[Nexus-developers] [Nexus] NeXus API 4.0.0

[Rudi Cilibrasi, Ph.D.]

Agreed, it seems an excellent release.  However, I would also
ask if the name itself for the library is "set in stone"? Unfortunately,
there is another scientific data format called the "Nexus" file format
and it is used in bioinformatics. You can read about it here:

http://awcmee.massey.ac.nz/spectronet/nexus.html

The confusing part is that the other Nexus file format has an
extendable block format.  It can very well be misunderstood to contain
an X-Ray or other radiation type data block.  It already contains many
other data block types and so this will probably continue to be a source
of confusion for all newcomers to either file format potentially, since
most people type nexus into the search box anyway both results come
up intermingled and thus suggesing that the two libraries are the same
format when in fact they are totally unrelated.

The bioinformatics Nexus format has been around about 10 years now I think.
I just
checked the NeXus mailing lists and noticed that that use of the term has
also
been around for about 10 years, so I'm not sure which use came first  So
probably eventually
one of the two file formats will need to change names I think; otherwise
there will be no end of confusion due to the similarity between
Nexus
and
NeXus
and the confusing similarity of scientific file format domains.

I look forward to any ideas for resolution of this problem.  Best regards,

Rudi

On 5/26/07, Ray Osborn <ROsborn at anl.gov> wrote:
>
> On 2007/05/25 8:27, "Nick Maliszewskyj" <nickm at nist.gov> wrote:
>
> > The NeXus technical committee is pleased to announce the official
> > release of version 4.0 of the NeXus API. The NeXus API provides a
> > unified interface for writing hierarchical data files in HDF4, HDF5,
> > and XML formats. Version 4.0 resolves a number of bugs reported in the
> > 3.0 release by providing updated makefiles, support for the gfortran
> > compiler, and an improved test suite.
>
> Congratulations for all the work done in getting this release out - I
> think
> it's been a very well conducted process.  Could I put in a plea though
> that
> someone updates the documentation on the API wiki page to include the new
> routines?
>
> Obviously not until after the Memorial Day (or Whitsun or Pfingsten...)
> holiday.
>
> Have a great weekend,
> Ray
> --
> Dr Ray Osborn                Tel: +1 (630) 252-9011
> Materials Science Division   Fax: +1 (630) 252-7777
> Argonne National Laboratory  E-mail: ROsborn at anl.gov
> Argonne, IL 60439-4845
>
>
>
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>



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