TeXtoIDL is back, and updated!

[Matt Craig <mcraig(at)mnstate.edu>]

 Hi everybody,

Sorry about the loss of the old server for the TeXtoIDL software, and my
prolonged absence from this newsgroup. Realistically, I probably won't
have time to read it regularly (tenure is still 3 years away), but will
try to be better about dropping by to keep an eye on the package.

Thanks to those who have contacted me recently (and not so recently)
about the discussion of TeXtoIDL here, and to Liam Gumley, whose phone
call finally got me moving.

The new home for TeXtoIDL is:

http://physweb.mnstate.edu/mcraig/TeXtoIDL/

The version there works with IDL 5.3; I have renamed strtok (whose name
I stole from the C function that does the same thing). There are a
couple of symbols that have been added too, I think.

I have changed the copyright restrictions to make it more clear that it
is fine to mirror the software, and loosened the restrictions about
distributing modified versions.  In particular, anybody has permission
to distribute a modified version if they let me know about it and I dont
get back to them within two weeks. This should make it easier to avoid
situations like what happened when IDL 5.3 came out.

Thanks to everyone for respecting the original copyright notice; in
retrospect I think it was too strict.

Distributing the software as part of a commercial package (on a CD, in a
book) still requires explicit permission, but I expect that I'll grant
it in almost all cases.

If you have trouble downloading the new version, please let me know
ASAP. The beginning of the semester, before I'm buried in grading, is
the best time to take care of any problems.


Matt Craig

PS It would be useful for me to know roughly how many people use
TeXtoIDL; if you use it, and could reply by email to this message (no
need to write a message unless you want) I'd appreciate it!


--
Matt Craig
Assistant Professor, Dept of Physics and Astronomy
Minnesota State University Moorhead
(218) 236-2439


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