Appendix A

ASCII File Format (*.LST)

• You can create your own ASCII data files using a spreadsheet (e.g., Lotus 1-2-3(r) and printing to a file, with a name that ends in a *.LST suffix. Use FILE IMPORT to use the file, and "SAVE AS" to create a *.CHV binary file.
• The following fields are separated by "/":
  • Place Name;
  • Star Name;
  • Distance to Earth in light-years;
  • Spectral Type;
  • Mass (as a ratio of our sun's);
  • Constellation;
  • Notes; and
  • (x,y,z) Equatorial System Coordinates in light-years from Earth.
• Each line is a record of field data on a star, or some other celestial object. Example: Earth/Sol/0.00/G2/1.00/(no constellation)/Sun, 9planets/0.00,0.00,0.00
• In a spreadsheet, you will establish columns of a certain width. Printing to a file will result in unnecessary blank spaces within fields. Moreover, printing to an ascii file may result in blank lines between groups of records. While the initial FILE-IMPORT of such an *.LST file will be relatively slow, FILE-SAVE it using CHVIEW as an *.LST file and the blanks will be removed, speeding up file uploading.
• FILE-SAVE your *.LST file using SAVE AS *.CHV to gain even more efficiency in file loading and to enable and save certain features of CHVIEW (e.g., routes) that require a binary data structure.
• Refer to the INSTRUCTIONS and GLOSSARY above for more specific details (e.g., using CHVIEW features, sizing stars, or spectral types.