IDL and Reading and Writing Data

Getting Started with IDL: Reading and Writing Data

IDL and Reading and Writing Data

IDL's flexible input and output capabilities allow you to read and write virtually any data format. When IDL reads a data file, bytes or characters in the file are converted to the appropriate data type (unless the file is binary, in which case no conversion takes place). Similarly, when writing data, the appropriate IDL variables are converted to the appropriate bytes or characters. In this chapter, you'll import some existing data using IDL commands.

Note
To simplify obtaining useful results from the examples in this manual, create a bitmap buffer for your graphic windows and to use a maximum of 256 colors by entering the following command at the IDL command prompt:

DEVICE, RETAIN=2, DECOMPOSED=0

IDL Online Help (March 06, 2007)