.

STATUSISSUECOMMENT/RESOLUTIONSUBMITTEDPRIORITYVERIFIED

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KEY: R=Resolved; NR=Not Reproducible, NA=No action

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Functionality (general)

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Should fill the scratch columns at fill time (rather than when doing a setjy, etc)Requires NAUG agreement.EF - 19DecMedium

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importuvfits - antenna ids are assigned oddly (like original-1).EF - 19DecHigh

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can import* add to an existing MScurrently only available at the tool kit level; can add parameters to the task to enable this.MR - 20Dec

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NRimportuvfits crashes casapyWe've had three people on this and can't seem to reproduce it (after looking at the data and the logs).FO - 19Dec

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importarchive is slow (360 vs 34)WB - 18Dec

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RNeed an imhead task to get an image summaryAdded to dailyCB - 19Dec

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Rbrowsetable failsShould be more robust (handled better in distribution)EF - 17Dec, MR - 20Dec, JU - 21Dec

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Logging

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Rlogging-casapy.log stopped getting outputShould be fixed; also added a 'refresh' button if this should happen.FO - 18Dec

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logging-want date optionally more accuratelyFO - 18Dec

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Rlogger: difficult to copy and paste multiple linesFixed (only for RHE currently)WB - 18Dec

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Rlogger is impractical for log messages longer than screen;Starting around line 1746 of:
/home/parallax2/CASA/EVLA2006/AC629-X/casapy.log
FixedWB - 18Dec

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RFirst message was not readable; text was shifted up by half a line; message priority was 'ORMAL'. After restarting this went away.FixedDW - 19Dec

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Rfeature request: click on origin and see parameters used in the task.Added a task history - use listobs to seeWB - 18Dec

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listobs formatting improvements: could derive name of VLA configuration, int time in seconds (could be hours if over some limit), explicitly print units of time (LST, etc), fieldnames run into RA, column entries not aligned, would like text layout of array, would like a similar summary of the gain table, some indication of whether a table is calibrated or not)ms.summary issueMR - 20DecHigh

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more sense to change time from least to most significant (currently day month date time year)ms.summary issueMR - 18DecHigh

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Plotting

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NRplotcal crash - glibc detected - double freeSmells like a table lock problem; investigating-opened with another tool to obtain a lock and then plot - still okay; not reproducible by user/developers.CB - 18Dec

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Rplotxy error: --------> plotxy(vis='test_ok.ms', xaxis='time', yaxis='amp', fieldid=0)
DATASTRING: [TIME, AMPLITUDE(CORRECTED_DATA[1:4,1])]
Reading data...
Time spent reading from disk : 3.9 sec.
<type 'exceptions.TypeError'>: only length-1 arrays can be converted
to Python scalars.
Tue Dec 19 22:37:54 2006 SEVERE :
[ msplot::plot() ] Exception Reported: TPPlotter: From Python.
Investigated. .matplotlib/.ipython directory issue.DW - 19Dec

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plotxy - spwid=-1; -1 defaultCB - 18Dec

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plotxy -set antennaid=27; plots whole data; bad selection gives all dataCB - 18Dec, GvM -18Dec, EF - 19DecHigh

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Rplotxy time labels are mushed; plotxy: data set spanning several days; automatic scaling/tick marks are not good; x-labels interfere.ImprovedCB - 19Dec, GvM - 19Dec

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uvdist units should be in klambdaCB - 19Dec, MR - 20DecMedium

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plotxy - correlation should not be case sensitiveCB - 18DecMedium

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plotxy - would like to plot residuals (corrected - data, etc)NK - 20Dec?

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plotxy - RL LR can't be selected individuallyCB - 18DecHigh

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plotxy - Tkinter errorsGvM - 18Dec?

