New features for 5.0?

[rsmith(at)zardoz.gsfc.nasa.gov (Randall Smith)]

If IDL is going to have a new release, here are a few of the features
I'd like to see:

1.  On DEC machines, support (at least with doubles) values outside
of the range 10^-35 - 10^35.  This is a huge, huge problem for me.

2. Multiple (ganged) plots on a single page is a great idea.  However,
the ability to easily go back and overplot would be fantastic.  I know
it can be done by mucking about with the system variables (I've done
it), but better still would be an automatic way to do it.

3.  A built-in way to read in ascii table files of any length, without
having to know the length in advance.  I've written a program to do
it (as have at least 5 other people), which I'd be happy to donate.
For the beginning user, it'd be a huge convenience.  

4.  Bring back the old help files as well--admit that the hyperhelp
isn't so hot.  Yes, I know the old help stuff is still there,
accessable via some incantation, but it should be more up-front.  Call
it "userhelp" or something, but leave it in.

And, finally, the price.  It seems to me that RSI is now going after
the medical market--which can afford far more cost than, say, the
astrophysics market I use IDL for.  As a result, we're being priced
out of the marketplace.  I'm seriously looking at GUILE and GNUDL as
IDL replacements--it seems to me that when they get a little more
ready, writing an idl2gnudl converter wouldn't be too hard.  Just a
thought...IDL is a fine product, but the cost is making it hard to
justify.

Randall Smith
randall.smith@gsfc.nasa.gov

Not speaking for NASA, just myself.