PDL(3pm)						User Contributed Perl Documentation						  PDL(3pm)

NAME

       PDL - the Perl Data Language

DESCRIPTION

       (For the exported PDL constructor, pdl(), see PDL::Core)

       PDL is the Perl Data Language, a perl extension that is designed for scientific and bulk numeric data processing and display.  It extends
       perl's syntax and includes fully vectorized, multidimensional array handling, plus several paths for device-independent graphics output.

       PDL is fast, comparable and often outperforming IDL and MATLAB in real world applications. PDL allows large N-dimensional data sets such as
       large images, spectra, etc to be stored efficiently and manipulated quickly.

VECTORIZATION

       For a description of the vectorization (also called "threading"), see PDL::Core.

INTERACTIVE SHELL

       The PDL package includes an interactive shell. You can learn about it, run "perldoc perldl", or run the shell "perldl" or "pdl2" and type
       "help".

LOOKING FOR A FUNCTION
?
       If you want to search for a function name, you should use the PDL shell along with the "help" or "apropos" command (to do a fuzzy search).
       For example:

	pdl> apropos xval
	xlinvals	X axis values between endpoints (see xvals).
	xlogvals	X axis values logarithmicly spaced...
	xvals		Fills a piddle with X index values...
	yvals		Fills a piddle with Y index values. See the CAVEAT for xvals.
	zvals		Fills a piddle with Z index values. See the CAVEAT for xvals.

       To learn more about the PDL shell, see perldl or pdl2.

LANGUAGE DOCUMENTATION

       Most PDL documentation describes the language features. The number of PDL pages is too great to list here. The following pages offer some
       guidance to help you find the documentation you need.

       PDL::FAQ
	    Frequently asked questions about PDL. This page covers a lot of questions that do not fall neatly into any of the documentation
	    categories.

       PDL::Tutorials
	    A guide to PDL's tutorial-style documentation. With topics from beginner to advanced, these pages teach you various aspects of PDL
	    step by step.

       PDL::Modules
	    A guide to PDL's module reference. Modules are organized by level (foundation to advanced) and by category (graphics, numerical
	    methods, etc) to help you find the module you need as quickly as possible.

       PDL::Course
	    This page compiles PDL's tutorial and reference pages into a comprehensive course that takes you from a complete beginner level to
	    expert.

       PDL::Index
	    List of all available documentation, sorted alphabetically. If you cannot find what you are looking for, try here.

MODULES

       PDL includes about a dozen perl modules that form the core of the language, plus additional modules that add further functionality.  The
       perl module "PDL" loads all of the core modules automatically, making their functions available in the current perl namespace.  Some notes:

       SYNOPSIS
	    See the SYNOPSIS section at the end of this document for a list of modules loaded by default.

       PDL::Lite and PDL::LiteF
	    These are lighter-weight alternatives to the standard PDL module.  Consider using these modules if startup time becomes an issue.

       Exports
	    "use PDL;" exports a large number of routines into the calling namespace.  If you want to avoid namespace pollution, you must instead
	    "use PDL::Lite", and include any additional modules explicitly.

       PDL::NiceSlice
	    Note that the PDL::NiceSlice syntax is NOT automatically loaded by "use PDL;".  If you want to use the extended slicing syntax in a
	    standalone script, you must also say "use PDL::NiceSlice;".

       PDL::Math
	    The PDL::Math module has been added to the list of modules for versions later than 2.3.1. Note that PDL::Math is still not included in
	    the PDL::Lite and PDL::LiteF start-up modules.

SYNOPSIS

	use PDL; # Is equivalent to the following:

	  use PDL::Core;
	  use PDL::Ops;
	  use PDL::Primitive;
	  use PDL::Ufunc;
	  use PDL::Basic;
	  use PDL::Slices;
	  use PDL::Bad;
	  use PDL::MatrixOps;
	  use PDL::Math;
	  use PDL::Version;
	  use PDL::IO::Misc;
	  use PDL::IO::FITS;
	  use PDL::IO::Pic;
	  use PDL::Lvalue;

perl v5.14.2							    2012-05-19								  PDL(3pm)