IRAF Standards and Conventions

Clearly defined and consistently applied standards and conventions are essential in reducing the "number of degrees of freedom" which a user or programmer must deal with when using a large system. The IRAF system and applications software is being built in accord with the standards and conventions described in this document. These include system wide standards for data structures and files, standard coding practices, coding standards, and standards for documentation. Wherever possible, the IRAF project has adopted or adapted existing standards and conventions that are in widespread use in other systems. 333333333333333333 *Kitt Peak National Observatory is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under contract with the National Science Foundation.