Noel Cross wrote:
I know nothing about XDF. Mauro once pointed out this reference though:
White, R.J. & Allkin, R. 1992. A language for the definition and exchange of biological data sets. Mathl. Comput. Modelling, Vol. 16, No. 6/7, pp. 199-223.
This is the "official" publication for the XDF format, and is much less detailed than the equivalent publication for NEXUS. I have however a few detailed documents of the XDF specification, that were given to me by Bob Allkin, some years ago. As far as I know, XDF has not been used outside the scope of the ILDIS project, and I don't know if it is still being maintained by White & Allkin (I will ask to Bob, as he is now working here in Brazil). On peculiarity of this format is that it is intended to be used for transfering data between relational databases, as NEXUS is directed to the representation and transfer of phylogenetic datasets.
I will be glad to send a copy of this documentation to someone in this list who could distribute it to anyone interested in it (maybe I could send it to Gregor?).
PS Just as an aside, do this informal (and intended to be fun) treatment offends you (or anyone else in this list?).
..."Computer Taxonomists" -- ouch!
Best wishes,
-- + - - - - - - - - - - - - Mauro J. Cavalcanti - - - - - - - - - - - - + | Setor de Paleovertebrados, Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia | | Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro | | Quinta da Boa Vista, 20940-040, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRASIL | | E-mail: maurobio@acd.ufrj.br | | Home Page: http://read.at/digitax/personal.html | + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + "Life is complex. It consists of real and imaginary parts."