Various dataformats and information related to that

Preliminary
The text below has been collected from several sections of CDendro new version information.

.pos files is a type of files created by CooRecorder. Basically a .pos file contains a list of coordinate pairs representing points on ring borders with the outermost point at the top of the list. For a provisional description of the format, see the section "CooRecorder basics" under the heading Using CooRecorder. A .pos file is a single sample file.
.wid files A .wid format file consists of ring widths written as a column of successive rings with the width of the youngest ring at the top of the document, typically in millimeters. A .wid file is a single sample file. For a short description see Cybis Wiki on .wid files
.rwl files The .rwl or Tucson file format is a decadal format which allows saving of more than one sample in the same file. E.g.
```
 
6682    1980   143   231   154   145   150   201   130   156   245   137 
6682    1990   141   202   120    96   999 
NM002   1632    90    92    91   174    84    45   185   111 
NM002   1640   116    72    91    49    85   146   125   126   136   131 
... 
```
Its main limitation is that sample name lengths are limited to six characters (at most eight) but also that there is no real standard for meta data, except for the rough solution: "do not include meta data". For a description of the format, see Cybis Wiki on Tucson format. Tucson format files are sometimes given the file name extension ".tuc".
.fh files Used in the same way as the Tucson .rwl format, but with less limitations. It is suitable for publication of raw data. Recommended in CDendro for storing ring width data from several samples. For an example see below.
.fil files The .fil file format is a CDendro format for storing references to single sample files, i.e. a typical .fil file contains a list of .pos files or .wid files together with synchronization information (dating years).
Other formats There are many more formats used for tree ring data. Some of them are shortly described below.

Catras files, Arstan chronology files, some .dat files

Catras files can now be opened by CDendro like any .wid file. Several .cat files can be "Added to this collection" by using the multi-select mechanisms in Windows (hold down ctrl-key and click on filenames).

The Arstan program writes chronology data for type raw/std/res/ars after each other to a common file "xxx.rwl_crns" with a trailing type marker like "std" at position 82-84 of each line.
When data lines of such a type were copied to a separate .crn file, CDendro was previously not able to read these lines because of the markers. This is now fixed.

CDendro can now also write a chronology file from the sum of a collection. This may be useful if you want to save a current sum together with the number of stems for each mean ring width.
For a statistically better calculation of mean values out of a collection, I recommend using the ARSTAN program! Though for crossdating purposes the differences are usually unimportant.

A type of inverted .wid files with the oldest ring at the beginning of the file can now be read. They are supposed to have extension .datw. Their first numeric value is ignored as it usually is the number of ring widths.

Besancon .txt format

Collections stored in Besancon 1992 .txt ring width files can now be read by CDendro. To make the .txt files show up in the Open files dialogue box, you have to Enable Besancon .txt file lookup in the Settings menu.

Note that this command is not able to handle "corridor normalized Besancon data" with a mean value of zero and both positive and negative "ring width values".

Long member names now kept: In early test versions of CDendro the Besancon members were given a short automatically generated name like "002005" to allow for export into .rwl/Tucson files. The current solution is to allow long names when Besancon or Heidelberg files are read. These too long names for the .rwl/Tucson format can be shortened with the new command "Renumber Checked Members" and the new names also adjusted by hand (right-click a member to Edit!) before creating an .rwl file.

The old compact file format

From January 1 2010, CDendro can also read compact format files which are sometimes found in old data archives. Such files should then be given the extension ".datc" and are opened via the Collections menu command.

Collections - Writing in heidelberg format (.fh)

CDendro can now read and write in heidelberg format (.fh) which is a more suitable format for printed publications than the .rwl (Tucson) format.

Heidelberg and Tucson .rwl files with only one member can now be directly opened as a sample ("Samples/Open single sample files...")

It happens that kind and helpful people send us or let us download a bunch of Heidelberg formatted files where there is only one member in each file. Usually the best way to handle this case is to create an empty Collection in CDendro and then use the command "Collections/Add to this collection/Select any dendro files to add to this collection (no .fil files)" and then select all the Heidelberg files you want to add. (To select several files, hold down the Ctrl-key while you successively click on the files you want to select.)

In case you want to directly open some of the single sample Heidelberg (or Tucson .rwl) files you can use the command "Open single sample files..." with the two new subcommands "Open single sample Heidelberg file (*.fh)" and "Open single sample Tucson .rwl file (*.rwl)". Please note that also here you can use the multi-select mechanism in Windows, i.e. Ctrl-click on those several files you want to open.

Import and export of tabular data

Tabular data can now written or read for export or import to/from a spread sheet program like EXCEL.
See the section on Import tabular data.

For export, use the menu command Collections/Write collection in tabular format
You can limit the volume of the export by checking or unchecking members of your collection. Only data of selected/checked members is exported.

Binding an unknown file name extension to a certain type of file

When you try to open a collection file with an extension unknown to CDendro like e.g. ".tuc", you will be asked by CDendro to specify what type of data it is - in this case probably a Tucson decadal .rwl-type file though named e.g. "SouthE.tuc" and not "SouthE.rwl"

This way you do not have to rename old files from elsewhere which you try to read into CDendro.

CDendro also gives you an option to remember your selection, so the next time you open that type of file, there will be no more questions.

The same mechanism holds for "single sample files". When CDendro finds the file name extension ambigous, it will ask you for a clarification. This way you can open Belfast Apple files, though they are named like Q1234.txt

Sheffield D-format files

CDendro can now read Ian Tyers' D-Format files. (For a description see Cybis dendro wiki on D-format