Read an AST Object from a GRP group using a Channel. The Channel can be configured using a set of attribute settings specified in the environment variable ATOOLS_CHATT_IN.

CALL ATL_RDCH( IGRP, IAST, STATUS )

IGRP = INTEGER (Given)

IAST = INTEGER (Returned)

STATUS = INTEGER (Given and Returned)

• If the group contains the dump of a Channel (of any class), then the Object returned via IAST will be the Channel itself. The exception to this is that if the " Begin " line at the start of the dump ends with the string " (Read)" , then the returned IAST Object will be the Object read from the Channel, rather than the Channel itself. For instance, if the group contains the dump of a FitsChan, and the first line of the dump is " Begin FitsChan(Read)" , then the returned IAST object will be the Object read from the FitsChan, rather than the FitsChan itself. This facility is only available for top level objects (e.g. FitsChans contained within FitsChans cannot be read in this way).