CompuServe Messages

Running behind as usual, I wanted to add something to this discussion earlier — intended to look up a reference at work — started on that, when it didn't find it all immediately, got distracted and never got back to it. >> System: abbreviation would help limit the size of the text form here. >> I limited my options to one of these in my database: Iso (isometric=cubic), >> Hex (hexagonal), Rho (rhombohedral=trigonal), Tet (tetragonal), >> Ort (orthorhombic), Mon (monoclinic), Tri (triclinic), Non (amorphous). Wanted to point out that this can be reduced to a single letter if you use 'anorthic' for 'triclinic'. [i.e. I (or C), H, R, T, O, M, A, N… remembering, of course, that an amorphous material is by definition not a mineral — but allowing you to use it for the convenience of including those few things that fall here, that collectors et al are sure to look for.] I prefer to list T and O after I, followed by H and R, but I may be in the minority here. This is a similar suggestion to the one Angus made, but possibly nicer as these are all alpha-characters, no "4" — allowing the field to reject anything but a letter. (I forget what programmers call such exclusivity…) P.S. I plagiarized this idea from somewhere (ICDD? ACA? AMS?) but honestly could not find it easily!