The ASSIST Graphical User Interface

I. NAME

assist --

a script that runs ASSIST, the ASCDS graphical navigator for access to tools

run_assist --

a convenient alias, the usual way to run assist to access ASCDS tools

II. COMMAND LINE SYNTAX AND OPTIONS

run_assist has no options; it is an alias that executes the assist script with appropriate values for command line options -project, -top, and -activate

assist takes any of several options, in any order; only a few are likely to be of interest:

• -project <path> : the path to the ASCDS tree nodes
• -top <node> : the name of the "Top View" node (usually "ASCDS")
• -activate <node> : the name of a node to activate (as if the user has clicked on it) on startup; there may be more than one "-activate <node>" pair on the command line; to be able to execute tasks from the ASSIST, include "-activate ASCshell" on the command line
• -windows <n> : number of windows to allow onscreen at one time in each of the ASSIST program's five stacks (the default is 2)
• -display <display_id> : the X Windows display to use
• -xrm <X_resource_string> : string specifying any applicable X <resource:value> pair (the file specifying ASSIST resources is app-defaults/AGS under the SAORD_ROOT directory)

III. ENVIRONMENT

• ASCDS_OTS_SAORD : the head of the directory tree containing the SAO R&D release, including the ASSIST, SAOtng, XDir, and other programs
• SAORD_ROOT : subdirectory "soft" under ASCDS_OTS_SAORD
• UPARM : a directory, writable by the user, for local copies of parameter files and other files (Note: the UPARM path must have a final '/')
• PFILES : location of standard system parameter files; most tasks started from ASSIST are controlled by parameter files
• ASCDS_ASSIST_AUX : the head of a tree of auxiliary files used by the ASSIST
• ASCDS_SAOTNG_AUX : auxiliary files used by SAOtng, an important application available through the ASSIST

IV. THE ASCDS ASSIST TREE STRUCTURE AND USAGE

General User

Engineering Staff

Management Staff

User Support Staff

Science Operations Staff

Technical Operations Staff

ASCDS Support Staff

Mission Planning Staff

Clicking once on any of these opens another window, displaying a tree representing the processing environment for that role.

Two of the remaining nodes in the Top View start applications in the SAO R&D suite: SAOtng, for image display and quick-look analysis, and XDir, for browsing directories and selecting paths to send to other applications.

There is also a node in the Top View for starting the IRAF analysis environment; while this is available, it is not necessary for data analysis in ASCDS.

The final node in the Top View makes the non-ASCDS default ASSIST tree available.

Each "role" environment tree ends in leaf nodes representing tasks, or application programs. Clicking once on a "task" node will either start the application directly or open a Parameter Editor window.

A Parameter Editor window displays a list of all the parameters for a task, read from the task's parameter file. There are five columns of information for each parameter:

• name - name of the parameter
• value - current value (editable)
• min - minimum value (if numeric) (editable)
• max - maximum value (if numeric) (editable)
• prompt - description of the parameter

Buttons at the top of the window allow the user to read a help page about the task, to clear ("Unlearn") or save ("Update") current values in a local copy of the task's parameter file, and to run the task with current parameter values. The program will run in the window titled "ASCshell" that came up when the ASSIST started.

V. ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTATION

There is extensive online documentation available in the ASSIST tree. The program has many more features than are described here. A good tree-structured survey of its features and how to use them is available by clicking once on the "Tutorials" button in the welcoming window. In addition, each window has a "Help" button that accesses a tree-structured set of reference documentation.

The SAOtng application also has extensive online help, available through a "Help" button on the display window.

The XDir application has online help available through the "Help" item in the "File" menu.

VI. SIDE EFFECTS/RESTRICTIONS ON USAGE

For the ASCshell window to run programs activated from an ASSIST node or Parameter Editor window, it must have a standard ASCDS runtime environment . If your .cshrc or .cshrc.user file sets up that environment, the ASCshell window will have it. Otherwise you must set it up in that window after it appears.

The assist script does not get rid of the associated ASCshell window, SAOtng program, etc. when you quit ASSIST. But you should not have old ones still around when you start assist, or the inter-window communications may get confused. You need to shut down left-over processes associated with terminated ASSIST runs.

The ASCDS ASSIST tree and the applications that it accesses are still under development. You may encounter leaf nodes that are stubs. The most heavily populated subtree is under Data Analysis. Help pages are available for tasks that correspond to IRAF tasks, but not for most others.