Creating a Distribution Using the make

The make_rt script is a UNIX command-line tool for creating an IDL distribution. Because the Project

Export feature under UNIX requires that you create a project and build a SAVE file before you export an IDL distribution, you must use the make_rt script when your application does not use a SAVE file.

Before Running make_rt

Before creating the distribution, verify the procedure name in your main SAVE file. The main SAVE file to be executed when IDL starts must have a procedure named main or a procedure with the same name as the .sav file minus the extension. The main SAVE file is the file that is restored and run when you start your IDL application.

Modify the Manifest

If your application uses IDL files that are not part of the IDL distribution, you can include these files when you run make_rt by modifying the manifest file. If you do not add these files to the manifest before running make_rt, you must manually copy the required files to your distribution.

The manifest file is located in <IDL_DIR>/bin/make_rt/manifest_rt.txt, where <IDL_DIR> is the main IDL directory.

Open manifest_rt.txt in any text editor.

Add the path and filename of any other files in the IDL distribution that you want to include to the list of files to export. Make sure that the path is relative to <IDL_DIR>. Note that only IDL files can be added to the manifest.

Make sure that you have not included any blank lines in the file.

Save the file.

Run make_rt

Create a directory to contain the application distribution.

Open a command shell and change directories to the <IDL_DIR>/bin/make_rt directory, where <IDL_DIR> is the main IDL directory.

Enter the make_rt command using the syntax described in Syntax of the make_rt Script.

The make_rt script copies IDL binaries only for the platform on which the make_rt script is executed. If you wish to create a distribution that supports multiple UNIX platforms, you must run the make_rt script on each platform you wish to support. You can specify the same destination directory each time you run the make_rt script, thereby creating a distribution with a bin.platform directory for each supported platform.

Add Required Files to Your Distribution

After you have created a distribution using make_rt, any files that are not part of the IDL distribution, as well as any required IDL files that you did not add to the manifest, must be manually copied to your distribution. Do the following:

If your application requires any data files that are not in the IDL distribution, including ASCII, binary, or image files, add them to your distribution.

If your application contains an object defined in a .pro file, you must save the object definition code as a SAVE file and manually copy the .sav file to your distribution tree. If the object has any inherited properties from its superclass, and the superclass is a .pro file, you must also include the superclass object definition code in your SAVE file. Objects using a .pro extension typically exist in the IDL distribution's lib subdirectory and its subdirectories. The IDL Reference Guide identifies object superclasses and gives the location of the object's source code.

For example, if you have defined an object in the file myobject__define.pro, and this object uses the methods of IDLgrLegend, you must compile both myobject__define.pro and idlgrlegend__define.pro, store the results in a SAVE file using the ROUTINES keyword, and add the SAVE file to your distribution.

If your object files call any other routines defined in .pro files, you must include these routines in a SAVE file and add them to your distribution.

For instructions on using SAVE and RESOLVE_ALL to create SAVE files, see Creating SAVE Files of Programs and Data.

If your application calls any routines via quoted strings, either via the CALL_PROCEDURE, CALL_FUNCTION, CALL_METHOD, or EXECUTE routines, or in keywords that can contain procedure names such as TICKFORMAT or EVENT_PRO, you must compile these routines and include them in a SAVE file, and add the SAVE file to your distribution.

If your application uses IDL variables, such as a custom ASCII template, or if you want to distribute other procedures and functions that are not included in your main SAVE file, you will need to create SAVE files and copy them to your distribution. You must save variables and procedures in separate SAVE files.

Syntax of the make_rt Script

source — the full path to the main IDL directory, (usually something like /usr/local/itt/idl_6.3). If you do not specify this parameter at the command line, you will be prompted for the location.

dest — the full path to the destination directory that will contain the distribution. This directory must already exist; make_rt will not create this directory.

manifest — the full path and filename of the manifest file. This is the usually something like /usr/local/itt/idl_6.3/bin/make_rt/manifest_rt.txt.

startcommand — The name of the command used to start your application. For native IDL applications, this is typically the name of your .sav file, without any extension. (For Callable IDL applications, this is the name of your startup script. See Creating an Application Distribution for details.)

mode — the type of license your application uses. Valid values are:

rt — Use this value if your application uses a runtime license. This value is the equivalent of selecting the Save File (.sav) option in the Project

Options dialog.

em — Use this value if your application uses an embedded license. This value is the equivalent of selecting the Licensed Save File (.sav) option in the Project

Options dialog.

If your application does not use a SAVE file, it does not matter which value you specify for the mode parameter, but you must specify a value.