Messages from Usenet group comp.lang.idl-pvwave, compiled by Paulo Penteado
Jeffrey Newmark (newmark@eitv2.nascom.nasa.gov) writes: > I was wondering if anyone has had problems reading save sets > made with IDL V5.4 on older versions? Is this a feature? Uh, yes. It has been a feature since IDL 0.934b. > I can read old save sets on the new version. If indeed the savesets > are not backwards compatible, that is very annoying! What can I say. Get used to disappointment. :-) Cheers, David P.S. Let's just say I'm working on a future-looking version of IDL that will anticipate all the new features in the product up through February 29th, 2043. You should see the list!! -- David Fanning, Ph.D. Fanning Software Consulting Phone: 970-221-0438 E-Mail: davidf@dfanning.com Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/ Toll-Free IDL Book Orders: 1-888-461-0155
Jeffrey Newmark wrote: > > Hi All, > > I was wondering if anyone has had problems reading save sets > made with IDL V5.4 on older versions? Is this a feature? I > can read old save sets on the new version. If indeed the savesets > are not backwards compatible, that is very annoying! Backwards compatibility? Now there's a concept. Isn't what you're trying to do like attempting to compile Fortran90 code with a FORTRAN IV compiler? Lucky you're not SAVEing compiled code in IDL - that's not even upwardly compatible! paulv -- Paul van Delst A little learning is a dangerous thing; CIMSS @ NOAA/NCEP Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring; Ph: (301) 763-8000 x7274 There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, Fax: (301) 763-8545 And drinking largely sobers us again. Email: pvandelst@ncep.noaa.gov Alexander Pope.
Reading all these responses one might think that most of the people who post here are quite unhappy with IDL. I noticed that any new version is able to read and write ascii just fine. For sophisticated data exchange, there are designated, specified formats, like CDF etc that can be read by our own code or IDL built-in ones. IDL's .sav files in my understanding are a proprietary format, and I am glad they are platform-indpendent within the same IDL version - which I think the purpose of .sav format is. Maybe we should not expect too much. Try reading MSWord 2000 formatted file with MSWord 2 for Windows. Cheers, Pavel
Pavel A. Romashkin (pavel.romashkin@noaa.gov) writes: > Reading all these responses one might think that most of the people who > post here are quite unhappy with IDL. Au contraire. (Spelling? I'm still working on my German, I can't be expected to know French, too.) After fooling around with a LOT of software this month, I have to tell you I am only too happy to be back working in IDL. It's peculiar, certainly, but it's not generally vicious. And it *never* installs phantom devices. :-) Cheers, David -- David Fanning, Ph.D. Fanning Software Consulting Phone: 970-221-0438 E-Mail: davidf@dfanning.com Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/ Toll-Free IDL Book Orders: 1-888-461-0155
David Fanning wrote: > > Jeffrey Newmark (newmark@eitv2.nascom.nasa.gov) writes: > >> I was wondering if anyone has had problems reading save sets >> made with IDL V5.4 on older versions? Is this a feature? > > Uh, yes. It has been a feature since IDL 0.934b. > >> I can read old save sets on the new version. If indeed the savesets >> are not backwards compatible, that is very annoying! > > What can I say. Get used to disappointment. :-) > > Cheers, > > David > > P.S. Let's just say I'm working on a future-looking > version of IDL that will anticipate all the new features > in the product up through February 29th, 2043. You > should see the list!! Oh, actually some degree of forward compatibility _is_ possible after all. I recently opened my eyes in amazement when I was able to read a text document produced with StarOffice 5.2 in the StarOffice 5.1 version. Seems like this would never be possible with MS Word, for they release new versions every so often specifically to ensure that the file format changes. In terms of the IDL sav files, it should be possible for RSI to create a file format that is preserved over version changes most of the time, so that only new features will not be recognized when reading them into an older version of IDL. In fact, some work on this could open possibilities for cheap (free?) runtime licenses allowing only execution of sav files but no pro file compilation or interactive command line. Right now it seems practically impossible to distribute applications as sav files because you have to provide one for every new version (I vaguely remember that sav files are not even backwards compatible ?). Cheers, Martin -- [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ [[[[[[[ [[ Dr. Martin Schultz Max-Planck-Institut fuer Meteorologie [[ [[ Bundesstr. 55, 20146 Hamburg [[ [[ phone: +49 40 41173-308 [[ [[ fax: +49 40 41173-298 [[ [[ martin.schultz@dkrz.de [[ [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[ [[[[[[[