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Rplot problemsmv .matplotlib/.ipython; in Cookbook (testing notes)FO - 18Dec CB - 18Dec

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NAplotxy: plotspeed is slow (across the network); antenna plot took 14 seconds.I believe this is an nfs issue. It's fairly sprightly when using local disks. Will re-open as needed.GvM - 19Dec

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plotxy - show polarizations in different colorCB - 18DecMedium

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plotcal - needs more documentationCB - 18DecHigh

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plotcal: don't plot 0amp/0phase flagged valuesEF - 18DecHigh

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plotcal: need label of ant index and nameEF - 18DecHigh

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plotcal: time labels are mushed together; axes labels improved (when zooming)EF - 18Dec, CB - 19DecHigh

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plotcal: antennaid should be a list not single valueEF - 18DecHigh

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plotcal: how run with a useful timerange. Plot of BP solution insists on displaying a timerange much longer than the length of the calibrater observations. Either plotcal should detect the length of the calibration observations and set its timerange to the length or it should be possible to enter a timerange for the plots.FO - 19DecMedium

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Rplotcal: what is caldescidIt is a collection of correlations that were observed in the same way (with the same spectral window setting).EF - 18Dec

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plotcal: need ability to select sourceGvM - 19DecHigh

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plotcal: plotrange for abscissa and ordinateEF - 18DecHigh

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plotcal: parameter for time/frequency range to processEF - 18Dec

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Rplotcal: would like an option to connect the dotsplotsymbol='r-'FO - 19Dec

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plotcal: does not allow individual source/field_id, time range, or polarization selectionGvM - 19DecHigh

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plotcal: overplot spw or pol with different colorsEF - 18DecMedium

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plotcal: subtraction of cal values (R-L) or two spwEF - 18DecHigh

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Rplotcal: simpler iteration controlsunified with plotxy controlsEF - 18Dec

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plotcal: matplotlib boxes should have popup helpEF - 18DecMedium

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plotcal: zoom plots in x (not enough resolution)EF - 18DecMedium

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exportuvfits: accurate but poor performanceEF - 18DecMedium

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would like on-the-fly correction in plotxy to check results before going onCB - 19DecMedium

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flagxy,plotxy - channel plots first channel is 1 not 0.WB - 20DecHigh

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want to plot at a given position angle (u=0, v=0- degs); have a uvpa parameter; difmap and AIPS both have thisMR - 20DecMedium

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plotxy: yaxis should have same options as x axis.MR - 20DecMedium

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missing help for timerangeMR - 20DecHigh

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flagging

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flagxy - s (show option) should allow a write if they look good.GvM - 18DecHigh

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flagxy - want to be able to flag on a channel 0 dataset and then transfer the flags.GvM -18Dec, CB - longHigh

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Rflagxy - diskwrite=True only works when region is set.Updated in-line help to be more clear about the use of this parameter.GvM -18Dec

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R?flagxy - persistent boxes, other oddities.Seems to be peculiar to vmware handling of XGvM -18Dec

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RNeed TVFLGNeed to use the Flagging Options panel and set Flagged data to background to really see data.FO - 18Dec

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Rflagdata - can't select 'RL' or 'LR'This is a task level restriction (I didn't include it in the list of options and so the Option checking is preventing you from proceeding). This is fixed in the daily.CB - 19Dec

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flagxy - when setting start=5; nchan=5; the edge channels appear on plot border with no margin.So don't do that. Seriously, this is a matplotlib autoscaling issue and we likely need to adjust it. Having a plotrange parameter (as suggested above) might also alleviate this.WB - 20DecMedium

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Rflagxy: Couldn't flag dataComplicated mix up in the start channel; provided work around. Real fix in progressDW - 20Dec

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flagxy: error when acquiring lock on msDW - 20Dec

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flagxy: don't understand flagging - if I flag one pol will it flag both. Need option to do both - look at one and flag one, look at one and flag two.Currently, the flags can't be extended in scope.High

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viewer

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RViewer: non-flagged values are greyThe workaround for the grey-out problem is: in the Options panel, select 'Show Flagged Regsionn…'->Masked to Background'. (Flags will be black as in TVFLG).WB - 18Dec, DW - 19Dec

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NRViewer: hung when changing viewer paramsNeed some help to try to reproduce this.WB - 18Dec

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viewer: update button in "load data' window is disabled.WB - 20Dec

