Starting ChIPS

ChIPS Threads (CIAO 4.0)

Overview

Last Update: 22 Aug 2007 - new for CIAO 4.0 [Beta 2]

Synopsis:

This thread describes how to start ChIPS for the first time, how to change the default from Python to S-Lang, and how to access the help files for ChIPS commands in a variety of ways.

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Starting ChIPS for the First Time
Setting the Default ChIPS Language
Getting Help
Finding a Command
- In Python: ? and <TAB>
- In S-Lang: apropos
Running CIAO and unix commands from the ChIPS Prompt
Undo and Redo
Exiting ChIPS
Using ChIPS from S-Lang and Python
History

Starting ChIPS for the First Time

ChIPS can be run in two different languages: S-Lang and Python. CIAO must be told which language to use the first time that ChIPS is run.

This is done by setting the CHIPS_SCRIPT_LANG environment variable. If this variable is not set, ChIPS starts up in the Python mode by default.

unix% setenv CHIPS_SCRIPT_LANG python

unix% setenv CHIPS_SCRIPT_LANG slang

Then, from the CIAO command line, type:

unix% chips

The startup script loads the ChIPS module, as well as the CRATES module, which handles file input and output ("ahelp crates").

Setting the Default ChIPS Language

Once you have decided which language you prefer using, it can be set as the default in the ChIPS preferences file:

unix% setenv CHIPS_SCRIPT_LANG python
unix% chips

chips-1> set_preferences("chips.shell=python")
chips-2> save_preferences()

unix% setenv CHIPS_SCRIPT_LANG slang
unix% chips
slsh version 0.7.7-1; S-Lang version: 2.0.7
Copyright (C) 2005-2006 John E. Davis <jed@jedsoft.org>
This is free software with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY.

chips-1> set_preferences("chips.shell=slang");
chips-2> save_preferences;

The preference is saved to $HOME/.chips.rc. The next time ChIPS is started, the preference file is read and the specified language is used.

If ~/.chips.rc already exists, a text editor may be used to change the chips.shell value as well.

Getting Help

There are several ways to access the ChIPS help files.

From the CIAO command line

Python syntax, description and examples for a specific command:
```
unix% ahelp py.chips <command>
```
or to list all ChIPS Python help files:
```
unix% ahelp -c py.chips
```
S-Lang syntax, description and examples for a specific command:
```
unix% ahelp sl.chips <command>
```
or to list all ChIPS S-Lang help files:
```
unix% ahelp -c sl.chips
```

From within ChIPS

From within Python or S-Lang, ahelp may be called two ways:

Python:

chips-3> ahelp "<command>"

chips-4> !ahelp py.chips <command>

S-Lang:

chips-3> ahelp("<command>");

chips-4> !ahelp sl.chips <command>

The native help systems - called "help" in both cases - may also be used to obtain syntax information:

# Python
chips-5> help <command>

% S-Lang
chips-5> help <command>

Creating an ahelp alias

Users can create an alias for ahelp to default to one syntax.

To always use Python:

unix% alias pyhelp "ahelp py.chips"
unix% pyhelp add_curve

To always use S-Lang:

unix% alias slhelp "ahelp sl.chips"
unix% slhelp add_curve

Finding a Command

Here are some tips on how to find the name of a command while working in ChIPS.

In Python: ? and <TAB>

To search for a phrase, use the "?" system:

chips-6> ? *label*
ChipsAxisTicklabel
add_label
chips_label
current_label
delete_label
display_label
...
hide_label
move_label

Type the start of a command and hit <TAB> for all possible completions:

chips-7> move_
move_axis    move_label   move_plot    move_region
move_frame   move_line    move_point

In S-Lang: apropos

The apropos command returns a list of functions that contain that the given string:

chips-6> apropos display
 apropos display ==>
  display_axis
  display_contour
  display_curve
  display_depth
  display_frame
  display_frame_border
  display_histogram
  display_label
  display_line
  display_plot
  display_point
  display_region


chips-7> apropos curve
 apropos curve ==>
  ChipsCurve
  ChipsCurveLimit
  ChipsCurveLine
  add_curve
  chips_curve
  current_curve
  delete_curve
  display_curve
  get_curve
...
  shuffle_curve

Running CIAO and unix commands from the ChIPS Prompt

Any line beginning with "!" is passed from ChIPS to the shell. This allows you to run CIAO and shell commands from the ChIPS prompt.

For example:

chips-8> !pwd
/data/ciao_demo/threads/acis-s/1838/primary

chips-9> !ls
acisf01838_000N001_bpix1.fits  acisf01838N001_src2.fits
acisf01838N001_evt2.fits       pcadf084244404N001_asol1.fits

chips-10> !dmkeypar acisf01838N001_evt2.fits OBJECT echo+
G21.5-0.9

chips-11> !dmcopy "acisf01838N001_evt2.fits[energy=300:10000]" 1838_energy.fits

require ("chips_hlui");
require ("crates");

and

from pychips.hlui import *
from pycrates import *

respectively.

History

22 Aug 2007

new for CIAO 4.0 [Beta 2]