Get to Know a Feature: Data Browser

If you're using Igor Pro 7, you've probably already noticed that the Data Browser has changed quite a lot since Igor Pro 6. The look has been modernized and the functionality greatly improved. I won't cover all of the changes in this post, but if you want to view a complete list of the changes and improvements, execute the following commands in Igor Pro 7:

Changes to the object list itself have already been described in the Get to Know a Feature: Dialog Wave Browser post.

COMPACT MODE

A new compact mode has been added that allows the controls at the left of the object list to be compacted horizontally. Users with small displays will find this mode especially helpful. You can toggle between regular and compact mode by clicking the triangle at the left of the object list.

DRAGGING FROM THE OBJECT LIST

Dragging a wave from the object list onto a table or graph appends the wave to that window. Dragging any object onto the command line inserts the full path of the object(s) on the command line.

WHERE IS OBJECT USED

Right click on an object and select "Where Is Object Used" to bring up a dialog showing you where the object is used.

INFO PANE

The info pane can display information about a wave's type, dimensionality, size, text encoding, path on disk (for external waves), modification date, and note. You can control which fields are displayed in the Miscellaneous Settings dialog.

Edit the properties of an object by clicking the edit icon above the info pane.

PLOT PANE

Because the plot pane now uses the same drawing code as regular graph windows, axes can be enabled and many of the regular trace options such as trace mode, color, and marker symbol are supported.

2D waves are displayed as an image with a user-configurable color table. Individual layers and chunks of 3D and 4D waves can be specified. In addition, automatic detection of RGB(A) waves can be enabled.