cfitsio-d 0.1.0

cfitsio-d

D bindings for the CFITSIO C library, which provides high-level routines for reading and writing FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) files.

Features

• Direct access to the full CFITSIO C API from D
• Cross-platform: Windows, Linux, macOS
• Easy integration with DUB
• Actively maintained and auto-updatable bindings

Prerequisites

You must have the native CFITSIO library installed on your system. This D package only provides the bindings, not the C library itself.

CFITSIO Installation

Windows

• Recommended: Use vcpkg to install CFITSIO:

  vcpkg install cfitsio

• Or, download and build CFITSIO manually.
• Make sure cfitsio.lib (and zlib.lib if needed) are in your LIB path, and cfitsio.dll is in your PATH or next to your executable.

Linux

• Install with your package manager:

  sudo apt install libcfitsio-dev
  # or
  sudo dnf install cfitsio-devel
  # or
  sudo pacman -S cfitsio

• This will provide libcfitsio.so in your system library path.

macOS

• Install with Homebrew:

  brew install cfitsio

• This will provide libcfitsio.dylib in your system library path.

Linking

DUB Configuration

Add the following to your dub.json or dub.sdl:

For Windows (MSVC):

"lflags": [
    "cfitsio.lib"
]

If your library is in a local lib/ directory:

"lflags": [
    "/LIBPATH:lib",
    "cfitsio.lib"
]

For MinGW, Linux, or macOS:

"lflags": [
    "-Llib",
    "-lcfitsio"
]

Or, if installed system-wide:

"lflags": [
    "-lcfitsio"
]

DLLs on Windows

If you use the DLL version, ensure cfitsio.dll is in your PATH or next to your executable at runtime.

Usage

Add as a Dependency

In your dub.json:

"dependencies": {
    "cfitsio-d": "~>0.1.0"
}

Or in your dub.sdl:

dependency "cfitsio-d" version="~>0.1.0"

Example: Create a FITS File

import cfitsio;
import std.stdio;

void main() {
    fitsfile* fptr = null;
    int status = 0;
    string filename = "!example.fits\0"; // '!' to overwrite if exists

    int ret = ffinit(&fptr, filename.ptr, &status);
    if (ret != 0) {
        writeln("Error initializing FITS file: ", status);
        return;
    }
    writeln("FITS file initialized successfully.");

    // Write a minimal primary HDU (header only, no data)
    int simple = 1;
    int bitpix = 8;
    int naxis = 0;
    int* naxes = null;
    ffphpr(fptr, simple, bitpix, naxis, naxes, 0, 1, 1, &status);

    ffclos(fptr, &status);
    if (status != 0) {
        writeln("Error closing FITS file: ", status);
        return;
    }
    writeln("FITS file closed successfully.");
}

Updating the Bindings

To update to a new CFITSIO version:

1. Download the new fitsio.h and place it in the c/ directory.
2. Run the update script:

   ./scripts/update_bindings.sh

1. Review and commit the changes.

Troubleshooting

• Linker errors about missing `cfitsio`: Make sure the library is installed and the linker can find it. On Windows, check your LIB path and use the correct lflags.
• Runtime errors about missing DLLs: Ensure cfitsio.dll is in your PATH or next to your executable.
• On Linux/macOS: If you get "library not found" errors, make sure libcfitsio.so/.dylib is in a standard library path or set LD_LIBRARY_PATH/DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH.

Contributing

• PRs and issues are welcome!
• Please run the update script and test on your platform before submitting changes.

License

MIT (see LICENSE file)

References

• CFITSIO Home
• D Language
• dstep (for updating bindings)
• vcpkg