Overview of iTool Creation
Creating a new iTool using the iTools component framework is vastly simpler than creating a similar tool from scratch in IDL. The standard iTool user interface and functionality can be included in any new iTool with a few simple lines of code. Using the iTools framework leaves you free to concentrate on developing functionality unique to your application.
That said, creating even the simplest iTool does require that you have a basic familiarity with the concepts of object-oriented programming in general, and with the process of creating object-oriented programs in IDL in particular. If you have written even very simple object-oriented applications in IDL, or in another language such as Java or C++, you probably already have the necessary skills. For background information on writing object-oriented applications in IDL, see Creating Custom Objects in IDL (Object Programming).
The iTool Creation Process
To create a new iTool, you will do the following:
- Choose an iTool object class on which your new tool will be based. In almost all cases, you will base new iTools either on the IDLitToolbase class or on an iTool class that is itself based on IDLitToolbase. The IDLitToolbase class defines all of the standard iTool functionality exposed by the individual iTools included with IDL.
- Define the visualization types, data operations, user interface tools (manipulators), and data import/export features that will be available in your iTool. You can choose from a variety of predefined features included with the iTool system as included with IDL, or you can create your own. The process of defining the features available in your new iTool is discussed in Creating a New iTool Class.
- Register your new iTool class with the system as described in Registering a New Tool Class.
- Provide an IDL procedure that creates an instance of your new iTool class, as described in Creating an iTool Launch Routine.
This chapter describes the process of creating a new iTool from existing visualization types, operations, manipulators, and file readers and writers. The chapters that follow describe how to create your own visualization types, operations, manipulators, and file readers and writers to be incorporated into new iTools.
