GNU Info

(idlwave)Introduction

---

Next: IDLWAVE in a Nutshell Prev: Top Up: Top

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

Introduction
************

   IDLWAVE is a package to support editing command files for the
Interactive Data Language (IDL), and for running IDL as an inferior
shell.  It also can be used for WAVE/CL command files, but the support
for these is limited.  Note that this package has nothing to do with the
Interface Definition Language as part of the Common Object Request
Broker Architecture (CORBA).

   IDLWAVE is the successor to the `idl.el' and `idl-shell.el' files
written by Chris Chase.  The modes and files had to be renamed because
of a name space conflict with CORBAs `idl-mode', defined in Emacs in
the file `cc-mode.el'.  If you have been using the old files, check
*Note Upgrading from idl.el:: for information on how to switch.

   IDLWAVE consists of two parts: A major mode for editing command files
(`idlwave-mode') and a mode to allow running the IDL program as an
inferior shell (`idlwave-shell-mode').  Both modes work closely
together and form a complete development environment.

   Here is a brief summary of what IDLWAVE does.

   * Code indentation and formatting.

   * Font-lock support on three levels.

   * Display of calling sequence and keywords of more than 1000 IDL
     routines and any routines in your local IDL library.

   * Name space conflict search.

   * Fast context-sensitive online help.

   * Context sensitive completion of routine names and keywords.

   * Insertion of code templates.

   * Actions to enforce coding standards during typing.

   * Block structure check.

   * Support for `imenu' (Emacs) and `func-menu' (XEmacs).

   * Documentation support.

   * Running IDL as inferior process.

   * Shell with history search, command line editing and completion.

   * Compilation, execution and debugging of programs directly from the
     source buffer.

   * Examining expressions with a mouse click.

   Here are a number of screenshots showing IDLWAVE in action.

   * XEmacs 21.1 with formatted and fontified code
     (http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~dominik/Tools/idlwave/font-lock.gif)

   * XEmacs 21.1 displaying routine info
     (http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~dominik/Tools/idlwave/rinfo.gif)

   * XEmacs 21.1 completing a keyword
     (http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~dominik/Tools/idlwave/complete.gif)

   * XEmacs 21.1 with debugging toolbar; execution stopped at a
     breakpoint
     (http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~dominik/Tools/idlwave/shell.gif)

   In this manual, each section contains a list of user options related
to the subject.  Don't be confused by the shear number of options
available - in most cases the default settings are just fine.  The
variables are listed here to make sure you know where to look if you
want to change things.  For a full description of what a particular
variable does and how to configure it, see the documentation string of
that variable.  Some configuration examples are also given in the
appendix.