| Re: IDL online help for v6.0 (sigh) [message #38571 is a reply to message #38570] |
Fri, 12 March 2004 16:39   |
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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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