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IMSL Version 3.0 Is Here

Cathy Kozlowski

IMSL has been updated from Version 2.0 to Version 3.0 on the ECN Solaris and HP machines. The International Mathematical and Statistical Libraries (IMSL) package still includes the FORTRAN libraries but now has C libraries and C++ support. The package now includes:

IMSL FORTRAN Numerical Libraries, Version 3.0

IMSL C Numerical Libraries, Version 1.02

IMSL Math Module for C++, Version 1.0

Visual Numerics ObjectSuite, Version 1.0

IMSL Exponent Graphics, Version 2.1

The IMSL FORTRAN Numerical Libraries, Version 3.0 is a simple update to the Version 2.0 FORTRAN libraries previously available at the ECN. These libraries include all the mathematical and statistical routines available in Version 2.0.

In addition to new components, the major changes are the improved online documentation, and the vendor-provided UNIX environment setup (both described below). The new components include:

• The IMSL C Numerical Libraries is a set of C routines with the same functionality as the FORTRAN Numerical Libraries. It is no longer necessary for the C program developer to use FORTRAN routines when utilizing the capabilities of IMSL.
• The IMSL Math Module for C++ and the Visual Numerics ObjectSuite provide C++ support for the IMSL package.
• The IMSL Exponent Graphics is a set of routines available in C and FORTRAN for displaying and graphing data.

To get started with the new IMSL Version 3.0, see the IMSL "man" page by typing "man imsl" . Most of the information in that "man" page is included in this article.

Online Documentation
Extensive online documentation is available for the IMSL package. After setting up your IMSL environment, you can view the online documentation for C and FORTRAN Numerical Libraries and Exponent Graphics, by typing "iptdoc" , and for the Math Module for C++ and ObjectSuite, by typing "vniosdoc" .

Example source code files in the directory /package/imsl/3.0/examples include subdirectories for C Numerical Library (cnl), FORTRAN Numerical Library (fnl), Exponent Graphics (eg), and ObjectSuite (C++). A demonstration of Exponent Graphics is available by typing "egdemo" . See the next section for information on setting up the egdemo command.

Setting Up Your Environment
Visual Numerics, Inc. has provided several shell scripts to help set up environment variables and aliases/functions needed when using the IMSL libraries and online documentation. For the Numerical Libraries and Exponent Graphics, there are two iptsetup shell scripts, one for csh/tcsh users and one for sh/ksh users. (It may be helpful in understanding IMSL's filenaming convention to know that ipt stands for IMSL Productivity Toolkit.)

• "source /usr/opt/bin/iptsetup.csh" should be typed at the csh or tcsh shell prompt to set up the needed environment variables and aliases/functions.
• This command may be added to your .cshrc file. However, this is not recommended if you plan to use both the IMSL and PV-WAVE packages because they use some of the same environment variables but set to different values.
• If you use sh or ksh, typing ". iptsetup.sh" at your shell prompt will do the same thing under a sh/ksh environment. (Note the " . " before "iptsetup.sh". It must be there.)
• This command may be added to your .profile file. However, this is not recommended if you plan to use both the IMSL and PV-WAVE packages because they use some of the same environment variables but set to different values.

With your IMSL environment established, you may use the commands iptdoc and egdemo to bring up the IMSL online documentation and the Exponent Graphics demo, respectively, and to compile and link programs using the shell variables $CC, $CFLAGS, $FC, $FFLAGS, etc., explained on the next page.

3 For the Visual Numerics ObjectSuite and the IMSL Math Module for C++, there is a comparable pair of shell scripts vniossetup. (It may be helpful in understanding IMSL's filenaming convention to know that vnios stands for Visual Numerics, Inc. ObjectSuite.)

• "source /usr/opt/bin/vniossetup.csh" should be typed at the csh or tcsh shell prompt to set up the needed environment variables and aliases/functions.
• This command may be added to your .cshrc file, but is not recommended if you plan to use both the PV-WAVE and IMSL packages because they use some of the same environment variables set to different values.
• If you use sh or ksh, typing ". vniossetup.sh" at your shell prompt will do the same thing under a sh/ksh environment. (Note the " . " before "viossetup.sh". It must be there.)
• This command may be added to your .cshrc file, but is not recommended if you plan to use both the PV-WAVE and IMSL packages because they use some of the same environment variables set to different values.

With your IMSL environment established, you may use the command vniosdoc to bring up the ObjectSuite online documentation, and to compile and link programs using the shell variables $CCC, $CCFLAGS, etc.

Compiling And Linking
Setting up your IMSL environment as explained above, makes available numerous environment variables for compiling and linking your programs. For most applications, compiling and linking can be accomplished as outlined below.

If using the C Numerical Libraries and dynamic libraries:

$CC -o <your_program> $CFLAGS <your_program> $LINK_CNL

or for static libraries:

$CC -o <your_program> $CFLAGS <your_program> $LINK_CNL_STATIC

If using the FORTRAN Numerical Libraries and dynamic libraries:

$FC -o <your_program> $FFLAGS <your_program> $LINK_FNL

or for static libraries:

$FC -o <your_program> $FFLAGS <your_program> $LINK_FNL_STATIC

If using Exponent Graphics and dynamic libraries and no Motif library:

$CC -o <your_program> $CFLAGS <your_program> $LINK_EG

or for static libraries (and still no Motif library):

$CC -o <your_program> $CFLAGS <your_program> $LINK_EG_STATIC_MS

If using the Math Module for C++ and ObjectSuite and dynamic libraries:

$CCC -o <your_program> $CCFLAGS <your_program> $LINK_IMSLMM

or for static libraries:

$CCC -o <your_program> $CCFLAGS <your_program> $LINK_IMSLMM_STATIC