NCL user environment

This module describes the path names and environment variables that users must set to use the NCAR Command Language, and it describes how to run NCL.

Environment variables

Before you can use NCL, you must make sure that you have set either NCARG_ROOT or the three environment variables NCARG_BIN, NCARG_LIB, and NCARG_INCLUDE, depending on how NCAR Graphics was installed on your system. In some cases, the installer may have set either NCARG_ROOT or NCARG_BIN, NCARG_LIB, and NCARG_INCLUDE globally so that you don't have to worry about it. To figure out if any of these variables have been set, execute:

      env
A list of all the environment variables that have been set will be shown, along with their values.

If you don't have either NCARG_ROOT, or NCARG_BIN, NCARG_LIB, and NCARG_INCLUDE set, then please contact your system administrator.

Path names

You must have the NCAR Graphics binaries in your execution path. If you have the NCARG_ROOT environment variable set, then the location of these files is $NCARG_ROOT/bin, otherwise the location is $NCARG_BIN.

You must add one of these directories to your execution path in order to use the NCAR Graphics software. Contact your system administrator if you need help in adding a directory to your execution path.

How to run NCL

After you have set up your environment variables and execution path so that you can access the NCAR Graphics software, you can invoke NCL by typing "ncl". A command line interpreter will start up and the following prompt will appear on your screen:

     ncl 0>
You can now begin typing your NCL commands.

Alternatively, you can start NCL and load a script to run in batch mode. A script is an ASCII file that contains NCL commands and comments. To run a script when you invoke NCL, type:

    ncl < scriptname
where scriptname is the name of the NCL script.

You can also load and run an NCL script from within NCL. After you invoke NCL and get a prompt, type:

    load "scriptname"
scriptname will be loaded and executed. After the script finishes, the NCL prompt will return, and you can continue typing NCL commands or load another script.

How to exit NCL

Type 
    quit
at the NCL command line prompt to exit NCL.

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$Revision: 1.5 $ $Date: 1998/06/15 22:08:29 $