dot_idl_files.txt = .idl_* files used by LIBR LIBR (and perhaps other routines) pick up some needed information from a number of files in your home directory. The names of these files all start with .idl_. This method of passing custom information to IDL has several advantages over using system variables. One important one is that more complex information is easy to handle since it is stored in files. All the .idl_* files allow optional comment lines. Comment lines have ; in the first column and are ignored. Null lines are also ignored. The files needed and their functions are: .idl_editor gives the name of your preferred text editor. .idl_libs gives a list of main and optional mirror libraries. .idl_id helps LIBR find your name or initials when building a standard IDL front end template. More details on each file are given below. .idl_editor: An example file is: ;------ Editor to use from IDL spawn -------- ; R. Sterner, 15 Jan, 1993 vi .idl_libs: Each non-comment line of the file has one or two items. First is a main library directory. Second is an optional mirror library directory. The two libraries are separated by tabs or spaces. Every update to a main library is also done to a mirror library if one is given. As many main libraries may be given in the file as desired. All, some, or none may have mirror libraries. A directory named trash is assumed to exist. Deleted routines are copied to this trash directory. It should be listed in .idl_libs. Clean out the trash directory occasionally. An example file is: ;------------- Library list -------------------- ;------ Main library ------ ------ Mirror library -------- /data_bases/idl_libs/idlusr /users/sterner/idl/mirror/idlusr /data_bases/idl_libs/idlusr2 /users/sterner/idl/mirror/idlusr2 /data_bases/idl_libs/idlspec /users/sterner/idl/mirror/idlspec /data_bases/idl_libs/trash /users/sterner/idl/mirror/trash .idl_id: Has 4 non-comment lines giving the routine author's ID: last_name first initial first_name initials When constructing or updating the standard IDL frontend an attempt is made to find a line in the routine containing the author's name (or initials) the date the routine was written. An example of such a line is: ;------- R. Sterner, 21 Jan, 1993 An example file is: ;------ .idl_id = User ID used by getmodhist sterner r ray res