| IDL and sqlite [message #63460] |
Mon, 10 November 2008 01:56  |
Michi
Messages: 9
Registered: December 2007
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Junior Member |
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Hello all,
I frequently have to deal with large amounts (~10000) of DICOM-files.
More specific, I have to query all these files for certain DICOM-tags
such as image number, echo time, series name, series UID, acquisition
time and pick some files that match certain criteria. ATM, this is
done by reading in the whole directory. This is tedious if it has to
be done more than once.
I came up with the idea, that this is a perfect job for a sqlite-
database (www.sqlite.org), that is kept entirely in one file with no
need to have a server running such as with mysql (This is essential
for our application, since we distribute it as a virtual machine to
physicians, and you can't expect them to install a mysql-server).
There are many language bindings for sqlite, but I haven't found one
for IDL.
Does anybody have experience with using sqlite from IDL? This would
just be the perfect tool for this job...
Best regards,
Michi
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| Re: IDL and sqlite [message #63571 is a reply to message #63460] |
Fri, 14 November 2008 16:45  |
David Fanning
Messages: 11724
Registered: August 2001
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Senior Member |
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Rick Towler writes:
> And maybe they *are* seeing this in sales as there are 10 new users for
> every one like me so IDL sales will only grow
Any conspiracy buffs out there?
I got to thinking about Rick's last post as I was folding
my laundry and trying to calm down after that crack about
"sounding like David". Here is the interesting thing:
every time I am around an ITTVIS person I ask the question,
"Who are you selling this...well, let me say, "stuff"...
to?" And I have yet to receive an answer.
Now, I find that interesting. ITTVIS seldom fails to answer
my questions, but this is one I have started to ask more
pointedly as I have noticed it is never answered. Last week
I got the answer "Maybe ITTVIS doesn't want you to know who
their customers are."
Now, that might be a pretty good answer, if I was competing
with them for business, like I used to, but it doesn't much
apply anymore. And, heck, I don't want to do any business
with anyone buying IDL for iTools anyway, so...
And then, as I was folding my underwear and thinking it
might be time to help the economy out by making a few
purchases, it all became clear to me...
The last time I was up to ITTVIS I had a very hard time
getting inside. No one even answers the phone when you
call the company. If you don't know the name of the person
you want to talk to, you are SOL. All black ops and recorded
messages. And then someone mentioned that part of the second
floor was off limits even to ITTVIS employees. Some kind of
super-secret deal going on behind closed doors.
Plus, I was talking to the organizers of the IDL User's Group
meeting, and they mentioned they were doing another meeting just
like it in the Washington area, but that it was closed to the
public. The only way to get in was to have a Secret Clearance.
So, here is what I think. Homeland Security has a HUGE contract
with ITTVIS to produce some super-secret software (probably with
ENVI). Those hapless souls don't have a clue about software and
probably lap the iTool stuff up. (I think I mentioned earlier
that "software consulting" was the fastest growing part of ITTVIS's
business.) Do you see where I am going with this? They don't need
us. They aren't even selling this stuff to us. And they don't want
us to know WHO they are selling it to.
Boy, it's all clear now!
Cheers,
David
--
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting, Inc.
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
Sepore ma de ni thui. ("Perhaps thou speakest truth.")
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| Re: IDL and sqlite [message #63572 is a reply to message #63460] |
Fri, 14 November 2008 15:54 |
Rick Towler
Messages: 821
Registered: August 1998
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Senior Member |
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I agree with Robbie, an improved dataminer should be part of the
standard IDL library. Database connectivity is critical to a number of
things I do every day and I end up using MATLAB or Python* for these
tasks, even though IDL would in other ways be a perfect fit.
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned dataminer. I believe that it
ships with ODBC drivers for the major platforms. I've played around
with it a bit and while it was a little awkward it works. It costs
money, but it may be a viable solution to your problem.
In MATLAB I wrote a db interface using MS ADODB via MATLAB's COM
interface which works fantastically (better than their expensive
database toolbox IMHO). ADODB is windows only, but I thought I would try
the same in IDL and while it works it is very limited because of IDL's
lack of built-in data structures (IDL's COM interface cannot return
mixed type data which is just about any row of any database ever
conceived). I stopped development because performance was a requirement
and the thought of breaking queries based on the type of the returned
data and assembling the output after the fact was ludicrous (and there
were what I though were bugs in the COM interface). BUT, this might
work for you, especially since you can design the tables around these
limitations. And if I understand what you want to do you could do it
all with using all char typed columns. Possibly a solution if you can
stomach the windows only aspect.
I'd be happy to share the prototyping code I have which would get you
started.
-Rick
* We've talked about this a lot lately but this exemplifies the
trade-off ITTVIS is playing with when they focus so much of their
development on point-and-click analysis tools like the iTools at the
cost of additions to core functionality. They may be drawing in more
users who are uncomfortable with programming and like the features of
the iTools but they're losing developers who want a "smart and full
featured" language (whatever that is, you get the idea).
They probably don't see this in sales yet as most shops have lots of
legacy code that is still floating around but 75% of the production code
I am writing now is in Python+Numpy+Scipy+pyQt. At some point I will
not be able to justify the cost of my IDL license as more and more code
is retired.
And maybe they *are* seeing this in sales as there are 10 new users for
every one like me so IDL sales will only grow. That's good, although I
guess I am a little disappointed to see what may be the beginning of the
end of a personal era.
Sheesh. Now I am starting to sound like David. ;)
Michi wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I frequently have to deal with large amounts (~10000) of DICOM-files.
> More specific, I have to query all these files for certain DICOM-tags
> such as image number, echo time, series name, series UID, acquisition
> time and pick some files that match certain criteria. ATM, this is
> done by reading in the whole directory. This is tedious if it has to
> be done more than once.
> I came up with the idea, that this is a perfect job for a sqlite-
> database (www.sqlite.org), that is kept entirely in one file with no
> need to have a server running such as with mysql (This is essential
> for our application, since we distribute it as a virtual machine to
> physicians, and you can't expect them to install a mysql-server).
> There are many language bindings for sqlite, but I haven't found one
> for IDL.
> Does anybody have experience with using sqlite from IDL? This would
> just be the perfect tool for this job...
>
> Best regards,
>
> Michi
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| Re: IDL and sqlite [message #63752 is a reply to message #63668] |
Mon, 17 November 2008 08:24 |
Rick Towler
Messages: 821
Registered: August 1998
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Senior Member |
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Reimar Bauer wrote:
> Rick Towler schrieb:
>> I'm surprised that no one has mentioned dataminer.
>
> I did two hours before.
I type slow :)
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| Re: IDL and sqlite [message #63762 is a reply to message #63571] |
Mon, 17 November 2008 07:34 |
Mike[2]
Messages: 99
Registered: December 2005
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Member |
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On Nov 14, 7:45 pm, David Fanning <n...@dfanning.com> wrote:
> Rick Towler writes:
>> And maybe they *are* seeing this in sales as there are 10 new users for
>> every one like me so IDL sales will only grow
>
> Any conspiracy buffs out there?
[...]
> Boy, it's all clear now!
Makes sense to me - time to start wearing my IDL hat:
http://people.csail.mit.edu/rahimi/helmet/
This is even more important if you live at high altitudes like
Colorado (closer to the satellites) ;-)
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