Getting Started with CFITSIO

In order to effectively use the CFITSIO library as quickly as possible, it is recommended that new users follow these steps:

1. Read the following `FITS Primer' chapter for an overview of the structure of FITS files. This is especially important for users who are unfamiliar with the FITS table and image extensions.

2. Review the various topics discussed in Chapters 4 and 5 to become familiar with the conventions and advanced features of the CFITSIO interface.

3. Refer to the cookbook.c program and other programs that are included with this release for examples of routines that perform various common FITS file operations.

4. Write a simple program to read or write a FITS file using the Basic Interface routines described in Chapter 6.

5. Scan through the more additional set of routines that are provided in the `Specialized Interface', as described in Chapter 7. These routines perform more specialized functions than are provided by the Basic Interface routines.