File Formats / Meta Data

[NichtJens]

Currently, the different files the DAQ writes are slightly inconsistent:

• Format 1 (BSDATA, CAMERAS & PVCHANNELS)

Has no place for meta data.

/CH1/
/CH2/
...
/CHn/

• Format 2 (JFs (single channel) & BSREAD (legacy files))

/data/CH1/
/data/CH2/
...
/data/CHn/
/general/ # contains meta data

• Format 3 (PVDATA)

/CH1/
/CH2/
...
/CHn/
/general/ # contains meta data

Format 3 is new. I think, it would be preferable to not introduce a new format but re-use Format 1 or 2. In general, a place to write meta data to would be good to future proof the format.

Further, having channels and a non-channel group (/general/) on the same level makes looping over channels harder (it's the classical example of "do you store your tax documents in the same folder as your holiday photos?" ;-) ).

Thus, I would prefer switching to Format 2 for (at least) PVDATA, but probably simply for all file types. I opened a PR for changing PVDATA.