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Calibration

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RB, BPOLY problemsFixed and patched into the stable (AOC)GM - 18Dec, EF - 18Dec

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Ruvrange parameter is not working; this frustrated efforts for those with resolved calibrators. specifying a uvrange other than [0] caused problems.Fixed in daily; patched into stable (AOC)CB - 19Dec, GvM - 19Dec, FO - 19Dec

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RCan't apply 'T' solution in BandpassThis was a restriction in the interface that should have been relaxed in the new version of calibrater. Fixed.FO - 19Dec

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Rfluxscale: irrelevant warningFixed in daily; patched into stable (AOC)WB - 18Dec

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Need to set the signal-to-noise ratio using in gaincal.CB - 19DecMedium

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plotcal neglects 2nd poln for B and BPOLYGM - 19Dec, EF - 19DecMedium

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plotcal multiplot ignored for BPOLYGM - 19DecLow

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Rcalibration models - make available by default;use /home/AIPS/TEXT/STARS for X (CB); note this is more complicated that originally thought. We have the high frequency images in the appropriate format/scaling. However, the images coming directly from AIPS are generally convolved subimages requiring scaling; AIPS doesn't in fact use these images but the associated clean components that come with them which are then scaled on-the-fly so the CC fluxes sum to the current SETJY value for the calibrator.CB - 18Dec

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D-term calibration produced NaNsWB - 18Dec

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RTwo calibrators with different uv ranges so need to run gaincal twice. Not clear on logistics - if I specify a caltable that already exists will it automatically append ? If I set append=False, will it complain or delete the old table?Need to set append=True or will overwrite.GvM - 19Dec

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Look for Nans when trying to solveWB - 18DecHigh

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setjy : Compute the model visibility for a specified source flux density If this is meant to sound like the AIPS task of the same name, it doesn't sound like it does the same thing at all. SETJY in AIPS simply calculates the flux calibrator's flux density based on standard
formulae, setting the fundamental flux density scale. This value is
entered in the header but nothing else is done. help setjy confused me further. It seems to say it acts like
AIPS, but the main help again claims to "compute the model visibility",
which sounds very odd to me -- either one is computing the expect
visibilities for the entire data set for a trivial model, or one is
computing a single (!) visibility. Both options seem silly.
MR - 18Dec

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RUsed a T solution to apply before bandpass.I got into trouble with this calibration because I first tried to correct for the phases before I calculated the bandpass table. I mistakenly? tried to use T solutions for this correction.
I gave nonsense when I calculated the bandpass shape. However, when I
used G solutions everything was fine. I suppose the issue might
be how the T solutions are described. In principle, one could calculate
a constant instrumental offset as well as the mean tropospheric correction
but it appears that is not what is done. Thus the T solutions must
only work when the phase offset between the two polarizations has been
removed. This should be mentioned in the initial discussion of T
solutions.
Frazer will give us any additional info as needed but okay so far.FO - 19Dec

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gaincal - shouldn't 'P' always be applied here (and in correct)?NAUG agreement required here. Note: P calculation isn't trivial and so will cause performance hit and may not be worthwhile (non-polarization observations).WB - 20Dec

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RTodays data set was AG650 -- 8 hour track, A array, 1665 MHz 15 channel continuum of Supernova Remnant CTB80 at around 33 degrees dec. I didn't do sophisticated imaging of the source but still got great results with little effort. This data set might be good for pointing self-cal as it
has about 150 mJy of compact power near the half power point. B and BPOLY both seem to work, G worked, but not GSPLINE (noted below)
Fixed GSPLINE parameters (underlying interface had been tweaked).WB - 20Dec

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If asked to solve on a dataset that is completely flagged it correctly says 0 solutions found but does not clean up well (doesn't remove table lock - throws exception).WB - 20DecHigh

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msselect='' gives a warning message. Reduce the severity of the comment or remove (this is a common case).WB - 20DecMedium

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smooth gives low amplitude points that are not understoodFO - 21DecMedium

