Making AAVSO from scratch
=========================

[I] Preparation of original AAVSO data (in Latest Data from AAVSO
folder)

The Internet Shortcuts here will lead you to the data

  1. Download and edit vallong.txt (AAVSO Validation File, Long) to remove the
second part and leave only the "real" data. Save as
vallong-part1.txt. 

  2. Download aavsostarpositions.txt and rename it
aavsostarpositions-j2k.txt 

[II] Main job of massaging and creating SN input

  1. Use MakeValTab.vbs to make vallong-part1-tab.txt

  2. Use MakeStarPosTab to make aavsostarpositions-j2k-tab.txt

  3. (optional) Use MakeGCVSCrossRefTab.vbs to make
gcvs-crossref-tab.txt

  4. Open MergeData.mdb

  5. Delete all records in the PositionsFile and ValidationFile
tables.

  6. Remove indexes and primary keys from the PositionsFile and
ValidationFile tables.

  7. Import vallong-part1-tab.txt into the ValidationFile table.

  8. Use the "Find duplicates for validations file" query to show
dupes and remove dupes from the ValidationFile table. You can
remove directly from the query result window.

  9. Add a no-dupe index to the Desig field of ValidationFile,
and set it to be the primary key.

  10. Import aavsostarpositions-j2k-tab.txt into the
PositionsFile table.

  11. Add a no-dupe index to the Desig field of PositionsFile,
and set it to be the primary key.

  12. Run the query "Delete ValidationFile Without Matching
PositionsFile" to remove Validation file records with no
position. There's no point in having entries with no pos!

  13. (optional) If you did (3), delete all data in the GCVS
Name-Number Cross Reference table

  14. (optional) If you did (13) Import gcvs-crossref-tab.txt
into the GCVS Name-Number Cross Reference table

  15. (optional) If you did (14) run the "Find duplicate Names
for GCVS Name-Number Cross Reference" query and delete
duplicates. Note that this removes the stupid names that contain
NU and nu, MU and mu, U and u (GCVS sequence versus Greek names),
preventing GCVS stars with names that contain these from being
listed as GCVS stars. They will instead be listed with AAVSO
catalog numbers. This is unavoidable, as the database operations
are case insensitive and the names in the AAVSO file are all
upper case. The differences are *sometimes* noted in the comments
field of the AVSO file. Dumb.

  16. FINALLY, press ALT-F11 to open the VBA environment, and run
the GenerateSNInput() function. This generates AAVSO.txt, the
input to Starry Night's catalog builder. Copy this to the 
Distribution folder for zipping with folders.

WHEW!

PS: Look at the files in Distribution\Text Descriptions and edit them
as needed to update the recency dates, object counts, etc. Save as 
ANSI text, Mac (CR-Only) format.

Bob Denny  20-May-2005




