If you have no format file ready, MAKE/STARTABLE copies a standard table-format template named starfile.fmt into your working directory. The ASCII format file describes the input file by giving the column numbers (character positions) of the input file in which each field (table column) begins and ends; it describes the final display formats with Fortran-like format specifications. Note that the widths of the input and display formats do not have to match.
You can edit this ASCII format file with any editor. All you need to do is fill in the correct first and last column numbers of the various fields, and delete references to fields you do not need. You may also want to modify some formats; for example, you may have Right Ascensions given only to minutes and tenths instead of minutes and seconds. The appropriate formats are explained in comment lines (beginning with ``!'') in the dummy format file. After editing the format file, re-invoke MAKE/STARTABLE. This time, tell it you have a format file ready; it will use the formatting information to convert your ASCII file to a MIDAS table file.