What does CIF stand for?
| Full form | Crystallographic Information File |
|---|---|
| Category | Science & engineering |
| Type | Abbreviation |
The abbreviation CIF stands for Crystallographic Information File in structural science. It names a file format used to exchange and archive crystallographic information.
A file’s syntax, the dictionary interpretation of its data items and the scientific assessment of its contents are different questions. In CIF 1.1 syntax, the unquoted special value ? marks unknown data and . marks inapplicable data. Neither is a measured zero. The format has versions: the 2016 CIF 2.0 specification describes additional character and compound-value capabilities, so do not assume every file can be interpreted by a reader for one earlier version.
Meaning in context
- Crystallographic
- The structural-science information context.
- Information
- Data interpreted through definitions, not just a filename.
- File
- The exchange or archive format; the broader framework is a related but distinct use of CIF.
Practical examples
Read unknown data
- Before
The unquoted ? means this quantity was measured as zero.
- After
In the CIF 1.1 exercise, ? means unknown data; it does not supply a measured value.
A missing-data marker does not turn into a numeric observation. The example uses a token alone and asserts no particular experimental result.
Separate syntax from science
- Before
The file opens, so every scientific conclusion in it must be correct.
- After
Opening or parsing the file is separate from interpreting its dictionary items and assessing the scientific result.
File readability answers a narrower question than scientific correctness.
Original illustrative examples, not quotations or reports of actual events.
Use CIF with clarity
What does a missing-data marker in a CIF file establish?
See all guidance
Identify the file
Keep the stated format version with the file.
Which CIF version does this reader support?
Read a missing marker
Distinguish unknown ? from inapplicable . in this CIF 1.1 exercise.
Neither unquoted special value is a measured zero.
Interpret a data item
Consult the relevant dictionary definition rather than guessing from a tag.
Which dictionary defines this data name?
The exercise handles only two declared unquoted CIF 1.1 markers. It checks no complete file, quoted string, dictionary conformance or scientific result.
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By AcronymIndex Editorial Team · Editorial policy