ANNOUNCE: perlDL v1.00 - the 'perl Data Language'

[Karl Glazebrook]

    `perlDL' ("perl Data Language") gives standard perl the ability
    to COMPACTLY store and SPEEDILY manipulate the large N-
    dimensional data arrays which are the bread and butter of
    scientific computing.

    The idea is to turn perl in to a, free, array-oriented,
    numerical language in the same sense as commerical packages like
    IDL and MatLab. One can write simple perl expressions to
    manipulate entire numerical arrays all at once.

    For example with `perlDL' the perl variable `$a' can hold a
    1024x1024 floating point image, it only takes 4Mb of memory to
    store it and expressions like `$a=sqrt($a)+2' would manipulate
    the whole image in a few seconds.

    A simple interactive shell ("`perldl'") is provided for command
    line use together with a module ("`PDL'") for use in perl
    scripts.

    v1.00 is the first official alpha release. It provides the
    fundumental numerical processing facilities and a limited set of
    standard functions. Graphics are supported via the perl PGPLOT
    module and image display via the external programs
    saoimage/ximtool. The goal is to allow perlDL to interact with a
    variety of external graphics systems. I/O is currently supported
    via the FITS standard, though given the simple design it ought
    to be possible to create perl code to read many common formats.

    There are of course many things missing from this first release
    but it is hoped that perlDL will grow through efforts of
    interested users. It has a modular design to encourage this.

  Where to obtain perlDL:

  Home Site:

    WWW: http://www.aao.gov.au/local/www/kgb/perldl/

    ftp: ftp://ftp.aao.gov.au/pub/perldl/

  Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN):

    ftp: In directory modules/by-module/PDL/

    WWW: You can automatically select your LOCAL CPAN site by going
    to: http://www.perl.com/CPAN/modules/by-module/PDL/

    The PGPLOT module is available from (among others):

    http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~kgb/pgperl.html (Home Page/General
    information)

    http://www.perl.com/CPAN/modules/by-module/PGPLOT/

    ftp://ftp.ast.cam.ac.uk/pub/kgb/pgperl/

    ftp://ftp.aao.gov.au/pub/pgperl/

    SAOimage is available from:

    http://tdc-www.harvard.edu/software/saoimage.html

  Documentation

    The current perlDL documentation is available from
    http://www.aao.gov.au/local/www/kgb/perldl/PDL.html

  Mailing List

    Finally, a mailing list has been set up to talk about perlDL and
    for developers to coordinate their work.

    The address of the list is perldl at jach.hawaii.edu. To subscribe,
    send a message to perldl-request at jach.hawaii.edu containing a
    string in the following format:

    subscribe me at my.email.address

    I hope you find perlDL useful and enjoyable,

    Karl Glazebrook. email: kgb at aaoepp.aao.gov.au