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Directory: /home/meyer/.idl
Purpose:   IDL Application User Directory
User:  meyer@meteora
Date:  Tue Nov 30 10:20:58 2010
README Creator:  IDL 8.0.1 (linux x86_64 m64 f64)
README Version:  2
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This is the *IDL application user directory*, usually
referred to as the .idl (dot-IDL) directory. It was created
by IDL on the date shown above. It is used to hold files
created by IDL (or by applications written in IDL) that need
to persist between IDL sessions. (For example, the IDL
iTools application stores its configuration information
here.) Each IDL user has a unique IDL application user
directory -- they are not shared between users.

Why ".idl"? Why here?
---------------------
The name ".idl" follows the Unix convention that applications
store user-specific configuration information in a
file or directory whose name begins with the dot character,
located in the user's home directory. For example, the
Bourne shell (/bin/sh) reads .profile, while the C-shell
(/bin/csh) reads .login and .cshrc. There can be a large
number of such files. However, the dot at the beginning
of the file name causes the Unix "ls" directory command
not to show the file (unless the "-a" option is specified),
in effect hiding the file from view. This reduces the apparent
clutter in the user's home directory.

In the interest of cross-platform consistency, we have followed
the Unix convention and created the IDL application user
directory as a dot-file in the user's home directory on all
platforms.

Can I store things here?
------------------------
We encourage you to use the IDL application user directory
to store user information for your own IDL applications.
Having all IDL applications using the same standard mechanism
makes things easier for IDL users. Use the IDL APP_USER_DIR
function to create application-specific subdirectories of the
.idl directory. The APP_USER_DIR function determines where
the .idl directory should be located on any system, and also
knows where to place your specific content within it. Using
this function is easier than coding a cross-platform
solution yourself, and ensures that your usage won't
conflict with anyone else. Read the documentation for
APP_USER_DIR in the IDL Reference Guide for complete
details

Organization of the .idl directory
----------------------------------
Underneath the .idl directory you will find subdirectories
with the names of the authors of the applications that are
currently storing information here. The names "idl",
"rsi", "itt", and "ittvis" are reserved. Other application
authors use different unique names (see the APP_USER_DIR
documentation for details). Each author directory contains a
README file supplied by the application author; this file
should explain who the author is.

Underneath each author directory are that author's
application directories, in which individual applications
store their data.  Application directories may be tied to a
specific IDL version and/or system (OS/Hardware), or they
may be version and system independent. Any such versioning
is managed by the APP_USER_DIR function based on the
options specified when calling it. Each application
directory contains a README file supplied by the author;
this file should explain what the application is, and should
contain any special information you might need in order to
understand the contents of the directory. 

Other than the README file, the contents of an application
directory are entirely up to the application author. The
APP_USER_DIR function does not manage the content, only its
location. The README files should provide information about
how the application organizes its data.

Deleting the .idl directory
---------------------------
You are allowed to delete the .idl directory or any of its
subdirectories. The deleted information will be automatically
recreated the next time you run the associated application
or applications. You should, however, take the following
into consideration before deleting information in the .idl
directory:

    - You should avoid removing the .idl directory or its
      contents while an active IDL process is using it, as
      this can cause problems for your IDL session.
      It is easiest and safest to ensure that no IDL
      process is running before removing anything.

    - If you delete files in the .idl directory that are
      used by an application, the application will
      recreate the files on demand, but all options will
      revert to their default values, and any personalized
      changes you have made will be lost.

    - A given application may have special rules concerning
      deletion of its files. Any such rules should be explained
      by the README file for that application.