NAME
ftdelhdu - Delete a HDU (header-data unit) in a FITS file.
USAGE
ftdelhdu infile[ext] outfile
DESCRIPTION
ftdelhdu deletes a HDU (header data unit) in a file. If the output
file name is 'none' or blank then the delete operation will be
performed in place in the input file itself. The user will be prompted
to confirm the operation before it is actually deleted. Otherwise, the
HDU will be deleted in a copy of the input file.
If the HDU to be deleted is the primary array, it will be replaced by a
null primary array (with NAXIS = 0) containing only the minimum set of
required header keywords.
PARAMETERS
- infile [filename]
- Input file name and extension name or number enclosed in
square brackets of the HDU to be deleted (e.g.,
file.fits[events]').
- outfile [filename]
- Output file name. This file will contain a copy of the input file,
minus the deleted HDU. Precede the file name with an exclamation point,
!, (or \! on the Unix command line), to overwrite a preexisting file
with the same name (or set the clobber parameter to YES). If the file
name is "none" or is blank, then the HDU will be deleted directly in
the input file instead of in a copy of the file.
- confirm = NO [boolean]
- If the HDU deletion is being performed directly on the input file
and not in a copy, then a brief description of the HDU that is about to
be deleted will be displayed, and the user will be ask to confirm the
operation. If NO is entered, then the HDU will not be deleted.
- (clobber = NO) [boolean]
- If the output already exists, then setting "clobber = yes" will
cause it to be overwritten.
- (chatter = 1) [integer, 0 - 5]
- Controls the amount of informative text written to standard output.
Setting chatter = 5 will produce detailed diagnostic output.
Setting chatter = 0 will disable the output that describes the
HDU that is about to be deleted in the case where no output
file is specified.
EXAMPLES
Note that when commands are issued on the Unix command line, strings
containing special characters such as '[' or ']' must be enclosed in
single or double quotes.
1. Delete the events extension in the output copy of the input file.
ftdelhdu 'infile.fits[events]' output.fits
1. Delete the 2nd extension (i.e., the 3rd HDU in the file) in
a copy of the input file.
ftdelhdu 'infile.fits[2]' output.fits
2. Delete the primary array in the input file, in place. The
existing primary array will be replaced with a null primary array.
The user will be asked to confirm the operation before the HDU
is actually deleted.
ftdelhdu 'infile.fits[0]' none
SEE ALSO
ftcopy,
ftappend,
ftdelrow
fv, the interactive FITS file editor, can also be used to delete HDUs
in a FITS file.
The design of this task is based on the fdelhdu task in the ftools
package.
LAST MODIFIED
March 2002