| Online Help ideas [message #30682] |
Fri, 10 May 2002 08:40  |
btupper
Messages: 55
Registered: January 2002
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Member |
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Howdy,
I have recently done some work in Labview from National Instruments
(www.ni.com). It's really nice software - but the thing I was most
impressed by was the online help. **Very very** nice. NI provides
fantastic hyper-help as well as hosting seemingly endless
tips/code/howto/user_contribution web pages.
It occured to me that I really wish IDL had decent online help (well,
duh!) I think this might be a great time to develop a wish list for
RSI as it heads toward the next release of IDL. I think we all know
how limited the present system is; so we don't need to drag up old
stuff. Rather, I invite readers to offer suggestions for a
constructive wish-list. If you email me your ideas (as well as
posting them here) I will assemble them all and deliver to RSI. Email
address is pemaquidriver@tidewater.net
So here's the question:
What would you like to see for online help resources from RSI?
Here's mine... place links to related topics at the *top* of the
hyperhelp page. Once I have read the description of the
function/procedure I usually know if I need to keep looking. It
would be handier to have the links available without having to scroll
down the page.
Thanks!
Ben
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| Re: Online Help ideas [message #30811 is a reply to message #30682] |
Thu, 16 May 2002 11:09  |
R.Bauer
Messages: 1424
Registered: November 1998
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Senior Member |
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Ben Tupper wrote:
>
> On Fri, 10 May 2002 15:40:42 GMT, btupper@bigelow.org (Ben Tupper)
> wrote:
>
>>
>> So here's the question:
>>
>> What would you like to see for online help resources from RSI?
>>
>
> All right guys, quit holding back :)
>
> How about this?
>
> IDL> ?Median
>
> would bring up the online hyper help for the MEDIAN function, but
>
> IDL> ??Median
>
> would print the following in the output log or command window,
>
> Result = MEDIAN( Array [, Width] [, /EVEN] )
>
> Just a minimal reminder of the appropriate syntax, etc., for the
> procedure. This might get a bit too much for some items... for
> example an object with a bazillion properties, but perhaps it could be
> fine tuned by method.
>
> IDL> ??IDLgrModel::Rotate
>
> Obj -> [IDLgrModel::]Rotate, Axis, Angle [, /PREMULTIPLY]
>
> Might save a bit of mouse navigation.
>
> And, ah, keep those great ideas pouring in!
>
> Ben
Dear Ben,
if it's an idl source like mean.pro I have already a solution.
You can try my helpon.
http://www.fz-juelich.de/icg/icg-i/idl_icglib/idl_source/idl _html/dbase/download/helpon.tar.gz
It did a bit more as you mentioned.
To get the declaration:
IDL> helpon,mean
function mean, x, double = double, nan = nan
To show definition of CALLING SEQUENCE from the header
IDL> helpon,'mean',/call
Result = MEAN(X)
To show all rotuines used by mean sorted by time of change
IDL> helpon,'mean',/info
MOMENT /usr/local/idl/idl/lib/moment.pro 2001-08-29 13:07:53
MEAN /usr/local/idl/idl/lib/mean.pro 2001-08-29 13:07:20
IDL> helpon,'mean',/info, /html
same as previous but output in to $HOME/idl_export.html ( windows
%TEMP%/idl_export.html)
regards
Reimar
--
Reimar Bauer
Institut fuer Stratosphaerische Chemie (ICG-I)
Forschungszentrum Juelich
email: R.Bauer@fz-juelich.de
------------------------------------------------------------ -------
a IDL library at ForschungsZentrum Juelich
http://www.fz-juelich.de/icg/icg1/idl_icglib/idl_lib_intro.h tml
============================================================ =======
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| Re: Online Help ideas [message #30818 is a reply to message #30682] |
Thu, 16 May 2002 07:05 |
btupper
Messages: 55
Registered: January 2002
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Member |
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On Fri, 10 May 2002 15:40:42 GMT, btupper@bigelow.org (Ben Tupper)
wrote:
>
> So here's the question:
>
> What would you like to see for online help resources from RSI?
>
All right guys, quit holding back :)
How about this?
IDL> ?Median
would bring up the online hyper help for the MEDIAN function, but
IDL> ??Median
would print the following in the output log or command window,
Result = MEDIAN( Array [, Width] [, /EVEN] )
Just a minimal reminder of the appropriate syntax, etc., for the
procedure. This might get a bit too much for some items... for
example an object with a bazillion properties, but perhaps it could be
fine tuned by method.
IDL> ??IDLgrModel::Rotate
Obj -> [IDLgrModel::]Rotate, Axis, Angle [, /PREMULTIPLY]
Might save a bit of mouse navigation.
And, ah, keep those great ideas pouring in!
Ben
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