HELP Information on Running SolarSoft under Windows

Contents

The SolarSoft Environment
Simple Way of Invoking SolarSoft  (not recommended)
Recommended Way of Invoking SolarSoft
    Customizing the setup
    Running SolarSoft
Comparison between Windows and Unix SolarSoft Setup

The SolarSoft Environment

 There are two ways of invoking SolarSoft under Windows:

Simple Way of Invoking SolarSoft  (not recommended)

1.    Start IDL.
2.    Click File, then Preferences, then the Startup tab.
3.    Set Working Directory to your preference.
3.    Set Startup File to c:\ssw\gen\idl\ssw_system\idl_startup_windows.pro (or wherever your ssw installation is)
4.    Exit IDL.
5.    Start IDL.

You now have an IDL session with all of the general components of SSW set up for you.  To add specific instrument functionality (for example TRACE and Yohkoh/SXT) to your session, at the IDL command line type:

    setssw_windows, /trace, /sxt

Recommended Way of Invoking SolarSoft

1.    Start IDL.
2.    Click File, then Preferences, then the Startup tab.
3.    Set Working Directory to blank.
3.    Set Startup File to blank.
4.    Exit IDL.
5.    Double-click the c:\ssw\site\setup\sswidl.bat file.

You now have an IDL session with all of the general components of SSW set up for you.  To add specific instrument functionality (for example TRACE and Yohkoh/SXT) to your session, at the IDL command line type:

    setssw_windows, /trace, /sxt

Customizing the setup

The default sswidl.bat file will be similar to the following:
 

rem   Define the location of SolarSoft, SSWDB and the Windows idl_startup
set SSW=c:\ssw
set SSWDB=c:\sswdb
set IDL_STARTUP=c:\ssw\gen\idl\ssw_system\idl_startup_windows.pro

rem   A personal startup can be defined by editing the following statement
set SSW_PERSONAL_STARTUP=c:\user_dir\idl_startup.pro

rem   You can define the default working directory using a cd command
cd c:\working_dir

rem   A default set of instruments can be defined by editing the following 
rem set SSW_INSTR=hessi xray spex

rem   If you are not using the default version of IDL, add a path below
start idlde

To tailor this setup for your needs:

 

1.  Modify the values of SSW, SSWDB, and IDL_STARTUP if they don't point correctly to the top level of your SSW tree.
Note:  This IDL_STARTUP file is a crucial component to starting SolarSoft under Windows.  The routine itself, idl_startup_windows.pro, should NOT be modified.

2. SSW_PERSONAL_STARTUP allows you to identify a personal startup file to run after all other startup and instrument setup files are run.  You may want to define environment variables for local printers (PSLASER and PSCOLOR) or set personal preferences (like !quiet=1).  In the example, c:\user_dir is assumed to be your "user" directory.
Note 1:  Any idl_startup.pro file in the directory you have set as your working directory will also be executed.
Note 2:  You must not have the setssw_windows command in your personal startup file - this will start an infinite loop.

 
3.  You may choose your working directory by cd'ing to a directory.  This directory will be the default location for any files that are created.  Also, it will be first in the IDL path for searching for software.

 
4.  You may define a default list of instruments for SolarSoft by specifying the environment variable SSW_INSTR - this modifies the default behaviour of the startup. The example shows SolarSoft invoked with the HESSI analysis environment. Edit the line (i.e. remove the "rem") if you want to do this.

 
5.  The sswidl.bat file will start the latest version of IDL as defined in the Registry. If you wish to use another version of IDL, modify the "start idlde" statement to include the path to the version you wish to use.  For example, you could use
     IDL 5.2 by changing this line to something like:

        start c:\rsi\idl52\idlde

6.  Move this sswidl.bat file (or whatever you have called it) to a directory not in the SolarSoft tree - this will ensure it is not overwritten if you re-install SolarSoft.

7. You may create several version of the sswidl.bat file for running IDL in different environments.  And you may wish to create a shortcut to each on the Desktop.  If you create a shortcut, the following properties are suggested: "hidden" under general; "Run minimized" and "Close on exit" under Program. The sswidl.bat file to be executed should be specified in the "Cmd line" under Program.

Running SolarSoft

1) Start SolarSoft by double-clicking on the sswidl.bat - this will execute the .bat file and start IDL. The following files (if they exist) will be executed as IDL starts:

     $SSW\gen\setup\setup.ssw_env
     $SSW\site\setup.ssw_paths
     $SSW\site\setup.ssw_env
     $SSW\site\setup\IDL_STARTUP
     any personal idl_startup file
      (as defined by environment variable SSW_PERSONAL_STARTUP, 
         or located in the current directory)

2) You may select the required instruments, or add to an existing selection, by using setssw_windows, for example:

   IDL> setssw_windows,/sxt,/trace

Mission and instrument level setup files (setup.xxx_paths and setup.xxx_env) and idl_startup files will be executed; any site and personal idl_startup files will be repeated.
 

3) Use SolarSoft as normal. Remember, you can verify the value of !path in your current SolarSoft environment using pr_path.

 

Comparison between Windows and Unix SolarSoft Setup

Although we have attempted to make things as similar as possible, there are several differences in between running SolarSoft under Unix and Windows. These relate mainly to when and where IDL is configured to a particular selection of SolarSoft instruments. Under Unix, most things are done before, or as you enter IDL - under Windows, everything is done within IDL.

Under Unix, the SolarSoft environment is created using setup files that define environment variables, and startup files the execute procedures as IDL starts. The setup files can be found in the SSW tree in /setup directories under the gen, instrument and site directories - they have filenames of the form setup.xxx_path and setup.xxx_env. The gen and instrument level setup files define default values of variables; the site level files modify the defaults to allow for local differences in the location of files. See the SolarSoft Setup web pages for more information.

 All the files that define the environment variables under Unix should work for Windows. However, when you enter SSW IDL under Windows you will normally only have the general part of the SolarSoft tree selected - you then need to select a set of instruments using setssw_windows.

 The setssw_windows procedure is analogous the setssw script at the shell level in Unix, but executes everything within IDL. When the user selects one or more instruments, the setssw_windows procedure executes the setup.xxx_path and setup.xxx_env files in the instrument and site directories in the same order as the Unix script, makes addition to the path using ssw_path, and finally executes any startup files.

 This approach has one great advantage over the way things are done under Unix. At any time you can add another instrument and all the necessary environment variables are created, all the required startup files executed, and all the necessary extensions to the path made. Under Unix it is often necessary to exit IDL and re-enter with a new set of instruments - this is not needed under Windows.