IDLWAVE 5.6 -- http://idlwave.org

This new IDLWAVE release features performance improvements and adds
several exciting new features.  A new right-clickable "active"
breakpoint line is on by default, and allows you to perform common
operations on breakpoints (like disabling, adding a condition, etc.)
trivially with the mouse, and also pops up a tip describing the
breakpoint when the mouse hovers over the line.  See the new screenshot:
http://idlwave.org/screenshots/.

Breakpoint operation stability and performance has been significantly
enhanced, especially when you have a large number of compiled routines
(e.g. thousands).  Large structures are now scanned much more quickly
for class and structure-level in text help, and global structure
re-indentation.  Completion and help on inherited structures (in
addition to inherited classes) is now supported, even if the structure
is not documented in its own __define file, but instead in the current
class file.  With the optional complete-structtag module loaded,
structure member can now be completed directly in the shell; IDL is
queried in the background to determine the field names for you (similar
to object methods).  Thanks to Carsten Dominik for submitting this
useful addition.

A few new convenience bindings: C-c C-t prompts to visit a routine in
this file (with completion), and \ipv and \pv are new abbreviations for
"if ptr_valid()" then and "ptr_valid()".  Examining complicated
expression at higher levels on the calling stack is now more robust, and
should not cause IDLWAVE to pause.  Many smaller bug fixes and
improvements can be found as well; see the CHANGES file.

Get your fix at:

   http://idlwave.org

JD

P.S. Those of you who set your own shell prompt to something other than
"IDL>" should be sure to use the format "^\r? ?IDL> " to avoid problems
with IDL's intermittent use of return characters in the prompt, which
would result in an apparently hung IDL session (anecdotal evidence
indicates the frequency of this problem increased with IDLv6.1).

P.P.S.  The eagle-eyed among you may notice that IDLWAVE v5.5 went
missing: this special version was made for inclusion with a new GNU
Emacs release (at some point).


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IDLWAVE Tip of the Month:

Electric Debug mode is IDLWAVE's quick and powerful debugging mode, and
it makes stepping through code, moving through the calling stack,
examining variables and expressions, setting and modifying breakpoints,
and much more a matter of a few key presses.  If you aren't using it,
and you debug IDL code and use breakpoints, you should give it a try.

This is how it works.  By default, when a breakpoint is hit, the buffer
with that breakpoint is loaded, and the breakpoint line is highlighted
in purple.  The word "* Debugging *" should appear in the status bar at
the bottom of your buffer, which indicates you are in "Electric Debug
Mode".  When this mode is enabled, the buffer is made read-only, and all
sorts of great debugging commands are reduced to a single keystroke.
Hit Control-? to list them.  Space steps through code, descending into
function calls, 'n' steps over function calls, 'h' runs the code up to
the line the cursor is in, etc.  A very powerful command is 'x', the
all-purpose examine command.  Use it on a variable or expression near
the cursor, or mark a region and 'C-u x' to examine it.  If you pause
after hitting 'x', up will pop a list of examine commands available with
one more keystroke.  This list is even configurable... see the manual.
E.g. x s invokes structure help, x d prints the dimensions, etc.  If you
like electric debug mode, consider turning it on for errors as well as
breakpoints, with:

 (setq idlwave-shell-automatic-electric-debug t)

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