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Imaging

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clean -scales not in param list but wanted for multiscalemultiscale will be a separate task. coming soon.WB - 20DecLow

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Cookbook

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CB Organization: Need listobs after load dataFO - 18Dec, CB - 18Dec

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CB content: Browsetable needs more infoFO - 18Dec

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CB content: Need info on when a process is doneFO - 18Dec

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CB: browsetable: how to expand tablesFO - 18Dec

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CB: browsetable: how to get other (sub)tablesFO - 18Dec

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CB figures: browsetable figs are broken up (Mozilla)FO - 18Dec

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CB doc: How to enter a boolean/type checkingFO - 18Dec

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CB organization: include link to flagautocorr with warningCB - 18Dec

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CB/browser - open new browser when select linkCB - 18Dec

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Add example where you restore a taskname.last file; all examples thus far use intentionally saved files.FO - 19Dec

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documentation on split should be improved. Not clear what splittingn corrected data will do if data wasn't corrected.DW - 19Dec

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cookbook typosWB - 18Dec

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Would like to get rid of menus on left of cookbook; color coding of examples (light brown) is too hard to see; use uniform italic/bold for emphasis (not _).MR - 18Dec

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Version control: have it at the top (and up to date) and for each section (date/time). Have a summary of the last 10 changes.MR - 18Dec

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Printing: It would be nice to have a printable version with page numbers and a table of contents that refers to those page numbers. Printing chops off the right hand side of the page.MR - 18Dec

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Too much duplication of help files. Need more overviews - better user-oriented description of calibration; put MS description in some contextMR - 20Dec

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Formatting: identify what the user types with a different font; different font for shell access.MR - 20Dec

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Use boxes to set off certain information - summaries, details; cookbook is too flat; examples: python oddities (ranges, 0-based indexing), ms_select examples, antennas discussion, CASA oddities (scratch columns, global params, required calibration order, zero-based indexing - mark those that will be removed), pylab commands.MR - 20Dec

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Need sections/chapter numbers for easier cross-referencing.MR - 20Dec

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mixture of pylab, python and task can be confusing - define all terms (like method).MR - 20Dec

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List of typos/bugs from reportMR - 20Dec

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Need to point out that .last file is saved whenever a task is run (put in saveinputs section)MR - 20Dec

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Need section on tasks and toolsMR - 20Dec

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Need to mention the use of 'go'MR - 20Dec

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autoflag output is unclear (rows versus pixels)MR - 20Dec

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Don't clearly elaborate logging (ipython.log versus casapy.log)MR - 20Dec

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RHistory and Searching: how do you clear a line once you've searched and discovered you don't want to execute.It's readline and has all the same commands. <CNTRL>-k will clear the line.MR - 20Dec

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Want overview of CASA first: everything in tables, calib separate from data, flags done how, then do details of MS, also words on unitsMR - 20Dec

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Distribution

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RNeed daily version in CVI have installed daily casapy rpms on merger & shadowfax in cville.
These were built today using the active development branch that is
used to build the daily installation in socorro.

The "stable" rpm is what you get when you just run "casapy" from the
command line upon opening an xterm. To use the "daily" rpms, do the
following:

bash-3.00$ . /usr/lib/casapy/20.0.696svn-001/casainit.sh
CASApy version 20.0.696svn release 001
bash-3.00$ casapy
CASA Version 2.0 Rev 711
Built on: Tue 2006/12/19 02:15:06 UTC
[...]

there is also a casainit.csh.

This is the first iteration at generating daily rpms, and it is
currently done by hand. As a result, it will only be "near-daily",
but over the next couple of weeks I will work to automate the
process. After it is automated, the "daily" rpms will automatically
be installed on all RHEL machines in cville.

With each generation of a new "daily" the version release number
(currently "001") will be incremented. This will permit having
multiple versions of "daily" installed when necessary. The remainder
of the version number will stay the same, e.g.:

stable release => 20.0.696-001
first daily => 20.0.696svn-001
second daily => 20.0.696svn-002
etc.

