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Starting a Virtual Machine Application

Installations of IDL that have access to a development license can create compiled binary versions of IDL applications; these compiled versions are stored in files with the extension .sav. Many applications stored in .sav files can be executed by the IDL Virtual Machine.

How you run a .sav file in the IDL Virtual Machine depends on your operating system:

Windows

Windows users can drag and drop the .sav file onto the IDL Virtual Machine desktop icon, launch the IDL Virtual Machine and open the .sav file, or launch the.sav file in the IDL Virtual Machine from the command line. If you have a copy of the IDL installation CD-ROM, you can also run the .sav file directly from the CD-ROM without installing IDL.

Using Drag and Drop

To use drag and drop:

  1. Locate and select the .sav file in Windows Explorer.

    2.  

  2. Drag the file icon from the Windows Explorer list and drop it onto the IDL Virtual Machine 6.4 icon that has been created for you on the desktop. The IVM window is displayed.

    3.  

  3. Click anywhere in the IDL Virtual Machine window to close the window and run the .sav file.

Using the IDL Virtual Machine Icon

To open a .sav file from the IDL Virtual Machine:

  1. Do either of the following to launch the IDL Virtual Machine and display the IDL Virtual Machine window:
    • Select Start Programs IDL 6.4 IDL Virtual Machine or Start Programs IDL Virtual Machine 6.4 IDL

      •  

    • Double-click the IDL Virtual Machine 6.4 desktop icon.

     

  2. Click anywhere in the IDL Virtual Machine window to close the window and display the file selection menu.

    3.  

  3. Locate and select the .sav file, and double-click or click Open to run it.

    4.  


    Note
    If a license is available on the machine running the SAVE file, double-clicking the SAVE file will run it in the licensed version of IDL. To force the SAVE file to run in the Virtual Machine, either drag and drop the .sav file on the IDL Virtual Machine icon or run it from the command line with the -vm argument.

Running from the Windows Command Line

To run a .sav file from the command line prompt:

  1. Open a command line prompt. Select Run from the Start menu, and enter cmd.

    2.  

  2. Change directory (cd) to the IDL_DIR\bin\bin.platform directory where platform is the platform-specific bin directory.

    3.  

  3. Enter the following at the command line prompt:
    4. idlrt -vm=<path><filename>

     

    where <path> is the path to the .sav file, and <filename> is the name of the .sav file.

Running from the Windows CD-ROM

You can run a .sav file without installing the IDL Virtual Machine on your computer if you have a copy of the IDL 6.4 installation CD-ROM. To open a .sav file in the IDL Virtual Machine:

  1. Insert the IDL 6.4 for Windows CD-ROM.

    2.  

  2. When the IDL 6.4 installation screen appears, select Run IDL VM.

    3.  

  3. Click anywhere in the IDL Virtual Machine window to close the window and display the file selection menu.

    4.  

  4. Locate and select the .sav file, and double-click or click Open to run it.

UNIX

UNIX users must launch the IDL Virtual Machine from the UNIX command line.

To run a .sav file in the IDL Virtual Machine:

  1. Enter the following at the UNIX command line:
    2. idl -vm=<path><filename>

     

    where <path> is the complete path to the .sav file and <filename> is the name of the .sav file. The IDL Virtual Machine window is displayed.

     

  2. Click anywhere in the IDL Virtual Machine window to close the window and run the .sav file.

To launch the IDL Virtual Machine and use the file selection menu to locate the .sav file to run:

  1. Enter the following at the UNIX command line:
    2. idl -vm

     

    The IDL Virtual Machine window is displayed.

     

  2. Click anywhere in the IDL Virtual Machine window to close the window and display the file selection menu.

    3.  

  3. Locate and select the .sav file and click OK.

Mac OS X

Macintosh users can drag and drop the .sav file onto the IDL Virtual Machine desktop icon, launch the IDL Virtual Machine and open the .sav file, or launch the.sav file in the IDL Virtual Machine from the command line.


Note
When installing the IDL Virtual Machine, you have the opportunity to specify where (if anywhere) an alias (with its associated icon) should be placed. You can select the dock, the desktop, or any other folder. In these instructions, we assume you have installed the alias on the desktop.

Using Drag and Drop

To use drag and drop:

  1. Locate and select the .sav file in the Finder.

    2.  

  2. Drag the file icon from the Finder and drop it onto the IDL 6.4 Virtual Machine icon that has been created for you on the desktop. The IDL Virtual Machine window is displayed.

    3.  

  3. Click anywhere in the IDL Virtual Machine window to close the window and run the .sav file.

Using the IDL Virtual Machine Icon

To open a .sav file from the IDL Virtual Machine:

  1. Double-click the IDL 6.4 Virtual Machine icon to display the IDL Virtual Machine window:

    2.  

  2. Click anywhere in the IDL Virtual Machine window to close the window and display the file selection menu.

    3.  

  3. Locate and select the .sav file and click OK.

Running from the Command Line

To run the IDL Virtual Machine from the UNIX command line:

  1. Enter the following at the UNIX command line:
    2. idl -vm=<path><filename>

     

    where <path> is the complete path to the .sav file and <filename> is the name of the .sav file. The IDL Virtual Machine window is displayed.

     

  2. Click anywhere in the IDL Virtual Machine window to close the window and run the .sav file.

To launch the IDL Virtual Machine and use the file selection menu to locate the .sav file to run:

  1. Enter the following at the UNIX command line:
    2. idl -vm

     

    The IDL Virtual Machine window is displayed.

     

  2. Click anywhere in the IDL Virtual Machine window to close the window and display the file selection menu.

    3.  

  3. Locate and select the .sav file and click OK.

  IDL Online Help (March 06, 2007)