Info: (idlwave) Catalogs

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idlwave: Catalogs

 
 A.3 Catalogs
 ============
 
 _Catalogs_ are files containing scanned information on individual
 routines, including arguments and keywords, calling sequence, file path,
 class and procedure vs.  function type, etc.  They represent a way of
 extending the internal built-in information available for IDL system
 routines (Routine Info) to other source collections.
 
    Starting with version 5.0, there are two types of catalogs available
 with IDLWAVE.  The traditional _user catalog_ and the newer _library
 catalogs_.  Although they can be used interchangeably, the library
 catalogs are more flexible, and preferred.  There are few occasions when
 a user catalog might be preferred—read below.  Both types of catalogs
 can coexist without causing problems.
 
    To facilitate the catalog systems, IDLWAVE stores information it
 gathers from the shell about the IDL search paths, and can write this
 information out automatically, or on-demand (menu ‘Debug->Save Path
 Info’).  On systems with no shell from which to discover the path
 information (e.g., Windows), a library path must be specified in
 ‘idlwave-library-path’ to allow library catalogs to be located, and to
 setup directories for user catalog scan (User Catalog for more
 on this variable).  Note that, before the shell is running, IDLWAVE can
 only know about the IDL search path by consulting the file pointed to by
 ‘idlwave-path-file’ (‘~/.emacs.d/idlwave/idlpath.el’, by default).  If
 ‘idlwave-auto-write-path’ is enabled (which is the default), the paths
 are written out whenever the IDLWAVE shell is started.
 
  -- User Option: idlwave-auto-write-path (‘t’)
      Write out information on the !PATH and !DIR paths from IDL
      automatically when they change and when the Shell is closed.  These
      paths are needed to locate library catalogs.
 
  -- User Option: idlwave-library-path
      IDL library path for Windows and macOS.  Under Unix/macOS, will be
      obtained from the Shell when run.
 
  -- User Option: idlwave-system-directory
      The IDL system directory for Windows and macOS.  Also needed for
      locating HTML help and the IDL Assistant for IDL v6.2 and later.
      Under Unix/macOS, will be obtained from the Shell and recorded, if
      run.
 
  -- User Option: idlwave-config-directory (‘~/.emacs.d/idlwave’)
      Default path where IDLWAVE saves configuration information, a user
      catalog (if any), and a cached scan of the XML catalog (IDL v6.2
      and later).
idlwave: Catalogs

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