The version number reported within casapy or from casapyinfo will
reflect the version in the repository (currently 20.0.711). Each new
"daily" will replace the former.

There is one important caveat with using "daily" rpms. While they are
built just like a release would be, they receive no testing and will
likely even fail to compile on some days
CB - 18Dec

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User Interface

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First I want to note that with the task system I find I seldom need to refer to cookbook or reference documentation. I think this is a really good sign! So far I've found the granularity of the tasks appropriate and find the tools still easy enough to access (but with more documentation
needed). I think it should be a goal to prevent the number of tasks from spiraling out of control -- perhaps no more than 12 or so tasks within a
task group is a reasonable cutoff.

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Data selection is too heterogeneous. Want to avoid using indices for most things and use names instead. This needs to be unified throughout calibration, plotting, imaging. Detailed comment: I like that in fluxscale you specify sources by their names. Why do all
other tasks have fieldid's? i.e. gaincal. I would much rather enter
calsources for gaincal than try to be sure that I've written a msselect
properly. In general, I don't think msselect belongs in tasks.
In progressAll - 19DecHigh

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RIf an error occurs in the task, the rest of the execution should be suspended. currently it goes on and generates more errors which become increasingly obscure.EF - 20Dec, SM - 15Oct

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RSet the task default when do an execfile 'taskname.last'implementedGvM - 19Dec

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RImportarchive: doesn't import from the archiveIs importvla better? If so will changeFO - 18Dec

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RImportarchive: why does it need bandcodeYou can restrict the filling process to a single band if there are multiple within the specified archive file(s)FO - 18Dec

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listobs - need ability to print directly to fileFO - 18Dec, CB - 18Dec, MR -20Dec, JU - 21DecHigh

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listobs - verbose=false should tell date of obsCB - 18Dec

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Rlisthistory - doesn't include import infoadded to import* tasksCB - 18Dec

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change datacolumn selections to: raw, corrected and model (use of data is confusing).CB - 19DecHigh

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correct uses msselect rather than specifying sources.CB - 19DecHigh

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importarchive - option to not include ac dataCB - 18DecMedium

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Rgaincal solint=floattypecast int to float for solint (all tasks)CB - 18Dec, WB - 20Dec

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fluxscale requires caltable but correct requires gaintable - shouldn't these be the sameCB - 19Dec

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help and the PAGERFO - 18Dec, MR - 18Dec

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defaults for some are "False"FO - 18Dec

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RImaging: tried to make stokes IQUV (clean) only see Ierror in clean task. fixed.WB - 18Dec

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go function failsWB - 18Dec

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NAprotect task valuesIt's Python baby; not aware of a way to do this (have looked quite a bit).WB - 18Dec

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formatting for some parameter valuesWB - 18Dec

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Rallow: inp clean rather than inp 'clean'WB - 18Dec

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browsetable is 1-basedWB - 18Dec

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Ralphabetical listing is non unixSorry - it was easier to add to the other way!WB - 18Dec

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help - would like explain functionMR - 20DecHigh

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importarchive: case sensitivity of parameters like bandcode is annoyingWB - 20DecMedium

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Rinp - if colon(:) separating parameters from comments were replaced with # then inp would be valid python and could be cut and pasted more easily.Agreed and in fact was the first go; can't recall why it was changed.WB - 20Dec

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Need to plot out antenna names not indices - very confusing when choosing a reference antennaThis is what is done now. Compare the listobs output (using verbose=True) and the plotants output; you will see that they are the names. Ah, not the problem, the problem is that you then have to specify the id, not the name. In progress.FO - 20Dec

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tablein in accum should probably have some other name to avoid getting it filled by other tasks through as a global parameterFO - 20Dec

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Rinput correct gives wrong one line infoGvM - 20Dec

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Rtask invert allows specification of clean type parametersGvM - 20Dec

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Rdefault stokes in invert causes an errorGvM - 20Dec

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Rremove multiscale from clean algorithmWB - 21Dec

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Rseg fault when re-ran clean and have existing output files already existing.GvM - 21Dec

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contsub: would like to add a column rather than replacing the corrected data.GvM - 21DecMedium

