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Using the Batch Interface to the HEASARC DatabasesThe HEASARC Batch interface allows users to interrogate the HEASARC databases non-interactively. The Batch interface can be used from within a script to query the database and retrieve results. This document discusses how to use this interface.The HEASARC Database Batch InterfaceTopics:The batch interface allows a user to interrogate the HEASARC databases as if they were local to the users machine. The user downloads a pair of small Perl scripts which act as a local client to query the database. The client is configured to be easily called from programs or from within command scripts -- though it may be used interactively. Getting Started and Software InstallationNote that only Object Name/Coordinates Searches can be executed using the the batch interface. Also, in order to use the batch facility, you will need access to a Unix workstation a version of Perl greater that 4.0 compiled and installed on it.There are two versions of the batch program. The older version requires two scripts to be downloaded from the HEASARC anonymous FTP server:
The newer version of the batch script was created in response to reports of problems running the webquery scripts from behind firewalls and proxies. This version uses wget instead of webquery to do the data download. Only one script is needed for this version however it is necessary to have wget installed. Many systems have wget pre-installed and you can easily download a version from the web if not. After making sure wget is accessible on your system just substitute browse_extract_wget.pl for browse_extract.pl. The command syntax is the same.
#!/usr1/local/bin/perl5 to the correct location. Note: These scripts are in the public domain. Please feel free to copy and modify them to use however you wish. However, we can only support the versions of the scripts that we have made available. UsageTo use the Batch Interface, simply use browse_extract.pl command at the Unix shell prompt. Many options are available, but you only need to specify the table to be searched and the astronomical position(s) of interest.The syntax of the command is:
browse_extract.pl table=table name
browse_extract.pl table=xxx All arguments are case insensitive. Explanation of command line arguments:
Users may specify the target positions using the position argument, using a predefined file specified with infile, or from the standard input. In the latter two cases each line until an EOF will be used as a position. ExamplesAre there any public ROSAT observations of 3C273?% browse_extract.pl table=rospublic position=3c273 name_resolver=ned should print to standard output a table like the following: seq_id |instrument|exposure|ra(2000) |dec(2000) |name |public_date(ISO)| RP600242 |PSPC | 3078|12 27 43.2|+01 36 00.0|GIOVANELLI-HAYNES | 1994-03-22| RP600242A01|PSPC | 24830|12 27 43.2|+01 36 00.0|GIOVANELLI-HAYNES | 1994-03-22| RH120001 |HRI | 0|12 29 04.8|+02 03 00.0|XRT/HRI NORTH DUMM| 1995-08-01| WP141509N00|PSPC | 3332|12 29 04.8|+02 03 00.0|3C273 | 1994-09-28| RP120000N00|PSPC | 916|12 29 04.8|+02 03 00.0|XRT/PSPC NORTH DUM| 1995-01-31| WF700191 |PSPC | 3291|12 29 04.8|+02 03 00.0|3C273 | 1996-02-07| WP700191 |PSPC | 6243|12 29 04.8|+02 03 00.0|3C273 | 1996-02-07| RP141520N00|PSPC | 485|12 29 04.8|+02 03 00.0|3C273 | 1995-09-27| WH700234 |HRI | 17174|12 29 07.2|+02 03 00.0|3C 273 | 1993-07-20| ... Search of table ROSPUBLIC around '3c273' with a radius 60' returns 25 rows
An example using an input and output file
I might first do a query of all WGACAT sources within 80' of the galactic
center using: % browse_extract.pl table=wgacat radius=80 coordinates=galactic position='0.,0.' outfile=wgacat_gc.listThe results of that query can be edited (manually or by a simple script) to produce at file like: 359.386118, 1.149945 359.510470, 1.223261 359.274779, 0.933392 359.279818, 0.934399 359.383583, 0.977861 359.389096, 0.979161 359.392070, 0.972419 359.292038, 0.907242 359.389873, 0.967603 359.390891, 0.967811 359.393223, 0.969269 ...plus 340 more lines. If this result is stored as wgacat_galcen.dat, we can find nearby HST Guide Star Catalog positions with: browse_extract.pl table=gsc coordinates=galactic infile=wgacat_galcen.dat outfile=wgacat_galcen_guidestars.datIt will take a while to process 350 targets...
A parameter query example: % browse_extract.pl table=rassfsc hardness_ratio_1-hardness_ratio_2='>1' position=nullIf you have questions concerning the installation or usage of these scripts please contact the HEASARC.
HEASARC AcknowledgmentBrowse is provided by the Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. If using this service made a significant contribution to a research project, please make the following acknowledgment in any resulting publication: "This research has made use of data obtained through the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center Online Service, provided by the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center." Please send a preprint or reprint of the paper to: The HEASARC Code 660.2 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, 20771, USA | |||||||