Ok, here's the new generator script. Run with command line switch -? to see help screen. This one ONLY uses hip_main.dat (by default it will search for this file in the current directory), since using data from other files in I/239, e.g. Tycho or the companions dataset seems a bit controversial (judging by getting jumped on for mentioning that I was planning implementing the companions dataset...), besides this way it makes it clearer just what's in the file. I might release an extended database as an add-on at some later date.
The script generates the stars.dat file from the Hipparcos catalog. The script
does not generate a stars.txt file. The spectral type guessing code now uses data from Lang (2001). Thanks to Chris Laurel for sending me scans of the relevant tables.
(Note that the zip file contains the Perl script only, it does NOT contain a new version of stars.dat since this can be generated with the script. You will need to download hip_main.dat from
http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/Cat?I/239)
Any suggestions, particularly with regard to the default parameters and the rejection limits (TestDubious and CheckStar subroutines)?
(removed because of a couple of nasty bugs)