How to launch multiple IDL Workbench sessions on Mac OS X

DESCRIPTION

Normally on Mac OS X, attempting to launch more than one IDL Workbench session via the IDL AppleScript icon or alias on Mac OS X will result in only a single IDL Workbench session. This help article discusses an approach that may allow a user to launch multiple IDL Workbench sessions from a Desktop icon.

(Note: Each separate IDL Workbench session requires access to its own workspace folder. Two IDL Workbench sessions shouldn't normally share a single workspace folder.)

DISCUSSION

The following describes an approach to allow multiple IDL Workbench sessions on Mac by creating a Apple Alias icon that points to the "idlde" shell script file in the "bin" subdirectory of the main IDL product directory.  For example, for IDL 8.2:

    /Applications/exelis/idl82/bin/idlde

Below are the steps to create an Apple alias desktop icon that points to "idlde" for IDL 8.2:

1.) Open an Apple Finder window and browse to the directory:

    /Applications/exelis/idl82/bin

2.) In this folder, locate the file named "idlde".

3.) While holding the shift key down, click and drag the "idlde" file and then release it on the Desktop. This should create an Apple alias icon that points to the "idlde" file.

Double click on the "idlde" alias icon to launch the IDL Workbench (an Apple Terminal shell window should accompany the Workbench session).

After launching the first IDL Workbench session, double click on the "idlde" alias icon again. This should launch a new Terminal Window and a dialog asking you to select a new Workspace folder. After specifying/selecting a new Workspace folder, a second IDL Workbench session should launch.

(Note: Although you can close the resulting IDL Workbench sessions by just closing the parent Apple Terminal window, to avoid a remote possibility of corrupting your IDL Workbench or Workspace user configuration it may be best to exit the IDL Workbench session first before closing the parent Terminal window.)

[ Reference: IDL-60599 ]