Looking for a book on IDL that doesn't suck

[Ai52487963]

All the books on IDL programming in my astronomy lab are ridiculous. Maybe its because IDL itself is incredibly loose or something? I'm just starting research using this language and it's not really frustrating, so much as I've no clue where to begin learning it. The books I have are not very newbie-friendly to the slightest degree, which poses a serious problem for someone as programmingly challenged as I.

Is there a kids popup book of IDL or a coloring book of IDL or something that may be more suitable for me than "we'll assume you know everything right off the bat, so..."?

[entorm]

Hi,

The book I've used since I started programming in IDL is called 'Practical IDL Programming', by Liam Gumley. I found it really helpful in the beginning, and I still consult it often.

Another very good book is 'IDL programming techniques', by David Fanning, which is also partially available on the internet. It includes useful tips, especially for graphics and widgets, and has many example programs that you can use as templates.

Hope that helped!