Nexus Support for SESANS

[awashington]

Currently, the SESANS data are stored in their own format with its own reader. Storing the SESANS data in a Nexus format would present multiple advantages

• Multiple runs could be combined into the same file. This could allow SANS and SESANS on asample to be stored in a single file. Alternately, position scans or temperature series could be stored within one file.

*: Less Code would be needed. The hope is that the SESANS data will sit as a small addition on top of the current Nexus code, instead of its own 174 line module with separate parsing logic

• The files will have better interoperability with other software. The SESANS data could be loaded into standard nexus readers (e.g. HDFView) without needing any new code. Similarly, other scattering software which currently support nexus files will be more likely to enhance that functionality with support for SESANS files than to add an entirely new file format.

With these advantages come one major disadvantage: The NxCanSAS format, as it stands, is inappropriate for SESANS and there is not currently accepted alternative standard. A new format can be proposed at hte next CanSAS meeting, but proposals always carry more weight when acompanied with a working prototype.

[smk78]

Surely there would be more benefit to storing SESANS data in a format where it can be stored alongside (ie, in the same file as) SANS data? In which case, using Nexus, rather than NXcanSAS makes no sense (since no one routinely stores reduced SANS data in Nexus format).

To use NXcanSAS all that is required is a proposal to extend the standard.

A similar extension proposal should also be made in respect of the CanSAS1D format.

I'm happy to help with these proposals!