| PV-WAVE FAQ (1 of 2) [message #5887] |
Mon, 26 February 1996 00:00 |
mgs
Messages: 144
Registered: March 1995
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Senior Member |
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Following is part 1 of the updated version of the PV-WAVE FAQ. Please send
info about corrections, requests, etc., to mgs@visdata.com.
PV-WAVE FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about the PV-WAVE programming language.
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Archive-name: pvwave_faq.html
Last-modified: 7/24/95
Version: 1.1
Latest PV-WAVE FAQ: See Appendix A02.
FAQ maintainer: Mike Schienle
Email: mgs@visdata.com (Custom Data Visualizations - preferred)
schienle@igate1.hac.com (Hughes Santa Barbara Remote Sensing - alternate)
------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------
Table of Contents
Introduction
Section G: General Questions
Section T: Technical Questions
Section U: User Interface (GUI) Questions
Appendix 1: Disclaimer
Appendix 2: Obtaining the latest PV-WAVE (and IDL) FAQ
Appendix 3: Acknowledgements
Appendix 4: Previous Changes
------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------
Introduction
This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the PV-WAVE programming
language by Visual Numerics, Inc. These questions pop up fairly regularly in
the newsgroup comp.lang.idl-pvwave. This list is an attempt to cut down on
net traffic regarding commonly asked questions. Users are encouraged to read
through this list before posting a query to the newsgroup. A similar FAQ
geared for IDL users is also available. The PV-WAVE FAQ has been copied from
the IDL FAQ due to various reasons (PV-WAVE FAQ maintainer's past
association with IDL FAQ, similarity between languages, shared newsgroup,
etc.). The fact that the PV-WAVE FAQ was copied from the IDL FAQ is the
reason for the gaps in the numerical sequences of some of the questions.
Information for obtaining the IDL FAQ is in Appendix 2. Many responses have
been copied verbatim from the newsgroup, and some effort will be made to
keep the two FAQ's similar. These responses may have been written from an
IDL or PV-WAVE perspective, and contain references to the respective
languages. In general these references have been untouched if they work
correctly with either language.
A Note from the editor about IDL:
I am currently programming in both IDL and PV-WAVE for multiple
projects. As such, I will try to minimize comments which appear to
favor one package or the other. On occasions where a procedure,
function or feature is present in one package and not the other, I will
try to provide or request concise descriptions of the differences
between the two packages.
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General questions
* G01. What is PV-WAVE?
* G02. Where can I contact VNI about PV-WAVE?
* G03. How do I get PV-WAVE?
* G04. What is the current version of PV-WAVE?
* G05. On what systems does PV-WAVE run?
* G06. What is IDL and how is it related to PV-WAVE?
* G07. Are there anonymous FTP sites for PV-WAVE?
* G08. How can I get help?
* G09. Why is there one newgroup for IDL and PV-WAVE and another for IDL
only?
* G10. Does anyone at VNI read this group? Is anyone there listening?
* G11. When is the next version of PV-WAVE due out?
* G12. Are there training courses available for PV-WAVE?
* G13. Is there a World Wide Web server for PV-WAVE or PV-WAVE based
projects?
* G14. Is there a mailing list for PV-WAVE?
* G15. Where can I find help to PV-WAVE questions?
* G16.How can I access the "tips" database at VNI?
* G17. Can I get support electronically?
* G18. How can I find if a routine to do what I want already exists?
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Technical questions
* T01. Why doesn't polycontour fill open contours?
* T05. Is there on-line help for PV-WAVE?
* T06. I run PV-WAVE under X in SunOS 4.x, and after I logout, the screen
becomes completely blank. Typing in login names and passwords blindly
logs you in again with the correct colors. How to prevent this?
* T07. Sometimes my variables seem to disappear. Why is this?
* T08. Is there a major mode for editing PV-WAVE code in Emacs?
* T11. Where are all the PV-WAVE routines and userlib procedures?
* T12. Does anybody know how to put multiple image plots on one page in
PostScript?
* T13. Does case matter in PV-WAVE?
* T14. How do I set up PV-WAVE to get precise control over plot window
and text positioning with either portrait or landscape page orientation
on aPostScript or HP-GL printer?
* T15. I get the error message "Code Area Full". What do I do?
* T16. Sometimes Iget the following error message: %Unable to allocate
memory: to make array. not enough core
* T17. How can I set the cursor to a crosshair on my display?
* T18. How can I vectorize an equation of two different arrays?
* T19. How can I get PV-WAVE to work with MacX
* T20. How can I determine if a variable is defined?
* T21. Why should KEYWORD_SET not be used to check if a variable is
defined?
* T22. What is the undocumented routine TVRDC?
* T27. Why is memory not released back to the operating system after an
array is deleted?
