user manual

Chapter 1: Overview of iTools 15
iTool Developer’s Guide Skills Required to Use the iTools Component Framework
Skills Required to Use the iTools Component
Framework
The iTools component framework consists of a set of IDL object classes,
supplemented by utility routines. If you are already familiar with the concepts of
object-oriented programming, or have written programs that use IDL object graphics,
you will find the iTools framework easy to understand and use. The framework
approach means that most of the details of creating a full-featured and usable
application are already taken care of, leaving you free to concentrate on how best to
manipulate and visualize your data.
If you are familiar with procedural programming in IDL but new to object-oriented
programming, you will find developing iTools to be a gentle introduction to the topic.
The iTools framework has been designed to allow IDL users with little or no
experience writing object-oriented programs to easily customize and extend the basic
iTool applications. While some familiarity with the concepts of object-oriented
programming is necessary to successfully develop iTools, you should be able to
create simple modifications of existing tools almost immediately, and more complex
customizations soon thereafter.