| Re: IDL online help for v6.0 (sigh) [message #38570] |
Fri, 12 March 2004 16:49 |
JD Smith
Messages: 850
Registered: December 1999
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Senior Member |
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On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 19:39:18 -0500, Paul Van Delst wrote:
> JD Smith wrote:
>> :On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 14:49:37 -0500, Ben Tupper wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Paul Van Delst wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hello there,
>>>>
>>>> Well, I just got meself a new computer with Redhat Enterprise
>>>> 3.something and IDL 6.0. IDL works fine (so far), but the online help
>>>> requires acroread. Typically this wouldn't be a problem, but the powers
>>>> that be tell me that acroread is not available for RH Enterprise
>>>> (whether for technical and/or legal/political reasons I don't know).
>>>> I've tried substituting in open sourced readers like xpdf, but IDL
>>>> insists on using acroread (and, anyway, when I do use xpdf on the actual
>>>> help files, I don't have a lot of functionality).
>>>>
>>>> I know this was all hashed out in this newsgroup when the online help
>>>> change occurred, but since I had old versions, I really didn't give it
>>>> much thought. Now, however, I have a brand spanking new version of IDL,
>>>> but no online help.
>>>>
>>>> Can some kind person out there tell me what my options are? Will
>>>> acroread v5.0 run on RH Enterprise? Or can the help files be converted
>>>> somehow for use in a regular browser like mozilla? (I recall something
>>>> about this when this was previosuly discussed.)
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for any info.
>>>>
>>>> paulv
>>>>
>>>
>>> Hi Paul,
>>>
>>> I find that 99% of the time I use the HTML help system that is
>>> distributed with IDLWAVE (idlwave.org) even though I don't use IDLWAVE
>>> (yet). I find it very well organized and easy to navigate.
>>>
>>> I put a link to funclisting.html on my browser bar (it's my home page, too)
>>
>>
>> Thanks for the plug, Paul.
>
> Well, the plug was from Ben.
Sorry, meant Ben. Too much cathode radiation today. Just to give
credit where it's due, the CHM help in IDL6.0 for Windows is very much
just a peculiarly bundled pile of HTML, so it didn't take too much
processing to whip it into shape as a big set of HTML files: mostly
just decompiling it, fixing some internal links and adding
navigational links on each page. The main pain is scanning through
all of that documentation to associate links with those 10000 keywords
and routines in IDLWAVE I mentioned. But that's where all the fun is
too.
Good luck,
JD
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| Re: IDL online help for v6.0 (sigh) [message #38571 is a reply to message #38570] |
Fri, 12 March 2004 16:39  |
Paul Van Delst[1]
Messages: 1157
Registered: April 2002
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Senior Member |
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JD Smith wrote:
> :On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 14:49:37 -0500, Ben Tupper wrote:
>
>
>> Paul Van Delst wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Hello there,
>>>
>>> Well, I just got meself a new computer with Redhat Enterprise
>>> 3.something and IDL 6.0. IDL works fine (so far), but the online help
>>> requires acroread. Typically this wouldn't be a problem, but the powers
>>> that be tell me that acroread is not available for RH Enterprise
>>> (whether for technical and/or legal/political reasons I don't know).
>>> I've tried substituting in open sourced readers like xpdf, but IDL
>>> insists on using acroread (and, anyway, when I do use xpdf on the actual
>>> help files, I don't have a lot of functionality).
>>>
>>> I know this was all hashed out in this newsgroup when the online help
>>> change occurred, but since I had old versions, I really didn't give it
>>> much thought. Now, however, I have a brand spanking new version of IDL,
>>> but no online help.
>>>
>>> Can some kind person out there tell me what my options are? Will
>>> acroread v5.0 run on RH Enterprise? Or can the help files be converted
>>> somehow for use in a regular browser like mozilla? (I recall something
>>> about this when this was previosuly discussed.)
>>>
>>> Thanks for any info.
>>>
>>> paulv
>>>
>>
>> Hi Paul,
>>
>> I find that 99% of the time I use the HTML help system that is
>> distributed with IDLWAVE (idlwave.org) even though I don't use IDLWAVE
>> (yet). I find it very well organized and easy to navigate.
>>
>> I put a link to funclisting.html on my browser bar (it's my home page, too)
>
>
> Thanks for the plug, Paul.
