What this PDS3 inspector checks
The parser removes ODL comments while preserving line locations, joins multiline quoted values and sets, balances OBJECT and GROUP structures, and requires a standalone END. It inventories root metadata and pointers, converts one-based record or byte locations to zero-based offsets, associates unambiguous IMAGE and TABLE objects, and checks those layouts against the sizes of optional detached files.
IMAGE and TABLE layout arithmetic
For IMAGE objects, the report checks the required line, sample, sample-type, and bit fields and calculates uncompressed core sample bytes when the dimensions resolve exactly. For TABLE objects, it checks rows, row bytes, declared column count, one-based column bounds, duplicate names, and overlaps. Prefix and suffix bytes are included where their repetition is unambiguous; complex multiband attachment layouts remain explicitly unresolved.
Record and byte pointers
A record pointer starts at (record − 1) × RECORD_BYTES; a <BYTES> pointer is also one-based and starts at byte value − 1. Detached tuple pointers identify a filename plus location. Exact filename case matters in an archive, so a case-only mismatch is reported separately from a missing selected file.
Validation boundary
A clean report is not PDS3 validation or scientific verification. This tool does not apply the complete PDS Data Dictionary, mission dictionaries, catalog requirements, naming rules, checksums, SFDU rules, compression semantics, every PDS object type, or content-level sample validation. It supports detached text labels only; attached binary labels and PDS4 XML require different workflows. Run NASA’s Validate/VTool software and the applicable PDS node procedures for authoritative archival review.
Frequently asked questions
Does it read the selected image or table data?
No. Supporting files contribute only their exact browser-reported names and sizes. The tool does not decode planetary images, spectra, or table records.
Does it support PDS4 XML labels?
No. PDS4 uses XML, schemas, Schematron, and a different information model. A PDS4 version value is rejected rather than guessed.
Why is an attached pointer only a warning?
An attached pointer can be valid PDS3, but this page intentionally handles detached labels and cannot confirm an offset against binary bytes that were not selected as the label source.
Can it repair a label?
No. Automatic changes can alter archival meaning or break dictionary rules. The report and CSV retain line-level evidence for deliberate correction.
Official references
The parser and layout checks follow NASA’s PDS3 Standards Reference 3.8, especially the ODL, pointer, record, IMAGE, and TABLE chapters. NASA notes that new providers use PDS4, while projects begun under PDS3 may complete their archives under PDS3.
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