The standard GS+ input file format is comprised of header records and data records :
• Data records are space-delimited or tab-delimited XYZ type data. This means that each data record contains at least 3 fields: x-coordinate location, a y-coordinate location, and the value for at least one z variate measured at that x-y location (single-dimension transects will have only x-coordinate and z variate data values). Additional fields can hold a sample ID value and multiple z-variates for a particular x-y location.
• Header records precede the data records and contain whatever text information about the file that the user feels is useful. There can be any number of header records; for this format GS+ determines the number of header records automatically, which means that data records start with the first all-numeric record. The last header record can contain column titles (variate names), separated by commas.
• Missing values are denoted by the number -99.
• Any of these parameters (field delimiters, number of header records, missing value indicators, etc.) can be changed to a custom format from the Import Data File window.
The following listing is the first 11 records of a standard GS+ input file that has fields for sample ID, x-coordinate, y-coordinate, and two z variates. Note the variate names in the second record:
File Demo2d.dat; north end of field 98
sample, m east, m north, Pb, Al
1 4.5 11.9 0.42 0.42
2 2.7 29.4 0.6 0.45
3 1.6 32.6 0.6 0.08
4 4.1 44.5 0.43 -99.00
5 0.6 64 0.51 0.14
6 2.4 71.8 0.34 0.32
7 7.8 3.5 0.37 0.12
8 6.7 10.2 0.61 -99.00
9 6.7 16.3 0.46 0.49