Re: Inexpensive / free-ware similar to IDL?

[ushomirs(at)my-deja.com]

the "problem" with these alternatives (octave, python) is that they
don't understand IDL code.  so the mountain of working software that has
been written in IDL would not be available with these (probably superior
in other respects) packages.  for example, there's a ton of astronomical
software written in IDL. software that works.  heck, python and octave
don't even read FITS binary tables.  sure, i could sit down and spend a
few weeks writing and debugging a comprehensive FITS library, but i have
many other things on my plate.  i suspect that there are at least a few
users of IDL in the scientific community that share my opinion.

oh, yeah, and i thought that IDL and PV-WAVE were the same product years
ago, before they split up.

greg



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