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procedures are called from within the IDL environment. This is
done from either the IDL command line by typing in the appropriate
commands, or by invoking a widget, which provides buttons to click on
for specific action. The latter method is less flexible but has the
advantage of not requiring you to memorize all the commands and their
parameters. Widgets provide an easy way to set parameter values in
common blocks, which is how most of the information is passed between
functions. You may use both operation modes simultaneously. Note that
widget buttons which bring up another widget are labeled in all caps,
whereas the other type either displays a sub-menu (indicated by the
arrow) or executes a procedure upon selection. At the command level, you
manipulate data using IDL. This was one of the reasons to base
on
a language like IDL. Note that neither language is case sensitive. An
understanding of the language is very helpful when reducing data with
AMOEBA tries to place the widgets in convenient places on the screen
so that there is not too much overlap and so that the plot windows do not
cover too many of the widgets. The IDL version detects the dimensions of
your screen and uses this information for the placements of the widgets.
.
Procedures usually confirm proper completion of the task with a message terminated with a period. In-progress messages are not terminated. Error messages usually contain the name of the procedure in which the error occurred. In case of a crash inside a procedure under IDL, click on the terminal window to make it active, then try to return to successively higher levels by typing .return until a .con command causes IDL to resume. In this case the widgets, if previously displayed, will be updated. Note that in a crash situation, IDL is in a debugging mode with operation stopped at the offending line in the code. You can enquire about variables using the info,variable,/structure command. Under IDL, just type retall and you will be returned to the main level.