Changes in IDL 5.5

Features Added in IDL 5.5

The following API features (functions, procedures, object classes or methods, etc.) were introduced in this release of IDL.

Table I-58: Features Introduced in IDL 5.5
Feature	Description
!CPU System Variable	Introduced
!ERROR_STATE System Variable	Added SYS_CODE_TYPE field
!VERSION System Variable	Added OS_NAME field
!WARN System Variable	Removed TRUNCATED_FILENAME field
ABS, ACOS, ALOG, ALOG10, ASIN, ATAN, BINDGEN, BYTE, BYTEORDER, BYTSCL, CEIL, CINDGEN, COMPLEX, CONJ, CONVOL, COS, COSH, DCINDGEN, DINDGEN, DOUBLE, EXP, EXPINT, FFT, FINITE, FIX, FLOAT, FLOOR, GAMMA, GAUSSINT, IMAGINARY, INDGEN, INTERPOLATE, ISHFT, L64INDGEN, LINDGEN, LNGAMMA, LONG, LONG64, MAKE_ARRAY, MATRIX_MULTIPLY, MAX, MIN, POLY_2D, REPLICATE, REPLICATE_INPLACE, ROUND, SIN, SINH, SQRT, TAN, TANH, TOTAL, TVSCL, UINDGEN, UINT, UL64INDGEN, ULINDGEN, ULONG, ULONG64, VOIGT	Added the following thead pool keywords: TPOOL_MAX_ELTS, TPOOL_MIN_ELTS, TPOOL_NOTHREAD
ACOS, ASIN, ATAN	Now accept complex arguments
ADAPT_HIST_EQUAL	Added the following keywords: FCN
BINDGEN, BYTARR, BYTE, CINDGEN, COMPLEX, COMPLEXARR, DBLARR, DCINDGEN, DCOMPLEXARR, DINDGEN, DOUBLE, FIX, FLOAT, FLTARR, INDGEN, L64INDGEN, LINDGEN, LONARR, LONG, LONG64, MAKE_ARRAY, OBJARR, PTRARR, RANDOMN, RANDOMU, REBIN, REFORM, REPLICATE, SINDGEN, STRARR, UINDGEN, UINT, UINTARR, UL64INDGEN, ULINDGEN, ULON64ARR, ULONARR, ULONG, ULONG64, WHERE	Modified the D_i argument to specify dimensions as a single array as well as a sequence of scalar values.
BREAKPOINT	Added the following keywords: ON_RECOMPILE
COMPLEX	Added the following keywords: DOUBLE
COND	Added the following keywords: LNORM
CONGRID	Added the following keywords: CENTER
CONVOL	Added the following keywords: MISSING, NAN
CPU	Introduced
CW_FIELD	Added the following keywords: TEXT_FRAME
CW_FSLIDER	Added the following keywords: DOUBLE, SCROLL
CW_PDMENU	Added the following keywords: CONTEXT_MENU
DEFINE_MSGBLK	Introduced
DEFINE_MSGBLK_FROM_FILE	Introduced
DEVICE	Added the following keywords: LANGUAGE_LEVEL, TRUE_COLOR
ERF	Introduced
ERFC	Introduced
ERFCX	Introduced
FFT	Added the following keywords: DIMENSION
FILE_CHMOD, FILE_DELETE, FILE_MKDIR, FILE_TEST	Added the following keywords: NOEXPAND_PATH
FILE_INFO	Introduced
FILE_SEARCH	Introduced
FINITE	Added the following keywords: SIGN
GAUSSFIT	Added the following keywords: ESTIMATES
GET_DRIVE_LIST	Added the following keywords: COUNT, CDROM, FIXED, REMOTE, REMOVABLE
GETENV	Added argument: Name. The Return Value returns the equivalence string for Name from the environment of the IDL process.
GRID_INPUT	Introduced
GRIDDATA	Introduced
HDF_VD_ATTRFIND	Introduced
HDF_VD_ATTRINFO	Introduced
HDF_VD_ATTRSET	Introduced
HDF_VD_ISATTR	Introduced
HDF_VD_NATTRS	Introduced
HEAP_FREE	Introduced
HELP	Added the following keywords: DEVICE
HIST_EQUAL	Added the following keywords: FCN
IDLcomIDispatch	Introduced
IDLffMrSID	Introduced
IDLgrBuffer::PickData	Added the following keywords: DIMENSIONS
IDLgrContour::GetProperty	Added the following keywords: DEPTH_OFFSET
IDLgrContour::Init	Added the following keywords: DEPTH_OFFSET
IDLgrContour::SetProperty	Added the following keywords: DEPTH_OFFSET
IDLgrPolygon::GetProperty	Added the following keywords: DEPTH_OFFSET
IDLgrPolygon::Init	Added the following keywords: DEPTH_OFFSET
IDLgrPolygon::SetProperty	Added the following keywords: DEPTH_OFFSET
IDLgrSurface::GetProperty	Added the following keywords: DEPTH_OFFSET
IDLgrSurface::Init	Added the following keywords: DEPTH_OFFSET
IDLgrSurface::SetProperty	Added the following keywords: DEPTH_OFFSET
IDLgrWindow::PickData	Added the following keywords: DIMENSIONS
INTERVAL_VOLUME	Introduced
MAKE_ARRAY	Added the following keywords: DIMENSION
MAX	Added the following keywords: DIMENSION, SUBSCRIPT_MIN
MESH_OBJ	Added the following keywords: CLOSED
MESSAGE	Added the following keywords: BLOCK, LEVEL, NAME
MIN	Added the following keywords: DIMENSION, SUBSCRIPT_MAX
N_TAGS	Added the following keywords: DATA_LENGTH
NORM	Added the following keywords: LNORM
OPENR/OPENU/OPENW	Added the following keywords: NOEXPAND_PATH
PATH_SEP	Introduced
POLY_AREA	Added the following keywords: DOUBLE
POLYWARP	Added the following keywords: DOUBLE, STATUS
QGRID3	Introduced
QHULL	Introduced
QUERY_MRSID	Introduced
QUERY_TIFF	Added argument: Info
READ_MRSID	Introduced
READ_TIFF	Added the following keywords: ORIENTATION Now reads 1- and 4-bit TIFF images.
REAL_PART	Introduced
RECON3	Added the following keywords: QUIET
REGION_GROW	Introduced
SETENV	Added argument: Environment_Expression
SHIFT	Modified the S_i argument to specify dimensions as a single array as well as a sequence of scalar values.
SIMPLEX	Introduced
SMOOTH	Added the following keywords: MISSING, NAN
WARP_TRI	Added the following keywords: TPS
WIDGET_ACTIVEX	Introduced
WIDGET_BASE	Added the following keywords: CONTEXT_EVENTS, CONTEXT_MENU
WIDGET_CONTROL	Added the following keywords: CONTEXT_EVENTS
WIDGET_DISPLAYCONTEXTMENU	Introduced
WIDGET_INFO	Added the following keywords: CONTEXT_EVENTS, SYSTEM_COLORS
WIDGET_LIST	Added the following keywords: CONTEXT_EVENTS
WIDGET_SLIDER	Added the following keywords: SCROLL
WIDGET_TEXT	Added the following keywords: CONTEXT_EVENTS
WRITE_TIFF	Added the following keywords: BITS_PER_SAMPLE, ORIENTATION, UNITS, XRESOL, YRESOL
XOBJVIEW	Added the following keywords: JUST_REG, RENDERER, XOFFSET, YOFFSET
XOBJVIEW_ROTATE	Introduced
XOBJVIEW_WRITE_IMAGE	Introduced
XROI	Added the following keywords: TOOLS

