idlastro / FITS Binary Table Extensions I/O: FXBDIMEN

[Source code]

NAME
FXBDIMEN()
PURPOSE
Returns the dimensions for a column in a FITS binary table.
Explanation This procedure returns the dimensions associated with a column
in a binary table opened for read with the command FXBOPEN.
Use Result = FXBDIMEN(UNIT,COL)
Inputs UNIT = Logical unit number returned by FXBOPEN routine.
Must be a scalar integer.
Column in the binary table to read data from, either
as a character string containing a column label
(TTYPE), or as a numerical column index starting from
column one.
Opt. Inputs None.
Outputs The result of the function is an array containing the
dimensions for the specified column in the FITS binary table
that UNIT points to.
Opt. Outputs None.
Keywords ERRMSG = If defined and passed, then any error messages will
be returned to the user in this parameter rather than
depending on the MESSAGE routine in IDL.  If no
errors are encountered, then a null string is
returned.  In order to use this feature, ERRMSG must
be defined first, e.g.
      ERRMSG = ''
      Result = FXBDIMEN( ERRMSG=ERRMSG, ... )
      IF ERRMSG NE '' THEN ...
Calls FXBCOLNUM, FXBFINDLUN
Common Uses common block FXBINTABLE--see "fxbintable.pro" for more
information.
Restrictions None.
Side effects The dimensions will be returned whether or not the table is
still open or not.
If UNIT does not point to a binary table, then 0 is returned.
If UNIT is an undefined variable, then 0 is returned.
Category Data Handling, I/O, FITS, Generic.
Prev. Hist. None.
Written William Thompson, GSFC, 4 March 1994.
Modified Version 1, William Thompson, GSFC, 4 March 1994.
Version 2, William Thompson, GSFC, 21 June 1994
        Added ERRMSG keyword.
Version 3, William Thompson, GSFC, 23 June 1994
        Modified so that ERRMSG is not touched if not defined.
Version Version 3, 23 June 1994
Converted to IDL V5.0   W. Landsman   September 1997