There is an inhomogeneous collection of hardware, data formats, access restrictions, software and user interfaces dealing with STP data within the UK. This makes it difficult to combine information from different projects. The aim of the STPDF is to provide the infrastructure to link the existing sources of data. Note that the aim is NOT to form a heavily centralised, proscriptive facility, rather to provide the ability to locate and access data from within existing software systems using a client/server architecture.
The STPDF is based on a powerful Application Programmers Interface (API) that allows all data available through the STPDF to be manipulated as if it were homogeneous. This API isolates the application from the mundane concerns about where the data is held and the underlying form of the data.
The STPDF also includes acts as a library for STP applications written using the STPDF API.
For example a simple WWW based catalogue reporting application already available.
Although the STPDF is primarily concerned with STP data the design philosophy is such that it is easily expanded to access data from other disiplines, astronomy for example.
A brief introductory tutorial The STPDF Tutorial. is available which leads news users into the full STPDF documentation.
David Giaretta, d.giaretta@rl.ac.uk Alan Wood, A.R.Wood@rl.ac.uk Copyright CCLRC 1997, 1998