File Formats and Directory Structure

program_directory

contains the programs and calibration data

program_directory\Manual

contains the manual

program_directory\Manual\eg

example files

user_directory

contains your input files

user_directory\Data

has subdirectories grouping results data

user_directory\Data\Untitled

results of 'quick' calculations

user_directory\Data\Eg_plot1

results from Eg_plot1

user_directory\Data\...

...etc.

Calibration data files (*.dta or *.14c) are dealt with in the section on calibration data. Input (model definition) files (*.14i) are covered in the CQL command summary and log files (*.14l) are simple text files (with the exception of Relate.14l - see below). The four remaining file types are probability data files (*.14d or *.14s), plot organiser files (*.14p), viewer files (*.14v) and MCMC relationship files (Relate.14l).

• File Names
• Configuration File
• Data Files
• Plot Organiser Files
• Viewer Files
• Relationship Files

File Names

• If you have given a name then this will be used - the first two and last three usable characters are used if the name is longer than 6 characters. Thus "OxA-1234" might give 03ox$234.14d and "Post hole 3456" might give 04po$456.14d.
• If no name has been given R_Date, C_Date and R_Simulate will generate file names using an encryption of the input data. Thus R_Date 3000 30; might give a file name of 05$2bc0u.14d. File names are listed in plot organiser (.14p) files so they should not be too hard to find. If you want the data file it is easiest to give it a name yourself.
• All other functions generate filenames like 06_diffe.14d for Difference if you do not specify a name.

.14d

data files before analysis (simple calibration etc)

.14s

data files after analysis (including stratigraphic information)

.14p

plot organiser files (include references to data files)

.14v

viewer files (actual plots)

.14i

input or model definition files

.14l

log files (including relationship file)

.dta

Groningen data files

.14c

Seattle data files

Configuration File

Data Files

Calendar_age     Probability

Calendar_age     Probability    14C_Age    error

Additional information is also included in files by lines starting with special characters.

" reference

As for calibration data files this gives the reference for any data

$ title

Gives the title for the data plot and the label used in multiple plots

# date error

Gives the date and error of a radiocarbon date (used for the gaussian curve)

! comment

Gives the title and other comment material for the plot

_ sigma from width

Gives range data for a particular sigma (or probability) confidence limit with a starting calendar age and width - if the width is -1 the range is treated as an `older than' range and if the width is zero it is treated as a `younger than' range

@

This data file gives relative ages rather than absolute calendar ages

* nx ny minx miny maxx maxy

This file contains a correlation plot with nx by ny points covering the given range - the data will then be a list of probabilities (one per line) starting at minx, miny given as rows (in x)

. minx maxx

Can be used to enlarge the range of a plot to encompass the range given

^ value

if value is greater than 1 gives the number of events; otherwise gives the maximum of the normalised curve

% n [value]

If no value is given will set an internal register to n; if a value is given it will be printed (as a percentage) in a multiple-plot only if the internal register is equal to n

To edit the data files produced right mouse click on the relevant icon in the plot organiser (see section on graphical display).

Plot Organiser Files

Any of the special lines above might be found in a plot file but in addition the following are used:

/

Forces a page break at this point

| type

The next distribution is of a given type

< filename

Read in a data file (delete when finished with plot)

{ filename

Read in a data file (do not delete it with the plot)

> label

Plot a label at this point

>!_

Draws a solid horizontal line across the page

>!.

Draws a dotted horizontal line across the page

( comment

append this comment to the next label

) comment

append this to the comment below the last label

[ name

start a structure bracket with the appropriate name

]

finish a structure bracket

~ value

define the value for the overall agreement

& value

define the value for the agreement of this group

Viewer Files

Relationship Files

The format of the relationship file is fairly simple. Each distribution is introduced with a header line:

$ refno gap error name

Following such a header there are then a number of lines (can be zero) giving the relationship of this event to the others. The relationships allowed are:

>no

greater than

<no

less than

>>no

greater than a boundary

<<no

less than a boundary

=no

equal to

=no1 - no2

equal to no1 - no2

=no1 + no2

equal to no1 + no2

=no1 * no2

gives a correlation plot between two distributions

|no

spans a distribution (for spans of phases)

=>no

equal to or greater than (for finding the ends of phases)

=<no

equal to or less than (for finding the starts of phases)

|>no

spans a distribution (only lower end affected)

|<no

spans a distribution (only upper end affected)

?>no

asks is this greater than?

?<no

asks is this less than?

?|no

asks does this span?

~>no

approximately greater than (used in V_SEQ)

~<no

approximately less than (used in V_SEQ)

~no

approximately equal to

~~no

approximately equal to

?~no

asks is this approximately equal to

??no

asks is this approximately equal to

?=no

asks is this equal to

!no

request for information

:no

order event

If you are in any doubt as to whether the program is working correctly for some complicated configuration, set up a simple example with calendar dates rather than radiocarbon dates and use correlation and difference plots to follow what the program is doing.