Well, the plug was from Ben. But I just downloaded the idl html help files from
idlwave.org and have done the same as Ben - putting the funclisting in my bookmarks. The
IDLWAVE html help files are an extremely valuable resource.
What you and the other IDLWAVE folks have put together is just great. But <rant> I do have
to grouse a bit that this is even required! Why doesn't RSI provide this functionality in
browsers - which as I've learned today are a lot more widespread than acroread. The
previous IDL online help may not have been the best thing since sliced bread, but it was
ridiculously easy to use and search. It just really grates that despite all the $$ for
IDL, without the IDLWAVE effort, I'd be stuck for online help! Has anyone from RSI visited
http://www.mathworks.com/access/helpdesk/help/techdoc/matlab .shtml
?? Even the matlab site isn't that great, but at least it's there. Is there an equivalent
site for IDL? I mean, come on RSI! Man! :o(
</rant>
Thanks again to all the IDLWAVE people.
paulv
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| Re: IDL online help for v6.0 (sigh) [message #38576 is a reply to message #38572] |
Fri, 12 March 2004 13:53 |
JD Smith
Messages: 850
Registered: December 1999
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Senior Member |
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On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 22:18:03 +0100, Reimar Bauer wrote:
> Paul Van Delst wrote:
>
> Dear Paul
>
> I have not tried yet but I read about it in the german linux user magazine.
> http://gnochm.sourceforge.net/
>
> This tool is able to read the windows help files.
>
> If this works fine we should do a feature request.
>
Just installed gnochm and gave a try, but it doesn't work with the
idl.chm file from IDL6. I've submitted a bug report to the gnochm
team. Very good idea though! Has bookmarks and everything. If it is
controllable remotely from IDLWAVE I'd consider making it one of the
defaults. Note that Windows users can use the idl.chm from IDLWAVE
natively in the HTMLHelp viewer. Of course, they can't run a shell,
so it's a mixed blessing.
JD
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| Re: IDL online help for v6.0 (sigh) [message #38578 is a reply to message #38576] |
Fri, 12 March 2004 13:37 |
JD Smith
Messages: 850
Registered: December 1999
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Senior Member |
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:On Fri, 12 Mar 2004 14:49:37 -0500, Ben Tupper wrote:
> Paul Van Delst wrote:
>
>> Hello there,
>>
>> Well, I just got meself a new computer with Redhat Enterprise
>> 3.something and IDL 6.0. IDL works fine (so far), but the online help
>> requires acroread. Typically this wouldn't be a problem, but the powers
>> that be tell me that acroread is not available for RH Enterprise
>> (whether for technical and/or legal/political reasons I don't know).
>> I've tried substituting in open sourced readers like xpdf, but IDL
>> insists on using acroread (and, anyway, when I do use xpdf on the actual
>> help files, I don't have a lot of functionality).
>>
>> I know this was all hashed out in this newsgroup when the online help
>> change occurred, but since I had old versions, I really didn't give it
>> much thought. Now, however, I have a brand spanking new version of IDL,
>> but no online help.
>>
>> Can some kind person out there tell me what my options are? Will
>> acroread v5.0 run on RH Enterprise? Or can the help files be converted
>> somehow for use in a regular browser like mozilla? (I recall something
>> about this when this was previosuly discussed.)
>>
>> Thanks for any info.
>>
>> paulv
>>
> Hi Paul,
>
> I find that 99% of the time I use the HTML help system that is
> distributed with IDLWAVE (idlwave.org) even though I don't use IDLWAVE
> (yet). I find it very well organized and easy to navigate.
>
> I put a link to funclisting.html on my browser bar (it's my home page, too)
Thanks for the plug, Paul. If you like the HTML help (which really shines
in a Mozilla-based browser, especially once you've taken the measures
described in http://idlwave.org/idlwave.html Appendix B to get the illegal
Microsoft use of the "Symbol" font to work correctly), imagine having it
brought up to the correct page for over 10000 functions/routines/language
constructs/system variables/class definitions/etc. For example, I typed:
icontour,ZV[M-Tab]
to autocomplete, then invoking help:
icontour,ZVALUE=[M-?]
which pulled up immediately the correct keyword in the relevant HTML
help page. See the mozilla screenshot of said page here:
http://turtle.as.arizona.edu/idl/icon.png
And then run don't walk to idlwave.org ;).