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importarchive has projectname parameter that isn't used (commente out)JU - 21DecHigh

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importarchive default bandname gives error.JU - 21DecHigh

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Need a global lastexit.par file to save the stat of casapy with the option to execute this file on restart of casapy (a *rc file setting); this could also tie into the restore command, e.g., restore(mode=last) versus restore(mode=default).SM - 22Dec, CB - 22DecMedium

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Have fluxscale (optionally) set the model data column to the derived value.FO - 22DecMedium

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Must be trivial to switch between different versions of the software (helps evaluate whether the user is doing something silly or if there is a problem with the new version); ideally this should enable switching versions at the task level without leaving the system.MR - 22Dec, MC - 22DecMedium

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Discussion/Verification

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RYou can get the casa/aips images from directory
/home/thuban2/efomalon/casa/cassini

J0334_AIPS.FITS and FORNAX_AIPS.FITS is from the data calibrated in AIPS
J0334_CASA.FITS and FORNAX_CASA.FITS is from the data calibrated in CASA

Some information:

1. The data were read from the VLA archive directly into casa and aips
2. Some minor editing and the usual fluxscale were done
3. The source J0334-401 is the calibrator and gaincal was made for each
2-min scan; both in casa and aips.
4. The calibration was applied to J0334-401 and its target sources
FORNAX-A.
5. The CASA calibrated data were then read into AIPS in order to use
the same imaging/cleaning algorithm for both data sets. The images are
2048x2048, Clark clean with 2000 iterations, no cleaning boxes.
6. The two FORNAX-A images are virtually identical. The faint ripples are
caused by very extended structure. The peak brighness is 85 mJy and the
rms noise is 0.12 mJy, a dynamic range of 700.
7. The two J0334 images are essentially self-calibrated images of this
source since it was its own calibrator. The casa image is better quality
than the aips image. The peak = 1.02 Jy with an rms noise of 0.17 mJy, a dynamic
range of 6000.


Comments: The FORNAX-A images are limited in quality by the phase
uncertainty in the calibration. Hence, both images are nearly identical. The J0334
images, made from self-calibrated data, should be higher quality and are. I am a bit
surprised that the casa image is significantly better than the aips image. I
couldn't redo the calibrations (because of the polarization calibration bug), so
I am not certain that the editing and calibrations are identical---but I think
they are. So my tentative conclusion is the the gain and phase calibrations done
in casa are more accurate than those done in aips, probably at the level of a
percent or a few degrees at most. The FORNAX-A images are more dominate by phase
noise between the calibration scans, so are not sensitivity to small calibration differences on the calibrator observations.
Very pleased that they're so close.

.

RCASA/AIPS weights: I've looked at the data weights for an archive data set that was read into aips and casa. It is a 1.4 GHz, low declination observation, so the variation of system temperature with elevation is very clear. The time dependence of the weights via their shapes is very similar to a level of 1 or 2 percent for casa and aips. However, the casa weights are consistently 1% for the aips filled data
set. The casa weights near source transit are about 530 / Jy**2. The aips weights are about 50,000 / Jy**2 Now, the rms noise of the calibrated data (for this data set) is about 0.04 Jy. Hence, (1 / 0.04Jy)**2 = 625 / Jy**2. The rms noise of the raw data is about 0.004, arbitrary units and (1 / 0.004) = 62,500. Is this how the weights are normalized? Thus, the casa and aips weights are similar in their general dependence, but are normalized by about a factor 100 differently. This scaling difference should be reconciled since combining aips-reduced and casa-reduced data would be a problem with the relative weighting. I forgot that AIPS determines the revised weights on the fly in a multi-source data set, using the amplitude in the CL table. After splatting so that the AIPS weights become the true final weights, the
difference between the CASA and AIPS weights are less than 1% and follow the same diurnal (elevation) signal.
I gather that now the final, *calibrated* weights agree to better than 1% -- is that right? If so, that's very reassuring. Note: Should check all Ifs (MR - 18Dec)EF - 18Dec

.

.