRAME, @a catalsync
\as\exs
Examples:
\ex
          CREATE/TCAT
            Create the table catalog `tcatalog.cat' with entries for all
            table files with filetype `.tbl' in your current directory. Use
            descriptor IDENT for the Ident field of the catalog.
\xe\ex
          CREATE/TCAT torreon null
            Create the table catalog `torreon.cat' with initially no entries;
            entries may be filled via the ADD/TCAT command later on
\xe\ex
          CREATE/TCAT mazatlan n*.tbl
            Create the table catalog `mazatlan.cat' with entries for all table
            files matching n*.tbl, e.g. n.tbl, n123.tbl net.tbl ...
\xe\ex
          CREATE/TCAT mazatlan n*.tbl TLABL001
            As above, but use char. descr TLABL001 (i.e. the label of the
            first table column) for the Ident field of the catalog.
\xe\ex
          CREATE/TCAT juarez matamoros,:files
            Create the table catalog `juarez.cat' with entries for all table
            files stored in column :files of table `matamoros.tbl'.
\xe\ex
          create/tcat guadalajara n*.tbl,z*
            Create the table catalog `guadalajara.cat' with entries for all
            table files matching n*.tbl and z* .
\xe \sxe