File Formats & Libraries (#61)

Author: ax3l

source/fileformats.md

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+(c:impl.fileformats)=
+# File Formats
+
+The Particle Accelerator Lattice Standard (PALS) documents objects and their properties.
+For readability, [this standard uses YAML-style](c:introduction) examples, but the PALS schema can be implemented in a variety of file formats.
+
+
+## File Endings
+
+When storing a PALS lattice in a file, please use the following self-describing file endings.
+
+* [YAML](https://yaml.org/faq.html): `.pals.yaml`
+* [JSON](https://www.json.org/json-en.html): `.pals.json`
+* [TOML](https://toml.io): `.pals.toml`
+* [XML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML): `.pals.xml`
+
+
+## Schema Files
+
+Schema files for validation have not yet been developed.
+A validation tool based on pydantic is in development.
+See the [Libraries](#c:impl.libs) section.

source/index.md

@@ -18,6 +18,15 @@ multipass.md
 bend-multipoles.md
 ```
 
+```{toctree}
+:maxdepth: 2
+:caption: Implementations
+
+fileformats.md
+libraries.md
+simulations.md
+```
+
 ```{toctree}
 :maxdepth: 2
 :caption: Back Matter

source/libraries.md

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+(c:impl.libs)=
+# Libraries
+
+There are reference implementations of PALS parsers.
+
+
+## Python
+
+The [PALS-Python](https://github.com/campa-consortium/pals-python) project implements the PALS schema in a file-agnostic way, mirrored in data objects.
+
+PALS-Python provides interfaces to:
+* define lattices,
+* expand & evaluate expressions on lattices,
+* write and read from/to files,
+* convert files and
+* validate existing files.
+
+
+## More Implementations Wanted!
+
+We welcome community implementations of PALS!
+We seek implementations such as readers of PALS-conforming files to Julia/C++/Fortran/etc., visualization of PALS files, and more!

source/simulations.md

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+(c:impl.sims)=
+# Simulations
+
+The Particle Accelerator Lattice Standard (PALS) will be used used in various accelerator lattice simulations.
+
+## Planned Implementations
+
+- [BMAD](https://github.com/bmad-sim)
+- [BLAST ImpactX](https://impactx.readthedocs.io)
+- [BLAST WarpX](https://warpx.readthedocs.io)
+- *more coming soon...*
+