Customizing IDL
Various settings for the IDL Development Environment can be customized using the Preferences dialog. To open the Preferences dialog, select Preferences from the IDL Development Environment File menu.
On UNIX platforms, including Macintosh OS X, some settings can also be customized by editing IDL's resource files. For further information about editing resource files on UNIX and Macintosh OS X, see Customizing IDL on Motif Systems.
The Preferences dialog contains tabbed sections that allow you to customize your interaction with the IDLDE environment. The tabs and their uses are described below.
The terminology used on the Preferences dialogs differs between Microsoft Windows and Motif systems. In this documentation, if the wording is significantly different between the two platforms, the wording used in the Windows dialogs is listed first, followed by the wording used in the Motif dialogs.
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Tab
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Description
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This tab allows you to specify how the IDLDE session begins and ends, to control the number of lines in the recall buffer and the Output Log, and to designate how the files should be opened and read.
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This tab allows you to specify the location and size of the main IDLDE window on the screen. You can also designate which components of the IDLDE will be visible.
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This tab allows you to set the layout of windows that contain IDL graphics, and to specify the backing store.
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This tab allows you to customize the IDL's built-in editor and also offers several compiling options.
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This tab allows you to specify the main IDL directory, the working directory, and a startup file.
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This tab allows you to specify different fonts, styles, and sizes for the Editor, Command Input Line and Output Log.
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This tab allows you to specify the IDL Files Search Path. Entries in this tab are used to set the system variable !PATH if the IDL_PATH environment variable has not be set.
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Platform Differences
Microsoft Windows and UNIX platforms (including Macintosh OS X) implement the Preferences dialog using different dialog application buttons. The following table lists the buttons, the platforms on which they are found in the Preferences dialog, and the action performed when the button is used.
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Platform
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Button
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Result
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Windows, UNIX
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OK
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Changes are applied to the current session and the Preferences dialog is dismissed.
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Apply
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Changes are applied to the current session but not saved. The Preferences dialog remains visible.
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Windows only
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Reset
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Restores the Preferences on the dialog to the preference values from the start of the current IDL session.
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Cancel
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Any changes which were not applied are ignored and the Preferences dialog is dismissed.
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UNIX only
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Save
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Changes are applied to the current session and saved. If the option has an asterisk next to it, you must save and restart the IDLDE for the change to take effect.
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Dismiss
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Dismisses the Preferences dialog box without applying any changes, unless previously applied.
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Help
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Displays IDL Online Help.
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