Features Obsoleted in IDL 5.5

The following features were present in IDL Version 5.4 but became obsolete in IDL Version 5.5.

Table I-59: Routines Obsoleted in IDL 5.5
Routine	Replaced by	.pro File?
DELETE_SYMBOL	n/a
DELLOG	n/a
DO_APPLE_SCRIPT	n/a
ERRORF	ERF
GET_SYMBOL	n/a
LJLCT	n/a
REWIND	n/a
SET_SYMBOL	n/a
SETLOG	n/a
SKIPF	n/a
TAPRD	n/a
TAPWRT	n/a
TRNLOG	n/a
WEOF	n/a

The following arguments and keywords are obsolete and should not be used in new IDL code.

Table I-60: Arguments and Keywords Obsoleted in IDL 5.5
Routine	Argument or Keyword	Description
IDLgrMPEG::Save	CREATOR_TYPE keyword	This keyword was ignored on non-Macintosh OS 9 (and earlier) platforms.
LIVE_PRINT	SETUP keyword	This keyword was ignored on non-Macintosh OS 9 (and earlier) platforms.
OPEN	MACCREATOR keyword	This keyword was ignored on non-Macintosh OS 9 (and earlier) platforms.
OPEN	MACTYPE keyword	This keyword was ignored on non-Macintosh OS 9 (and earlier) platforms.
READ_TIFF	ORDER keyword	This keyword was replaced by the ORIENTATION keyword
SPAWN	MACCREATOR keyword	This keyword was ignored on non-Macintosh OS 9 (and earlier) platforms.
WIDGET_BASE	APP_MBAR keyword	This keyword was ignored on non-Macintosh OS 9 (and earlier) platforms.
WRITE_TIFF	Order argument	The Order argument has been replaced by the ORIENTATION keyword. Code that uses the Order argument will continue to work as before, but new code should use the ORIENTATION keyword instead.

The following graphics device is obsolete and should not be used in new IDL code.

Table I-61: Graphics Devices Obsoleted in IDL 5.5
Graphics Device	Description
The LJ Device (LJ)	The LJ device was only available in IDL for VMS.