Re: Read and Write IDL SAVE files!

[Craig Markwardt <craigmnet(at)cow.physics.wisc.edu>]

Reimar Bauer <r.bauer@fz-juelich.de> writes:

> Craig Markwardt wrote:
> > 
> > I am pleased to release a library for reading writing and
> > interrogating IDL SAVE files on my web page:
> > 
> > http://cow.physics.wisc.edu/~craigm/idl/idl.html
> > 
> 
> Dear Craig,
> 
> that's wonderful. This saves me a lot of future work, because I am
> working on an idea how to write IDL SAV files by C/Fortran or LabView.
> 
> RSI won't like to give me the specifications of this format. 
> 
> So I am waiting for your documentation.

You mean you can't figure it out from the code? :-)

Writing it in C or FORTRAN would in some ways be easier, but in some
ways more difficult.  I use the benefit of being able to EXECUTE
expressions in order to build up named structures for example.  The
dynamic typing is also a real boon.  This would be harder in C or
FORTRAN.  However, if you are just interested in simple things --
arrays and scalars -- then the format is quite straightforward.  It
would be somewhat faster to execute in a compiled language.

Craig

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Craig B. Markwardt, Ph.D.         EMAIL:    craigmnet@cow.physics.wisc.edu
Astrophysics, IDL, Finance, Derivatives | Remove "net" for better response
--------------------------------------------------------------------------