Paths

You can modify the following preferences on the Preferences → IDL → Paths preferences page. (See IDL Path Management for additional information on how IDL uses path information.)

Option
Description
Default

Select path

Set this preference to select path type. Choices are:

  • IDL Path — Sets the initial value of the !PATH system variable, which determines the directories that IDL searches for, and includes files and programs written in the IDL language (.pro and .sav). See IDL_PATH for details.
  • DLM path — Sets the value of the !DLM_PATH system variable, which contains the directories from which IDL loads dynamically loadable modules (DLMs). See IDL_DLM_PATH for details.
  • Help path — Sets the value of the !HELP_PATH system variable, which determines the directories where IDL searches for online help files. See IDL_HELP_PATH for details.

IDL Path

List of paths

The Search Path field shows all of the directories included in the Path preferece. If the box to the left of a path element is checked, all directories below the listed directory that contain at least one .pro or .sav file will be included in !PATH. (This mechanism is analogous to the use of a "+" symbol in an EXPAND_PATH path definition string.)

The Path Preferences dialog uses the same mechanism to expand the elements of the Search Path field as is used by the EXPAND_PATH function. By default, this field is populated with the current value of the IDL_PATH preference.

Note - If the <IDL_DEFAULT> entry is present, the box to its left is both checked and greyed out (Windows) or completely blacked out (Motif), indicating that the token will always be expanded.

Note - See Specifying Windows Network Paths for information on specifying paths on network resources in a Microsoft Windows environment.

<IDL_DEFAULT>

Path buttons

  • Insert... — Use this button to add a path to the Search Path list. The new path is inserted after the first selected path. If none of the paths are selected, the new path is placed at the end of the list.
  • Insert Default — Use this button to insert the <IDL_DEFAULT> path token into the list. This token represents the default path entries IDL would have used if no preference were set. The actual value depends on the location of your installation. Removing <IDL_DEFAULT> from the path entirely may cause many IDL routines to fail.
  • Remove — Use this button to delete the selected path.
  • Move Up/Move Down — Use these buttons to reorder the path elements. When searching the directories in the !PATH system variable for files, IDL will use the first matching file it finds. If you have multiple files with the same name in different directories within !PATH, you may need to adjust the order in which the directories are scanned.
  • Expand — Use this button to replace the current selection with entries for all subdirectories that contain .pro or .sav files. When you click Expand, the checkmark is removed from the original path element, since the subdirectories are now explicitly included in the path search list.

See Automatic Compilation for more information on how !PATH is used by IDL.

None

Enable path cache

Set this preference to enable IDL's path caching mechanism. Path caching is enabled by default, and in almost all cases should be left enabled. See PATH_CACHE for more information about IDL's path cache.

This control sets the value of the IDL_PATH_CACHE_DISABLE preference.

Checked (on)