Csv file format

This is the format of the test files. They are actually normal text files following a pre-specified pattern of numerals, text and punctuation.

Usually, they correspond to a simple table. This table in turn might be considered a text form of a typical database table.

A Csv file, consequently, is a series of rows (lines). In our case there are a few constrains this file should have to follow. On each line there are 3 numbers. The first corresponds to the particular time (in seconds) of each one of the following 2 measurements. The first measurement is a number representing the number of C1 errors (in the case of a tested CD) or PI errors (in the case of a tested DVD). The second number is the corresponding number of C2 or PO errors.

In some cases it is useful to have a header included in each Csv file containing an indication for each one of the following numbers, according to the column they belong.

In an original Csv file the non-integer part of time corresponds to it's normal fractional part. They do not correspond to sectors (1/75 of a second.). As a results, the error rates illustrated in the graphs of our database do not correspond to those absolute values measured by the used programs themselves. This is due to the fact of summing them up over the period of one minute for CD's and 8 minutes for DVD's. We do this for easy inclusion in our database. However, these results are completely comparable with each other, and server the intended purpose of comparing quality results from different media.

Non-integer numbers for the other two numbers per each line are due to the above mentioned summation process (rounded to 2 decimal places) performed on the original Csv file. Instead of having to show several thousand (perhaps) numbers for each test result into a single picture, something user unfriendly and database cumbersome, we only include measures averaged over 1 or 8 minutes.

Below, on the left, is a sample Csv file for the case of a test-result for a CD. On the right, the shown numbers are those appearing after shrinking the original Csv

A sample concerning the test results of DVD are shown below. To the right is shown the topmost lines of the shrinked file.Both in the previous, as well as in the present case, the measurements are averaged over1 seconds during display. During submission, however, the Csv file is further summed-up down to one result every 8 minutes.