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User Interface (GUI) questions
* TBD
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Appendices
* Appendix 1: Disclaimer
* Appendix 2: Obtaining the latest PV-WAVE (and IDL) FAQ
* Appendix 3: Acknowledgements
* Appendix 4: Previous Changes
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GENERAL QUESTIONS:
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G01. What is PV-WAVE?
PV-WAVE is a visual data analysis product of Visual Numerics, Inc. (VNI)
It's roots go back to the late 1970's, but was initially released in 1988.
The following is quoted from Visual Numeric's home page. As such, it
describes PV-WAVE's capabilities in an understandably subjective manner.
PV-WAVE is a software environment for solving problems requiring
the application of graphics, mathematics, numerics and statistics
to data and equations.
PV-WAVE is designed to solve problems fast, enabling you to:
1. quickly turn data into intuitive images
2. produce data analysis tools to fit your needs
3. increase the quality of your analysis
thereby giving you a strong competitive edge and increasing your
productivity.
PV-WAVE uses an intuitive fourth generation language (4GL) that
analyzes and displays data as you enter commands. With it you can
perform complex analysis, visualization, and application
development quickly and interactively.
Robust integrated graphics, numerics, data I/O, and data
management has made PV-WAVE the number one selling Visual Data
Analysis software family.
If you are interested in the history of PV-WAVE and IDL, please see Appendix
2 and follow the links/directions to the IDL FAQ.
------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------
G02. Where can I contact VNI about PV-WAVE?
Visual Numerics, Inc., United States office:
Visual Numerics, Inc.
6230 Lookout Rd.
Boulder, Colorado 80301 USA
Tel: (800)447-7147, (303)530-9000 FAX: (303)530-9329
Email: pvwave@boulder.vni.com
Visual Numerics Inc., International Offices
Visual Numerics SARL Tour Europe
33 Place des Corolles
Cedex 07
92049 Paris La Defense Cedex France
Tel: +33-1-46-93-94-20 FAX: +33-1-46-93-94-39
Email: info@vni-paris.fr
Visual Numerics Japan, Inc.
Hongo, MK Building, 3rd Floor
22-21 Nishikara 2-Chome
Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113 Japan
Tel: +81-3-5689-7550 FAX: +81-3-5689-7553
Visual Numerics International, GmbH
Zettachring 10
D-70567 Stuttgart
Germany
Tel: +49-711/72 87-490 FAX: +49-711/132870
Email: support@visual-numerics.de
Visual Numerics International Ltd.
New Tithe Court
23 Datchet Road
Slough
Berkshire
SL3 7LL United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1753 790600 FAX: +44 (0) 1753 790601
Email: info@vniuk.co.uk
Visual Numerics Inc., Taiwan
7F, #510, Sect. 5
Chung Hsiao E. Rd.
Taipei, Taiwan 110 ROC
Tel: 886 (0) 2-727-2255 FAX: 886 (0) 2-727-6798
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G03. How do I get PV-WAVE?
Contact the sales office numbers provided in G02.
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G04. What is the current version of PV-WAVE?
PV-WAVE 6.0 is the current version.
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G05. On what systems does PV-WAVE run?
PV-WAVE version 6 is available now on Sun, HP, IBM, SGI and Digital UNIX
systems, and on DigitalVAX and AXP OpenVMS systems. PV-WAVE Personal
Edition, a scaled down version of PV-WAVE Command Language, is available for
Intel-based PC systems running Windows 3.1. PV-WAVE 4.2 is available on NT
and Windows NT. PV-WAVE 6.0 will be available on Windows NT 3.51 and Windows
'95. Currently, these platforms are in a Beta release.
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G06. What is IDL and how is it related to PV-WAVE?
Around the time that the Unix version of IDL first became available (1988),
Precision Visuals Inc. (PVI) entered into an agreement with Research Systems
Inc. (RSI) under which they enhanced and resold IDL under the name PV-WAVE.
In September of 1990, they exercised an option in that agreement that
resulted in the following:
* PVI received a copy of the IDL source code as it existed in September
1990 in return for a one-time payment to RSI.
* The connection between RSI and PVI was severed.
* PV-WAVE and IDL are now on separate development tracks. Each company
enhances, supports, and maintains its own product.
PVI has since merged with IMSL and is now Visual Numerics, Inc. (VNI).
------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------
G07. Are there anonymous FTP sites for PV-WAVE?
VNI maintains an anonymous FTP directory at their Web site:
http://www.vni.com/pvwave.dir/wavehome.html. Additionally, VNI maintains an
ftp site at: ftp.boulder.vni.com.
------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------
G08. How can I get help?
