Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
When we began to collect systematically photometric data it was felt that we needed an appropriate system of identification for our catalogues on magnetic tape. The current system of identification which uses catalogue or list name and star number is best suitable for printed catalogues but brings out many drawbacks when using and intersecting catalogues on magnetic tapes. Thus we developed a coded system of identification with the two basic conditions that it allows to include in the files stars with all possible Kinds of numbering found in the literature, and that computer use was as simple as possible (Mermilliod, 1973).