Expanded Summary of STAF

• STAF is a framework that you can easily run your OWN Physics Analysis Module (PAM) code in. You can also run any STAR PAM in this framework and easily connect your code to the rest of the STAR code. It also includes PAW and GSTAR (Geant for STAR).
  

• It contains Analysis Service Packages (ASP) which are the commands that you use to run the software and to examine data, and provide the I/O and interfaces to command lines.
  

• STAF framework and ASPs are now standard RHIC-wide and used by STAR & PHENIX
  

• You can write your code (PAM) in Fortran, C, or C++. You must write the parts that connect with STAF in a STANDARD way. A "stic" precompiler runs before the fortran or C compile to put it in the proper format.
  

• We use KUIP language (KUMACS) to communicate with STAF using the ASP commands. Whenever you write your own PAM, you must write the corresponding Kumacs to run it.
  

• The kumacs that run existing PAMs (and anything else you want to put in STAR libraries) are all written in a STANDARD format. Many kumacs are already set up for you to run and the STAF commands are hidden. It is easiest to start at the top and learn to run something and then understand how it worked.
  

STAR Computing                     Kathy Turner, BNL                     Offline Software Tutorials 10/98