Overview of IDL
IDL (the Interactive Data Language) is a complete computing environment for the interactive analysis and visualization of data. IDL integrates a powerful, array-oriented language with numerous mathematical analysis and graphical display techniques. Programming in IDL is a time-saving alternative to programming in FORTRAN or C. Using IDL, tasks which require days or weeks of programming with traditional languages can be accomplished in hours. You can explore data interactively using IDL commands and then create complete applications by writing IDL programs.
Analysis advantages include:
- Many numerical and statistical analysis routines—including Numerical Recipes routines—are provided for analysis and simulation of data. Compilation and execution of IDL commands provides instant feedback and hands-on interaction.
- Operators and functions work on entire arrays (without using loops), simplifying interactive analysis and reducing programming time.
- IDL's flexible input/output facilities allow you to read any type of custom data format. See Supported File Formats for details.
Visualization advantages include:
Application development advantages include:
- IDL is a complete, structured language that can be used interactively and to create sophisticated functions, procedures, and applications.
- IDL's Intelligent Tools (iTools) can be customized with your own operations or data manipulations.
- IDL widgets can be used to quickly create multi-platform graphical user interfaces to your IDL programs.
- Existing FORTRAN and C routines can be dynamically-linked into IDL to add specialized functionality. Alternatively, C and FORTRAN programs can call IDL routines as a subroutine library or display engine.
- IDL programs run across all supported platforms (UNIX, Macintosh, and Microsoft Windows) with little or no modification. This application portability allows you to easily support a variety of computers.
