IDL 7.1 Plug-in Wizard (Not available in IDL 8) - issues with user permissions.
Topic:
This article discusses a problem encountered by some users when attempting to access new Features and Plug-ins via the IDL Workbench "Software Update" mechanism due to user permissions.
Note: Plug-ins are not supported in IDL 8.0 and 8.1. However, they are supported in IDL 8.2. The link below takes you to an article with more information about how to install plug-ins with IDL 8.2:
http://harrisgeospatial.com/Support/SelfHelpTools/HelpArticles/HelpArticles-Detail/tabid/2718/ArtMID/10220/ArticleID/19910/Default.aspx
IDL 7.1 offers a new mechanism for installing Features and Plug-ins to expand the functionality available to you in IDL. It allows you to not only utilize new tools available from Exelis Visual Information Solutions, but to establish and/or use update sites or code libraries from third party sources. For more information, see Help Article #4481, or search for "Plug-in Wizard" in the IDL 7.1 help browser.
However, problems can arise if you attempt to install a Feature or a Plug-in if you do not have write permissions to the "plugins" directory located in your /idlde/plugins directory on your system. Typically this occurs if you are not the administrator on that machine.
If this is the case, you will likely get an error stating that you do not have write permissions to that directory, or that the operation cannot be completed.
Discussion:
The way to get around this is to specify another plug-in location somewhere in your user home directory, where you likely have write permissions. However, there are a few steps you’ll need to take to enable the use of these features and/or plug-ins.
Step 1:
Launch the "Software Updates" mechanism via the Help > Software Updates menu item and select "Find and Install...". Select the radio button entitled "Search for new features to install" and click "next". Check the box next to the appropriate update site; in this case we choose "Exelis Visual Information Solutions."
Click "Finish" and you will now have a new "Updates" window.
Step 2:
Expand the directory tree by clicking the plus sign next to "Exelis Visual Information Solutions", then expand in the same manor the "IDL Code Contributions" directory. Then select the plug-ins you wish to install. For this example we choose "IDL Adventure 1.0.0" to maximize the fun factor of this TechTip. Then click "Next".
Step 3:
On this next screen select the radio button entitled "I accept the terms in the license agreement", if indeed you do, then click "Next". You will now have a list of Features/Plug-ins that you have selected for installation. This is where you need to modify the location in which these Features/Plug-ins are installed to avoid user permissions issues. Click the "Change Location..." button and a new dialog window will pop up. Select "Add Location..." and select a directory that you have permissions to read and write to, likely in your user home directory somewhere. This directory will now be listed in that same dialog window under "Available installation locations"; select it and click "Ok" and you’ll be back to the "Install" window.
Now click "Finish". On the next window, select "Install All" and your plug-ins will be installed. You will then be prompted by IDL to restart the Workbench; select "Yes".
Step 4: The most important step!
Since you are not installing this plug-in into the standard location, IDL will not by default look for it and know where it is, thus allowing you to launch and use it as you would be able to if you had installed it into the default "plugins" directory. You must now add the directory that you have specified to your IDL Path, or
!path IDL system variable. You can choose to do this programmatically at the IDL command line if you so desire, or if you wish (or if you are unfamiliar with the
!path variable and how to manipulate it) the IDL Workbench provides a mechanism in the IDL preferences to permanently add your new plugins directory to your IDL Path.
Select the Window > Preferences menu item. On the left hand side of the Preferences windows click the plus sign next to "IDL" to expand, then click "Paths". On the right hand side of the window click the "Insert" button and you will be presented with a dialog window that will allow you to choose the directory that you have created for your plugins. Select the directory and click "OK"; it will now be available in the list of directories currently included in your Path. Check the box next to it to include subdirectories, click "Apply", then click "Ok".
Use Your new Plug-in
You will now be able to use the plug-in that you have installed. To test our example, simply type "idl_adventure" at the command line as shown below and enjoy!