IDL 5.5 On-Line Help Files

QUESTION: Uh, did RSI forget to include the IDL 5.5 on-line help files in the IDL distribution?

ANSWER: Well, "forget" is too strong of a word. A "decision" was made not to include them. (Please don't ask me. Ask them.)

But customers have come to the rescue and have provided (after a fashion) the IDL help files everyone wants and needs. JD Smith has incorporated IDL 5.5 help into his IDLWAVE Emacs Mode editor. And in July 2002, Andrew Cool and Ben Tupper have contrived to write an IDL interface for the same help files JD uses. Unzip the contents of the file into a directory on your IDL PATH, then type "CH" to view the helpful program. You can specifically ask for a routine. For example, if you want the help on the CONGRID function, you can type this:

   IDL> CH, 'congrid'

The program requires IDL 5.5, of course.

RSI does provide a "What's New in IDL 5.5" booklet in PDF format in the IDL distribution. You can find it in the "docs" sub-directory of the IDL distribution.