VNI has excellent telephone and email support. You can contact them at
numbers provided in G02. Keep in mind, however, that VNI's technical support
is for their paying customers, i.e. those with current support contracts.
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G09. Why is there one newsgroup for IDL and PV-WAVE and another for IDL
only?
Unfortunately, there are two very different packages with the abbreviation
"IDL". The newsgroup comp.lang.idl is for the Interface Definition Language.
The newsgroup for discussing issues related to RSI's IDL and VNI's PV-WAVE
and the short-lived IMSL/IDL is comp.lang.idl-pvwave.
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G10. Does anyone at VNI read this group? Is anyone out there listening?
The following response was submitted by VNI's technical support.
Yes, one technical support engineer is tasked with the
responsibility of reading the newsgroup routinely and responding
to the appropriate questions by sending E-mail directly to the
sender of the posting. Many others in VNI also monitor the group
in order to understand user's concerns, interests and issues. All
PV-WAVE users that would like VNI to respond to their technical
questions should call or E-mail our technical support group for
help. We also encourage PV-WAVE users to subscribe to the PV-WAVE
Mailing List in addition to or instead of using this newsgroup
since it provides a direct line to other PV-WAVE users and
internally to VNI employees.
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G11. When is the next version of PV-WAVE due out?
The Windows 95 and NT release of PV-WAVE 6.0 is due out within the first
half of 1996. No firm date has been set at this time for the next UNIX and
VMS releases.
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G12. Are there training courses available for PV-WAVE?
Yes. Quoting from the training information web page:
The course is a very comprehensive introduction to the product.
The first three days of the course is designed to bring novice
users up to speed fast. The fourth optional day provides coverage
of intermediate topics such as interfacing PV-WAVE Advantageor
Command Language with software programs and building Graphical
User Interfaces (GUI).
The class is half lecture and half "hands-on." Classes are
normally held at our training facilities in:
* Boulder, Colorado
* Stuttgart, Germany
* Paris, France
* Slough, Berkshire, UK
We can, however, send an instructor to your site should you wish
to train a larger number of people.
You will learn how to:
* Read your data into PV-WAVE
* Display it in numerous ways
* Use the many data analysis and array manipulation commands
* Create and manipulate windows
* Perform image display and image processing commands
* Load and create new color tables
* Write PV-WAVE procedures, functions, and programs
* Interface PV-WAVE with C and Fortran programs (4 day class
only)
* Create Graphical User Interfaces using PV-WAVE Widgets (4 day
class only)
* and more!
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G13. Is there a World Wide Web server for PV-WAVE or PV-WAVE based projects?
VNI has WWW pages on PV-WAVE in general:
http://www.vni.com/pvwave.dir/wavehome/html
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G14. Is there a mailing list for PV-WAVE?
The PV-WAVE mailing list is an electronic forum where users can communicate
via e-mail in order to discuss topics relating to PV-WAVE. Additionally, VNI
employees will be able to post announcements and reply to user's questions.
To subscribe please include: subscribe pv-wave Your_Firstname Your_Lastname
in the body of a message addressed to listproc@boulder.vni.com For more
information on the mailing list (without having to subscribe) please
include: info pv-wave in the body of a message addressed to
listproc@boulder.vni.com
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G15. Where can I find help to PV-WAVE questions?
VNI has a Tips Searchable Database available on their WWW homepage and their
ftp site. The Tips Searchable Database is a database of over 500 PV-WAVE
questions and answers.
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G16. How can I access the "tips" database at VNI?
You can search the Tips database for PV-WAVE information. A search engine is
provided to allow you to search through the 500-600 online tips.
------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------
G17. Can I get support electronically?
Yes. VNI has a Technical Services Home Page. You can (quoting from
selections on the support page):
* Search the Tips database for PV-WAVE information.
* Get articles covering PV-WAVE topics from the Tech Notes Library.
* Discuss PV-WAVE with other users via the PV-WAVE Mailing List
* Download useful files from the PV-WAVE anonymous ftp site.
* Obtain user-contributed PV-WAVE code from the PV-WAVE User Library.
* Softkey Information is available to help you unlock your PV-WAVE
software.
* Email Technical Support, or directly using support@boulder.vni.com
* Technical Support Phone Numbers
* PV-WAVE Training Information
* The Consulting Services Group can provide you with custom-tailored
solutions.
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G18. How can I find if a routine to do what I want already exists?
One of the most useful tools to find an available routine is Pete Riley's
Searchable List of all IDL Routines.
This list is available from Pete's IDL page at
http://xlr8.lpl.arizona.edu/idl.html.
If you would like to add your IDL library to Pete's list contact him at
uk2@lpl.arizona.edu.
--
Mike Schienle
Custom Data Visualizationsmgs@visdata.com
mgs@visdata.com
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