Astro::SIMBAD modules --------------------- What is it? ----------- The Astro::SIMBAD module is an objected orientated Perl interface to the SIMBAD astronomical database. SIMBAD provides basic data, cross-identifications and bibliography for astronomical objects outside the solar system. Currently the module is in the inital stages of development, and I'm following the release early, release often paradigm. SIMBAD can currently be queried by co-ordinates and by identifier, alrhough not yet by bibcode. Only minimal information is mined, although URLs pointing to further, and more detailed, information are stored along with this data. More functionality should arrive soon. Why do it? ---------- Due to the requirements of the eSTAR project for which this module was written I needed a modern object-orientated interface I could use for data mining SIMBAD. This module was the result. Requirements ------------ The module requires the libwww-perl-5.60 package written by Gisle Aas v5.53 or above. This package can be obtained via CPAN at http://search.cpan.org/search?dist=libwww-perl Also required is the Net::Domain module, v2.13 or above, by Graham Barr . This module has been included in the base distribution since Perl 5.7.2, but otherwise can be downloaded from CPAN as part of the libnet package, see http://search.cpan.org/search?dist=libnet Provides -------- The package provides the following classes Astro::SIMBAD::Query Astro::SIMBAD::Result Astro::SIMBAD::Result::Object Where can I get it? ------------------- The package is availabe from CPAN and from http://www.astro.ex.ac.uk/people/aa/pages/computing/estar.html Installation ------------ Installation is automated using the ExtUtils::MakeMaker library % perl Makefile.PL % make % make test % make install Authors ------- This module was written by Alasdair Allan , of the University of Exeter Astrophysics Group (http://www.astro.ex.ac.uk/) as part of his work for the eSTAR project. License ------- This package is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place,Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA