IDL Programming Tips

This IDL Programming Tips and Tricks database is a collection of IDL trivia and knowledge collected by David Fanning and his alter ego, Coyote, from 1998 through 2014, when they retired. It includes information from IDL 5.0 through IDL 8.3. It is no longer being updated. If you are interested in taking over this web page, please let us know. Otherwise, the web site will stay up through September 2015.

Search Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming

Tip Topics

Most Frequently Asked Questions

• What are these “Coyote Graphics” I keep hearing about?
• Where can I find code examples for graphics plots in IDL?
• How do I install the Coyote Library?
• Help! My Coyote Library program doesn't work!
• Can you recommend a good book for learning IDL?
• What is the best way to create a filled contour plot?
• How do I add a color bar to my graphics plot?
• Can you explain how color works in IDL?
• How do I display a transparent image in IDL?
• Can you help me create, browse and read netCDF files in IDL?
• Can you tell me how to read an ASCII data file with columns of data?
• What are the 10 most common programming errors in IDL?
• Can you show me how to use Greek symbols in IDL?
• What is the best way to produce IDL graphics for Internet or Powerpoint display?
• Are IDL PostScript landscape files always upside-down!?
• I hear the Histogram command is awesome. What do you know about it?