Interactive Data Language

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IDL ( I nteractive D ata L anguage ) is a programming language for the analysis and visualization of data. The language was developed by David Stern in 1977. The company he founded RSI Research Systems Inc. is now part of Harris Geospatial Solutions . An array-based programming language is an integral part of the software so that complex applications can also be created.

IDL is tailored to the needs of scientists, engineers and developers and is used by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the American space agency NASA , among others . Astronomical pipelines such as B. SMART for the Spitzer Space Telescope are based on IDL.

GDL ( G NU D ata L anguage ) is an open source project which, according to its own information, is syntax compatible with IDL version 7.1. This makes it a free alternative to IDL. However, since a number of IDL features, especially with regard to visualization and GUI, have not yet been implemented in GDL, porting complex IDL programs to GDL has proven to be difficult. GDL is available in most current Linux distributions as a package under the name gnudatalanguage . There is also an implementation for Mac OS X .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "Spectroscopic Modeling Analysis and Reduction Tool" , a pipeline for Spitzers Infrared Spectrograph (IRS)

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