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## B.40 `votcopy`: Transforms between VOTable encodings

The VOTable standard provides for three basic encodings of the actual data within each table: TABLEDATA, BINARY and FITS. TABLEDATA is a pure-XML encoding, which is relatively easy for humans to read and write. However, it is verbose and not very efficient for transmission and processing, for which reason the more compact BINARY format has been defined. FITS format shares the advantages of BINARY, but is more likely to be used where a VOTable is providing metadata 'decoration' for an existing FITS table. In addition, the BINARY and FITS encodings may carry their data either inline (as the base64-encoded text content of a `STREAM` element) or externally (referenced by a `STREAM` element's `href` attribute).

These different formats have their different advantages and disadvantages. Since, to some extent, programmers are humans too, much existing VOTable software deals in TABLEDATA format even though it may not be the most efficient way to proceed. Conversely, you might wish to examine the contents of a BINARY-encoded table without use of any software more specialised than a text editor. So there are times when it is desirable to convert from one of these encodings to another.

`votcopy` is a tool which translates between these encodings while making a minimum of other changes to the VOTable document. The processing may result in some changes to lexical details such as whitespace in start tags, but the element structure is not modified. Unlike `tpipe` it does not impose STIL's model of what constitutes a table on the data between reading it in and writing it out, so subtleties dependent on the exact structure of the VOTable document will not be mangled. The only important changes should be the contents of `DATA` elements in the document.

- B.40.1 Usage
- B.40.2 Examples

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STILTS - Starlink Tables Infrastructure Library Tool Set
Starlink User Note256
STILTS web page: http://www.starlink.ac.uk/stilts/
Author email: m.b.taylor@bristol.ac.uk
Mailing list: topcat-user@jiscmail.ac.uk