ekase@pvi.UUCP (Ed Kase) (08/21/90)
I'd like to try to clarify a recent question raised by Mr. Mike Plonski of Aerospace Corp. in this newsgroup. PV~WAVE is not a shell that sits on top of IDL. IDL is a language that uses a very fast interpreter to let a user graphically interpret and analyze data. PV~WAVE has commands that are a superset of IDL. PV~WAVE uses the same core product (interpreter, etc.), unmodified, and adds a wide variety of functionality to the surrounding environment. This added-value includes floating licensing, additional hardcopy device drivers, much faster external process data communication, user interface development tools (WAVE:Widgets), converters to help users take procedures from the "old" PV~WAVE (VMS IDL) to the new version, etc. Because they are the same base product, there is no performance difference between PV~WAVE and IDL. If one runs the older VMS version, there are a notable performance and functionality differences between "old" WAVE and the "new" WAVE (as there would be between "old" VMS IDL and "new" IDL). If one runs PV~WAVE (or IDL) on two different computer systems with some difference in their configurations (O/S version, memory, etc.), there are likely to be performance differences as well. For more details on any of these items, please refer to Peter Hallett's posting from August 3 or contact him at PVI at (303)530-9000 or boulder!pvi!mpfh. -- -- I've had fun before. This isn't it... -- Ed Kase 303-530-9000 x 211 Precision Visuals, Inc. {boulder, ncar}!pvi!ekase