• Michele’s draft lisaXML table specification

• Neil’s draft code bundle (as updated by Michele) for generating galactic binary parameter and barycenter files in xml format. Unpack with tar -xvzf galaxy.tgz and follow the instructions in the README.
• Michele’s draft for abstract file format (latest rev)
• Michele’s draft of XML implementation (latest rev); will display as nice HTML in your web browser, using this XSL stylesheet and this CSS stylesheet; simple stylesheets can also extract the source parameters from the XML (try it with “xsltproc lisasim-xml-txt.xsl xml-format.xml”).
• The XML implementation is based on XSIL and BFD; this is the actual DTD.

• Fast XML parser for Python; simple XML parsing libraries (miniXML, ezXML) for C.
• As concurrent implementation, use the TLA‘s SLDP (if Louis/Shane have time to implement translators).

• While VOTable has good ideas and nice tools like TOPCAT, it lends itself to tables much better than arrays, which are what we need.
• When defining quantities, keep in mind Unified Content Descriptors.

It is not a simple matter to implement input routines for the simulators to use the XML file format, although I believe that eventually it will become a very important capability. So I suggest we concentrate first on creating valid output files, which should be easier. The LISAData, NoiseData, and ResponseData (perhaps this should be called DetectorData, and it is not yet included in the proposed XML implementation) are essentially fixed.

So let me propose a 1-month roadmap to implementing XML capabilities in the simulators. This is already done, in part, for Synthetic LISA; but working in tandem with a LISA Simulator developer we will be able to fine-tune details in the formats themselves.

1. Capability of writing a minimal XML file containing TDI array descriptors (cadence, offset, length, duration, names of TDI observables) linking to an external binary file: Done for synthLISA; need work on LISA Simulator.
2. Capability of generating SourceData sections and reading them into simulators, writing them from simulators. Initially for GalacticBinary and BlackHoleBinary source types only; add EMRI when possible; leave sampled signals for later: Done for synthLISA with GalacticBinary and PNBinary (Stas’ code); need to work on LISA Simulator.
3. Tool to visualize SourceData sections in web browser: Done (see above), needs fine tuning.
4. Generate (by hand, if necessary) standard LISAData, NoiseData, and ResponseData sections. Leave sampled noise, etc., for later: Done for LISAData, NoiseData, check conventions; neglect ResponseData for the moment.
5. Capability of indexing/searching for files by source parameters. To do (repository taskforce?)

Later (not strictly needed for June release):

1. Link LISAData, NoiseData, ResponseData dynamically into simulators (i.e., read LISA/noise/simulator parameters from them, write to them) Done, except for ResponseData.
2. Allow for sampled noises and signals
3. More source types

Michele, 2006/05/05, amended 2006/05/19, amended 2006/06/03 galaxy.tgz