Description of astrological exchange CALIF format

CALIF - (Common AstroLogical Interchange Format).
It is designed for the exchange of astrological data between astrology programs. Moreover, the astrological data refer not only to conventional data as date, time, coordinates and time offsets. This concept for CALIF format is much broader, as it allows to transfer any data that is used not only in the present, but also those what will ever be integrated in the astrology programs. In other words, this format is very flexible and easily adaptable to any data. So, this format supports the associated charts that allows to automate the process of rectification and prognostics.

DataWorker program, which, among other things, imports and exports data, will convert data from CALIF format to a format that is available for use.

Attention! Astrological data exchange is possible if the program supports this format. To integrate (create) the format in another program, the site presents a fairly detailed description of the format, storage schemes and examples of its use.

Page contains description of exchange CALIF format

General description of exchange CALIF format
Benefits of CALIF format use
Informational elements of records set
Set structure elements (records)
Record data elements (in a set)
Load (Download)
Frequently Asked Questions on CALIF format

General description of exchange CALIF format

The format is an XML-file with a random name and tags defined by a given storage scheme.

exchange file of XML format allows you to describe any tree structure of the database records;
encoding data files: UTF-8;
informational elements of records set uniquely identify this format and its set of records;
structure elements determine the structure of the whole set and its records (charts or events).
record elements describe the content of a single record (charts or events).

Benefits of CALIF format use

To view large pictures, please, mouse click on picture.

It allows to organize the data storage in a tree like structure with any configuration of folders.
It can manipulate the private parameters that are specific to a particular program.
It allows to automate the astrological analysis, search for charts and events by a number of attributes (type of chart, accuracy of events, themes of querent and quesited, relate events with basic natal chart, analyze the quantity (eg, changes in exchange rates for a particular stock exchange), etc.).
It does not depend on the data storage formats (date-time, coordinates, mark of time correction, etc.) specific to a particular country or community of astrologers.
Easily extended. It allows to enter new data extensions used only by a specific program.
It supports all languages and does not depend on the national encoding (uses UNICODE).
It is open and easy in realization due to XML.

The comparison diagram of data use in astrology programs

Without CALIF format

Each program has a number of data converter from other formats of astrology programs. Advanced program identifies 4-5 formats of astrology programs at least.
If the format is unknown an astrologer has no opportunity to take advantage of this kind of data

With CALIF format

Each program has only 2 converters: from CALIF format to native format (data storage format), from native format to CALIF format.
All data (from any program) generated and placed in a common space are available to any astrologer.

The exchange format enables:

to transfer related charts, pictures and any attributes of charts and events;
to add additional attributes of charts and events: easily expandable;
to generate the base of charts and events of any tree-like structure.

Informational elements of records set

These elements carry the information content of each set of records.

Element	Description	Format, remarks	Variants, exampples
fsign	Format signature	The format signature is required to identify the format of the file.	CALIF_DataFormat
fver	Version of format	YYYYMMDD	20140707
utctag	Attribute of direction of UTC offset	In Russia and Europe it is considered to use positive offsets from UTC to the east of Greenwich, and in the USA vice versa	P - plus east of Greenwich N - negative east of Greenwich
nameset	The name of the data set	SSS...SSS. Any string of characters available	Test example
dtset	Date of formation of a dataset	YYYYMMDDHHMISS (year-month-day-hour-minutes-seconds)	20140707211317
totrec	The number of records in the set	It describes a number of records of a given set	739
author	Information about an author of the data set selection	Astrologer-compiler of the data set/link to a page on the Internet	Astroman
...	other attributes	To be entered if required	...

Set structure elements (records)

These elements define the structure of the whole set and its records.

Element	Description	Note	Example
recset	The element of the whole records set	The root element of a set of exchange file records. Container file all records exchange.	<recset></recset>
rec	The element of one record from a set	The root element of each entry. Record container with a map or event data	<rec></rec>
nkeys	The element of a set of linkst of an event chart to natal charts	The root element of a set of links of each record to natal charts that gave rise to this event	<nkeys></nkeys>

Record data elements (in a set)

These elements describe the contents of each record (chart or event) related to the set.

Element	Description	Format, remark	Variants, examples	Need
rkey	A unique record key	A record can be either a chart or a folder. A key is to uniquely identify each record. GUID is recommended to use as a key	7AA8AC13A2F947CC82470CCBEE0B4700	V
pkey	The unique key of a parent record	Only a folder can only be a parent record. A key is to uniquely identify each record. GUID is recommended to use as a key	A73B273FF6094B14972F01FDD383320E	V
rtag	Record type attribute	S It describes the type of a record as a folder or chart	F - folder D - chart	V
name	Chart name(name, event, question etc.	SSS...SSS Any string of characters available	Birthday of Vladimir Visotskiy	V
dt	Chart date-time	YYYYMMDDHHMISS (year-month-day-hour-minutes-seconds)	19380125093400 25 january 1938, 9 hours 34 minutes 0 seconds	V
delta	Time offset of UTC	NHHMISS (sign-hour-minutes-seconds) Taking into account the direction attribute of UTC corrections in recordset attributes	+030000 - UTC+3 hours (to east) +053017 - UTC+5:30:17 (to east) -010000 - UTC-1 hour (to west)	V
lat	Place latitude	DDMISSN (degrees-minutes-seconds-semisphere N/S)	554500N - 55°45'00" N 000001S - 0°0'1" S	V
lon	Place longitude	DDDMISSN (degrees-minutes-seconds-semisphere E/W)	0373700E - 37°37'00" E 0070101W - 7°1'1" W 0000000E - 0°0'0" E	V
place	Text description of the place	SSS...SSS Arbitrary name of chart (event) place	Moscow (Moscow region)	-
remc	Note	SSS...SSS Free text for the chart (events)	rectification by Astroman	-
ctag	Attribute of chart	S Sign describing the type of chart	0 - undefined N - natal chart E - event H - horar chart	-
thems	Theme (s) of a chart	NNMM Theme (s) of a chart for events and themes of querent-quesited for a horary chart	0000 - for natal chart 0500 - event theme 5 0107 - querent theme 1, quesited theme 7	-
sex	Sex	S Gender attribute for a natal chart	0 - (zero) undefined M - male F - female	-
prectag	Accuracy character of a chart	S It describes the accuracy of chart date-time	For natal chart: 0 - undefined K - comogramm N - chart is not rectified R - chart is rectified For events: 0 - (zero) undefined P - exactly M - minutes H - hours D - days W - weeks Y - months	-
rpic	Link to the photo file	SSS...SSS relative file name and extension	vvisockiy.png - file is located in the folder with XML-file img\vvisockiy.png - file is located in the folder IMG, which is located with XML-file	-
nkey	A unique record key of a natal chart	It is intended to indicate a natal chart that gave rise to this event. It is used for the automated analysis of events and charts.	A73B273FF6094B14972F01FDD383320E	-
addvals	Additional terms	SSS...SSS Additional terms, used to enhance automated execution of operations. For example, there are additional house themes ("addtheme" tag), additional chart objects ("useobj" tag) and excluded objects ("ignoreobj" tag), which are used to define thematic objects, used in rectification and prognostics.	<addtheme>28</addtheme> <useobj>0304</useobj> <ignoreobj>06</ignoreobj>	-
fval	The value for the analysis	N.M (N: the integer part, M: the fractional part) It is used in the case of automated analysis of events and charts. For example, the value of currency exchange rate for a settlement on the specified date.	33.1719 4.0 -15	-
...	other attributes	other private attributes that can be used by a specific program	...	...