IDL stands for Interactive Data Language and is a modern general purpose computer language with many of the best features of other well known languages; the resulting combination is powerful and easy to use. It has FORTRAN like statements for doing mathematical computations and allows FORTRAN formatting for output. IDL also resembles APL by making array operations a natural part of the language. Like APL and BASIC, IDL is an interpreted language making it very easy to try ideas and develop techniques, often using interactive commands; you are not forced to write or modify a program for each little change. IDL includes a set of powerful array operators like APL, but uses standard keyboard characters instead of the special characters needed by APL. Like the C language IDL has a complete set of program flow statements. Also like C memory may be allocated as needed and structures may be used. Pretty much unique to IDL are the standard graphics and imaging commands, these are what makes IDL so special. While other languages may have similar capabilities none are as portable as IDL which is now available for most workstations, home computers, and some supercomputers. Through the years, as computers have become faster, IDL has lived up to its name by becoming even more interactive. In the past it has not been a widely known language but now it is in a position for possible explosive growth, it could easily become one of the major languages of the 90s and beyond. IDL is maintained and distributed by Research Systems, Inc. (RSI) of Boulder, Colorado. The inventor of the language and founder of the company is David Stern.
It is not necessary to be familiar with other computer languages before learning IDL, it is very easy to start using powerful language features after just a short start up time. However as you learn more about the language it will become possible to write more efficient software.
IDL is a powerful data manipulation language which contains
Vector manipulation of data
Powerful plotting functions
Powerful mathematical functions
Publication quality postscript output
A built in widget programming language for application design
Appropriate uses of IDL include (but are not limited to)
Visualization and analysis of 1- and 2-D data
Creating final quality 1- and 2-D plots for publication
Mathematics and Statitics on data when speed is not an issue
Post-processing of data and HDF files
On screen animation of 1 and 2D data and colormaps.
Remote control with an RPC Server interface (built into IDL).
Things you do not want to do with IDL include (but are not limited to)
Three-d visualization where you expect SGI-type animation and manipulation speed
Production-quality rendered polygons
Basically anything at which Explorer or AVS seem better!