IVOA VOTable

VOTable is an XML format defined for the exchange of tabular data in the context of the Virtual Observatory.

---

---

VOTable latest release: Version 1.1 - August 11, 2004
Definition	XML Schema (standard reference)	DTD (approximation derived from schema)
Documentation	HTML	PDF

VOTable previous release: Version 1.0 - April 15, 2002
Definition	DTD (standard reference)	XML Schema (derived from DTD)	XSL (basic stylesheet)
Documentation	HTML	PDF	LaTex

Working Documents

• Referencing STC in VOTable (V0.5, 14-Sep-2007): (HTML) (PDF)
• Proposal for the next version of VOTable: votable-1x.html
• 2nd draft of VOTable 1.1: VOTable-1.09.pdf
  • comments on this draft: VOTableRFC

XML-Schemas

• VOTable 1.2-beta is the proposed new version of the XML-Schema for VOTable. It includes the modifications proposed for VOTable1.2 (essentially about INFO). It was tested on several code generators.

Votable Sessions at Interop meetings

• Cambridge (Mass., USA), May 24/27 2004: InterOpMay2004VOTable
• Strasbourg, Oct. 2003: InterOpOct2003VOTable
• Cambridge (UK), May 2003: InterOpMay2003VOTable

VOTable Software

VOTable available I/O libraries and tools

Mailing-list

• General working-group discussion archive.

Model-based Alternative

A spin-off effort has begun to develop a data model-based alternative data exchange mechanism. This new standard is (tentatively) titled the VODaX (Virtual Observatory Data eXchange) format. Since VODaX will be reliant upon an xml schema-based representation of the developing data model, a parallel effort has begun to develop this: see VODMX.

---