CFITSIO is a library of C and Fortran subroutines for reading and writing data files in FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) data format. CFITSIO simplifies the task of writing software that deals with FITS files by providing an easy to use set of high-level routines that insulate the programmer from the internal complexities of the FITS file format. At the same time, CFITSIO provides many advanced features that have made it the most widely used FITS file programming interface in the astronomical community.

What's New:

• 20 May 2003 - Version 2.460 release. Adds support for proxy HTTP servers when reading FITS files via HTTP. (See What's New in this release).
• 14 April 2003 - New release of CCfits v1.2, a library of C++ classes for FITS Input and Output.

Download the CFITSIO Software:

• Complete V2.460 Source Code Package: Unix/VMS .tar file, or Windows .zip file.
• PC/Windows DLL shared library (version 2.460) for Visual C++.
• PC/Windows DLL shared library (older version 2.037 ONLY) for Borland C++
• Unsupported previous versions of CFITSIO and FITSIO
• Example FITS Tools - Suite of simple C programs that show how to use CFITSIO
• cookbook.f - fortran example program
• Fv - The FITS file viewer and editor
• fitsverify - a program to test that a FITS file conforms to all the format requirements
  

  You may also go directly to the ftp area for these and other related files. If you experience problems using FTP to download this software, click here

Documentation:

• CFITSIO Quick Start Guide (also postscript version).
• Examples of CFITSIO's Extended File Name Filters
• C Programmer Reference Guide (also postscript version).
• Fortran Programmer Reference Guide (also postscript version).
• Data compression support in CFITSIO.
• Background information about CFITSIO
• Acknowledgements of contributors to CFITSIO
• Major users of CFITSIO

• FITS resources - General information about the FITS format
• The NASA FITS Support Office - a large and fairly complete source of information about FITS

Interfaces to CFITSIO from Other Languages:

Contact the original developer for questions about these interfaces.
• C++: CCfits v1.1
• Perl: CFITSIO.pm
• Tcl: fitsTcl
• Python: pCFITSIO
• Matlab: MFITSIO

E-mail Notification List

To receive e-mail notification about new releases of CFITSIO, subscribe to the fitsionews mailing list by sending mail to majordomo@athena.gsfc.nasa.gov with the body (not the subject) of your message comprising the line


subscribe fitsionews <your-email-address>

The latest reference to CFITSIO is: Pence, W. 1999, in ASP Conf. Ser., Vol. 172, Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems VIII, ed. D. Mehringer, R. Plante, and D. Roberts (San Francisco: ASP), 487

FITSIO is maintained by: Dr. William D. Pence, (pence@tetra.gsfc.nasa.gov) (301) 286-4599