Introductory Documents
- Guide to Using IDL for Astronomers (2012, R.W. O'Connell)
- Getting Started with IDL (Exelis) [PDF]
- Annotated List of Links to Primary Astronomy IDL Resources (GSFC)
- Functional List of IDL Astronomy User's Library Routines (GSFC)
- Basic IDL FAQ Archive (1999)
- Using IDL Databases (2001, W. Landsman) [PDF]
-
Introduction to using IDL databasing routines and to creating your own databases.
You can download a number of pre-formatted IDL databases (including
Hipparcos, HST, IRAS, RC3, etc) from the
IDL Astronomy User's Library.
Main UVa IDL Site
Demos
- For a demonstration of IDL, type idldemo at the UNIX command line
- The fastest way to learn to use IDL efficiently is to study examples of user-written IDL programs. You can display on your screen the code for any program (except for the proprietary built-in routines) by typing .run -t [program name]. If you want a copy of the program written to your current directory, use the getpro routine.
Tutorials/Texts
- UVa IDL Tutorial (O'Connell) [HTML files]
- Berkeley IDL/UNIX Tutorial (Heiles) [PS files]
- Introductory textbook by Liam Gumley: Practical IDL Programming Purchase for $50. Site has other useful links. UVa call number: QA76.73 .I194 G86 2002.
- Advanced textbook by David Fanning: IDL Programming Techniques. Purchase PDF for $25. Site lists related programming texts. UVa call number: QA76.73 .I194 F36 2000.
- Master list of tutorials and other IDL resources (GSFC)
ATV Image Display Tool
- ATV is an IDL GUI image display program that behaves like DS9 and SAOimage (example here). It was written by Aaron Barth. It's an easy way of inspecting 2-D data and doing quick analysis like plotting image slices or getting FWHM's and brightnesses of sources. Oriented toward CCD data.
- At UVa, ATV software is kept in /astro/idl/atv and is included by default in your IDL path.
- ATV Links
Best Links for Advice, Software Downloads
- The IDL Astronomy
User's Library (GSFC, maintained by Wayne Landsman)
-
First choice for astronomy-related software.
Annotated links to
other IDL sites offering relevant software.
Additional contributed
software (mostly GSFC)
Searchable index of
IDL routines (about 2300)
- Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming
(David Fanning)
-
Excellent, semi-commercial site, oriented toward intermediate level
programmers. With annotated linklist, and...
A good set of
programing tips, including PostScript output and color display
methods
A large set of sample IDL
graphics programs
- Useful MOUSSE routines not included in the IDL Astronomy User's Library distribution
- IDL Usenet newsgroup (Google port)
- Exelis IDL Tech Tips
- University of Washington IDL Page (Eric Deutsch)
- TeXtoIDL (Matthew Craig). Converts TeX typeset symbols for use with IDL graphics.
- Curve Fitting & Function Optimization (Craig Markwardt). Improved least-squares curve & surface fitting routines.
- (Optical) Spectral Analysis Software:
- SDSS Data
Reduction/Analysis & General Utilities (David Schlegel)
- K-Corrections & Photometric
Redshifts (Mike Blanton)
- XIDL Utilities (Jason Prochaska)
- SDSS Data
Reduction/Analysis & General Utilities (David Schlegel)
- TARA: tools for X-ray data analysis
- GBTIDL: data reduction package for the NRAO Green Bank Telescope
- IDLWAVE: GNU Emacs/XEmacs IDL software development environment.
Help With IDL Programming and Routines
- Exelis supplies documentation, interactively linked to your
active session, with each IDL purchase. The latest documentation can
be found on the
IDL
Documentation Page.
- To access IDL documentation from the UNIX command line, type idlman or idlhelp.
- To access documentation for IDL_5.1 in HTML with a browser, click here.
- To access hyper-help from within IDL, type ? or ?[topic].
- Most non-proprietary routines, e.g. those in the Astronomy User's Library, contain an internal documentation section written in a standard format. This can be accessed by several different routines within IDL, such as man. You can obtain the relevant programs from this site. Many non-proprietary routines are coded such that if you simply type the name of the routine without arguments, it will print the parameter sequence expected (no special access software needed).
- Guide to IDL Programming Syntax (Ray Sterner)