Hi Havok, I was wondering what could be an example to try. Because I have tried with 25 lines of code copied into the IDL 8.2.1 prompt (in Mac OS X 10.8.2) and they work fine. How many lines of code does the problem becomes evident?. Cheers, Fernandon

This is something that's been bothering me for a while about the IDE, I've been working around it, but if there is a fix, please help. A quick example is: x=findgen(720) y=x*0. z=y .r for ic=0,100 do begin y[ic]=cos(!dtor*x[ic]) z[ic]=cos(!dtor*x[ic]) endfor end Please note that I realize that this is brain damaged code, but it demonstrates the problem. If I cut the entire block and paste it into the console, it doesn't work. It doesn't recognize the 'end' as an end, and if I just type 'end', it gives a syntax error. If I cut out each line at a time and paste them it, it functions correctly (this is the workaround). The problem only manifests itself when '.r' is used. If there is something that I can do to fix this I'd love to know what it is. Bob

Hi Bob, This way of working was designed to work better with IDL command line instead of from inside the new IDL Workbench (post IDL 7.x). In IDL 8.x the command line and the console fused, and this particular way of working does not behave as before. So, my recommendation is: 1- or use IDL Command line version (no Workbench) 2- or type multiple lines into one line, in this way, without using .RUN: x=findgen(720) y=x*0. z=y for ic=0,100 do begin & y[ic]=cos(!dtor*x[ic]) & z[ic]=cos(!dtor*x[ic]) & endfor 3- Or as you said, enter line by line of the set of multiple lines after having typed .RUN. I hope this helps in your case. Cheers, Fernando

Actually no. this doesn't help. All you've given me are workarounds that I'm already using. I usually test stuff as I write it in the IDE. As it stands, it's a pain to test out code with large, multiline for or if blocks. Clearly, I could open a another window and run the IDL command line - but then I loose the integration with the code and the debugger. I'm back to where I was in version 3. At this point, you've confirmed that the console window has some sort of feature that keeps it from acting like the command line. In fact, when I use .R, I can't even figure out what the console is trying to do. I don't expect a fix in this version, but I would request that in the next redesign that thought be given to making .r and a set of pasted code work like it does in the command line version. Bob

I have had the same problem as Brian describes in previous versions of idlde, but only on occasion. I now have IDL 8.4 (Build id: 20140927) and very often run into the problem that it doesn't even "take" a single line. I highlight a line in an editor; copy it (Cntr-C); paste it onto the command line (Cntr-V). It will show on the command line, I can press enter and it will give me a new prompt. However, the command does not get executed and is not in the command history. The way to get past this is to exit IDL and start it again. Not an acceptable solution. Anyone any suggestions?