How to report file-related problems

[David Nečas]

When you report that Gwyddion cannot load your data files correctly:

• Use the File formats forum here or a Gwyddion mailing list. Please only write to Gwyddion developers directly if private information/data which must not be discussed in public is involved.
• Always give some example of a problematic file (as an attachment in the forum, if the data are not secret). We cannot do anything if we cannot examine the file and see how it differs from files we know how to load. Sometimes we may need more than one example of such file.
• Try to provide information about the file contents – data exported to a text file, screenshots of the file loaded in the instrument's software, description of data types and ranges, … There are hundreds of different SPM instruments and software types and we do not have access to most of them. We probably cannot open your file in manufacturer's software for comparison.
• Try to provide information about the file format if you have any, especially when you know the file format is currently unsupported or it is a new file format version which differs a lot from the one supported by Gwyddion.
• Do not post screenshots of Gwyddion error messages, unless you know you are geting different errors than eveyone else opening the same files. The error message alone is not sufficient to improve the file import – and we will see it ourselves when we try to open the file you provided.
• Avoid lengthy introduction of yourself as it does not help improving the file format support. Please instead spend the effort on providing useful factual information about the files.

See also the FAQ.