IDLDE Enhancements

The following enhancements have been made to the Windows IDL Development Environment in the IDL 6.1 release:

Intelligent File Naming

Under Microsoft Windows, when the File ® Save As... option is selected for a new or existing file, the default file name is now the name of the last procedure or function in the file. This is also true when you select the File ® Save option for a new file. On UNIX, the default file name remains *.pro. For portability between platforms, the default filename uses lowercase letters.

Maintaining Cursor Position

In prior releases, using the Alt+Tab keys to switch application focus to the IDLDE, or resetting the IDL session caused the cursor to be positioned in the Editor window regardless of its previous location. Now, the cursor position is maintained when the Command Line, Output Log, or Editor window has focus prior to resetting the IDL session, or bringing the IDLDE into focus using the Alt+Tab keys.

Enabling Alt Key Accelerators on Macintosh

The following new documentation has been added to the "Introducing IDL" chapter of the Using IDL manual, and to the "Widget Application Techniques" chapter of the Building IDL Applications manual:

If you are using IDL on a Macintosh and wish to use keyboard accelerators that use the Alt key, you will need to perform the following steps to make the Apple (Command) key to function as the Alt key:

Create a .Xmodmap file in your home folder and add the following three lines to it:

clear mod1 
clear mod2 
add mod1 = Meta_L

When Apple's X11 program starts, this file will automatically be read, and the Apple key will be mapped to the left meta key , which for IDL's purposes is the Alt key. (Windows Alt key accelerators are mapped to the Macintosh Apple key, not the Option (alt) key.)

Run Apple's X11 program and change its preferences. Under Input in the X11 Preferences dialog, make sure that the following two items are unchecked:

Follow system keyboard layout

Enable key equivalents under X11

Note

Once you have performed these steps, keyboard shortcuts will operate in the normal Macintosh fashion - namely, pressing the Apple key in conjunction with X, C, and V will perform cut, copy and paste. The IDLDE's other shortcuts and any widget accelerators defined to use the Alt key will also work.