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User Access to UV Data

There need to be flexible and simple ways for the users to manipulate their uv datasets. For example:

The user should be capable of using the host systems capabilities and utilities to manage his datasets. The datasets should use a normal file name, and the user should be able to use the host directory hierarchy to best organise the data.
Tasks should generally take multiple input uv datasets where this makes sense. For example, the map making program should be capable of taking multiple input datasets, all of which contribute to the output images.
There needs to be a flexible way for the user to select the particular subset of data, in a dataset, to be processed. As well as selection based on time, antenna number, frequency, etc, it should be possible to select based on the values of other data (including monitor data).

There need to be methods for general users to perform unusual or different processing and analysis on their uv data. In particular:

It should be possible to extract a subset of data from a dataset, manipulate it in some powerful (e.g. IDL-like) command language. This would include displaying the data and optionally replacing it in the dataset.
It should be possible to extract a subset of data from a dataset in a variety of formats (eg. FITS or plain text) in order to transfer the data to other programs or packages. It should also be possible to read the modified data back into AIPS++ using the same formats.
It should be possible to import general astronomical data (eg. catalogues) into AIPS++.
For applications where the built-in tasks and command language features are insufficient, there needs to a program interface to allow the casual programmer reasonable access to the data. Some flexibility and efficiency can be sacrificed in making this interface comparatively simple. FORTRAN programmers should be supported.

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