JD
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| Re: IDL online help for v6.0 (sigh) [message #38579 is a reply to message #38578] |
Fri, 12 March 2004 13:18 |
R.Bauer
Messages: 1424
Registered: November 1998
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Senior Member |
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Paul Van Delst wrote:
Dear Paul
I have not tried yet but I read about it in the german linux user magazine.
http://gnochm.sourceforge.net/
This tool is able to read the windows help files.
If this works fine we should do a feature request.
Reimar
> Hello there,
>
> Well, I just got meself a new computer with Redhat Enterprise 3.something
> and IDL 6.0. IDL works fine (so far), but the online help requires
> acroread. Typically this wouldn't be a problem, but the powers that be
> tell me that acroread is not available for RH Enterprise (whether for
> technical and/or legal/political reasons I don't know). I've tried
> substituting in open sourced readers like xpdf, but IDL insists on using
> acroread (and, anyway, when I do use xpdf on the actual help files, I
> don't have a lot of functionality).
>
> I know this was all hashed out in this newsgroup when the online help
> change occurred, but since I had old versions, I really didn't give it
> much thought. Now, however, I have a brand spanking new version of IDL,
> but no online help.
>
> Can some kind person out there tell me what my options are? Will acroread
> v5.0 run on RH Enterprise? Or can the help files be converted somehow for
> use in a regular browser like mozilla? (I recall something about this when
> this was previosuly discussed.)
>
> Thanks for any info.
>
> paulv
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| Re: IDL online help for v6.0 (sigh) [message #38581 is a reply to message #38579] |
Fri, 12 March 2004 11:49 |
btt
Messages: 345
Registered: December 2000
|
Senior Member |
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Paul Van Delst wrote:
> Hello there,
>
> Well, I just got meself a new computer with Redhat Enterprise
> 3.something and IDL 6.0. IDL works fine (so far), but the online help
> requires acroread. Typically this wouldn't be a problem, but the powers
> that be tell me that acroread is not available for RH Enterprise
> (whether for technical and/or legal/political reasons I don't know).
> I've tried substituting in open sourced readers like xpdf, but IDL
> insists on using acroread (and, anyway, when I do use xpdf on the actual
> help files, I don't have a lot of functionality).
>
> I know this was all hashed out in this newsgroup when the online help
> change occurred, but since I had old versions, I really didn't give it
> much thought. Now, however, I have a brand spanking new version of IDL,
> but no online help.
>
> Can some kind person out there tell me what my options are? Will
> acroread v5.0 run on RH Enterprise? Or can the help files be converted
> somehow for use in a regular browser like mozilla? (I recall something
> about this when this was previosuly discussed.)
>
> Thanks for any info.
>
> paulv
>
Hi Paul,
I find that 99% of the time I use the HTML help system that is
distributed with IDLWAVE (idlwave.org) even though I don't use IDLWAVE
(yet). I find it very well organized and easy to navigate.
I put a link to funclisting.html on my browser bar (it's my home page, too)
Ben
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| Re: IDL online help for v6.0 (sigh) [message #38582 is a reply to message #38581] |
Fri, 12 March 2004 11:47 |
Paul Van Delst[1]
Messages: 1157
Registered: April 2002
|
Senior Member |
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Michael Wallace wrote:
> You can try installing Acrobat Reader v5.0. I don't know about Redhat
> Enterprise Linux, but I'm using this version of Acrobat on my Fedora
> laptop and I can navigate the IDL documents.
>
> http://download.adobe.com/pub/adobe/acrobatreader/unix/5.x/l inux-508.tar.gz
Bewdy. Thanks for the link. My reticence to install the freely available code is due to
the possibly draconian actions that may or (most likely) may not occur. Us foreigners have
gotta be extra careful not to attract the attention of certain bureacratic
peepers...especially in an election year ;o). I'm definitely overstating but there have
been enough roundups of legal immigrants in the DC area to make friendlies look askance.
Anyway, deportation back to Perth WA might not be that bad of a thing (good weather,
beeyootiful beaches, healthy disrespect for authority... etc... :o)
> Personally, I'd prefer HTML documentation, but I'll take whatever I can
> get.
I hear ya.
cheers,
paulv
p.s. I don't speak for NOAA and NOAA doesn't speak for me.
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