.TH QUASAR 1 "" ""
.SH NAME
quasar \- program for extracting data from a STAR formatted file
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B quasar
< \fIrequest-file-name\fR
.SH DESCRIPTION
.I Quasar
is a fortran program for extracting data from a STAR formatted file. 
It is intended to demonstrate a general approach to processing a STAR file. 

.I Quasar
reads a list of data names (from the standard input device 5) to    
be extracted from the STAR archive file. This is referred to as the
"request" list or file. This file also contains the names of the data
blocks to be searched, and the names of the archive and output file (these
are specified as extensions to "star_arc_" and "star_out_" respectively).
If the archive and output files are not specified they are assumed to have
the filenames "STARIN" and "STAROT". Requested data items are output in the 
order requested. The same data item may be requested up to five times.
The archive file can be checked for logical integrity by entering the string
"star_log" into the request list. No data items will be output in this case.

.I Quasar
allows for "wild card" requests for data names. A data name request 
containing a trailing underline is a request for all data names matching the 
string preceding the underline. The request for "_" will return all data 
items in the specified data block. Data names are case insensitive.

.SH AUTHORS
Syd Hall, Crystallography Centre, University of Western Australia, 
Nedlands, Perth 6009, Australia. (syd@crystal.uwa.edu.au)
      
Rolf Sievers, Institut fuer Anorganische-Chemisches der Universitaet,
Gerhard-Domagk-Str., Bonn, Germany
.SH "SEE ALSO"
CIF(5), STAR(5)