user manual

Chapter 3: Data Management 55
iTool Developer’s Guide iTool Data Types
Table 3-1 lists the iTool data types defined by the standard iTools included with IDL.
You should avoid using these iTool data type names when defining data objects that
do not match the contents listed here; if data objects with different contents are given
these iTool data type names, portions of the standard iTool functionality may no
longer function correctly.
In addition to avoiding use of the standard iTool data type names for new data types,
you should consider using unique naming schemes for iTool data types you create.
Choosing your own iTool data type naming scheme will help to avoid conflicts with
iTools built by others. This is especially important if you intend to share your iTool
code with other IDL users. Choosing a unique prefix or suffix for your iTool data
type names should guard against most namespace collisions.
iTool Data Type Contents
IDLARRAY2D A two-dimensional array of any IDL data type
IDLARRAY3D A three-dimensional array of any IDL data type
IDLCONNECTIVITY A vector containing connectivity list data
IDLIMAGE A composite data type that includes
IDLIMAGEPIXELS and IDLPALETTE data
IDLIMAGEPIXELS One or more two-dimensional image planes
IDLOPACITY_TABLE A 256-element byte array
IDLPALETTE A 3 x 256-element byte array
IDLPOLYVERTEX A composite data type that contains a vector of
vertex data and a vector of connectivity data
IDLVECTOR A vector of any IDL data type
IDLVERTEX A vector containing vertex data
Table 3-1: iTool data types used by the standard iTools shipped with IDL.