---
name: "fiheader"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "fitsh"
version: "0.9.4-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/fiheader"
---

# fiheader(1)

reading and manipulating FITS header keywords

## NAME

fiheader - reading and manipulating FITS header keywords

## SYNOPSIS

**fiheader** \[*opions*\] \[*input*\] \[*-o\|--output \<output\>*\]

## DESCRIPTION

This program allows the user to read, set, alter or remove a set of values associated with the specified keywords from the primary header unit (a.k.a. simply "header") of a FITS image file.

## OPTIONS

### General options:

- **-h**, **--help**

  Gives general summary about the command line options.

- **--long-help**, **--help-long**

  Gives a detailed list of command line options.

- **--wiki-help**, **--help-wiki**, **--mediawiki-help**, **--help-mediawiki**

  Gives a detailed list of command line options in Mediawiki format.

- **--version**, **--version-short**, **--short-version**

  Gives some version information about the program.

- **-i**, **--input** \<image file\>

  Name of the input FITS image file.

- **-o**, **--output** \<image file\>

  Name of the output FITS image file (can be the same as the input image file).

### Read keyword values:

- **-g**, **--get**, **--read** \<keyword\>,...

  List of keywords to get from FITS header.

- **-F**, **--format** \<format\>

  Format of the output, space separated list of the arguments "filename", "keyword", "value", "comment" or "list", in the desired order. The "list" here is a list of tab-separated values of matched keywords.

- **-x**, **--extension** \<extension\>

  Read keyword values from the given extension.

Note that shell wildcard character patterns can be used in the keyword specifications.

### Altering FITS headers:

- **-s**, **--set**, **--update** \<keyword\>=\<value\>\[/\<comment\>\],...

  List of keywords with their new values (and optional comments) to be altered.

- **-a**, **--append** \<keyword\>=\<value\>\[/\<comment\>\],...

  List of keywords with their new values (and optional comments) to be appended to the existing list of keywords.

- **-d**, **--delete** \<keyword\>,...

  List of keywords to be removed from the header.

- **--force-alter-reserved-keywords**

  Enable to alter reserved FITS keywords (use with caution).

- **-w**, **--rewrite**

  Re-write the input file(s) directly. Use this option exclusively from **-o**\|--output.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to \<apal@szofi.net\>, see also https://fitsh.net/.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 1996, 2002, 2004-2008, 2010-2016, 2018-2020; Pal, Andras \<apal@szofi.net\>