| Re: Two new IDL Help Articles describing how to use the Workbench are made available now. [message #82323 is a reply to message #82322] |
Wed, 05 December 2012 11:09  |
David Fanning
Messages: 11724
Registered: August 2001
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Senior Member |
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santorofer@gmail.com writes:
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> David Starbuck and myself (Fernando Santoro) have put together two new Help Articles that describe the IDL Workbench.
>
> The first article is called "IDL Workbench Guide" and it's based the Workbench chapter of Mark Piper's "Introduction to IDL" course manual. The Help Article also expands on it by adding some new sections and external links, including our YouTube videos. Please, take a look at it here:
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> http://www.exelisvis.com/Support/HelpArticleDetail/ArticleId /5300.aspx
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> The second article is a reference guide called "IDL 8 Workbench Reference". This article provides a description of the menus and views that form the Workbench that users can reference. Please take a look at it here:
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> http://www.exelisvis.com/Support/HelpArticleDetail/ArticleId /5295.aspx
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> We hope you will find these articles helpful!
I am absolutely sure some users will find these articles
helpful. I am also sure (if you will permit some gentle
criticism here) that users who are confused about the
Workbench will not find much here to dispel that
confusion.
The problem is that the "why" question is not answered
in the articles. Why, for example, would someone want to
create a project? (My answer is, you don't, but maybe
yours would be different.) Still, I would explain why
I couldn't live without the Project Explorer, and why
it is a great idea to put your files in there, even
if you DON'T want them in your Workspace location.
I would definitely explain why you don't have to put
all your files in the Workspace location and why it
is probably a good idea NOT to do that.
I would explain why when you look at the Workbench of
someone who works often with IDL you see maybe a third
of the windows that come up in the Workbench's default
configuration. I would explain why some windows are
essential and why some appear to be put there just to
take up real-estate. I would explain which ones
are essential, and which ones can be hidden away until
that one time in 10,000 when you might actually need
them.
I guess what I am saying is that these articles explain
the Workbench from a "company's" perspective. What most
users need is the Workbench explained from a "users"
perspective. And, maybe several users perspectives.
Goodness knows we are not all alike. But, what I would
like to know is how YOU use the Workbench. That would
be valuable to me, and probably to a lot of users like
me.
Cheers,
David
--
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting, Inc.
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
Sepore ma de ni thue. ("Perhaps thou speakest truth.")
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