HOW TO INSTALL SPECVIEW



GENERAL PROCEDURE:

Specview is distributed as a JAR file. There are also other supporting
JAR files (for the FITS library, JavaHelp, XML, WebServices, and line
identification library).

Once you open the ZIP (Windows) or TAR (Unix, Linux) distribution file
into some directory, you can just 'cd' into that directory and execute

% java -jar specview.jar

from a shell window (Unix, Linux) or a DOS prompt window (Windows) to
start Specview.

Two script files are provided in the ZIP/TAR distribution file as a
convenience for starting Specview: a Unix shell script (specview) and
a Windows Batch file (SPECVIEW.BAT).

You just edit the two lines in the file that define the "spv" and
"jhome" variables. "spv" defines the path to the directory that
contains the specview JAR files.

"jhome" defines the path to your system's Java installation (either
the Java Development Kit - JDK, or the Java Runtime Environmemt - JRE).

Once the two lines are appropriately edited, by just executing the
script/batch file, Specview will be started.



LINE IDENTIFICATION LIBRARY: 

The specview_lines.jar file contains spectral line lists for the
line identification tool. This JAR file is NOT contained in the
standardTAR and ZIP distribution files. It must be downloaded
separately ad put in the same directory where the other Specview
files are, ir order to be visible by Specview. You should do so
if you expect to extensively use the line identification tool.



MEMORY REQUIREMENTS:

Some file types accepted by Specview, and some operations performed
by Specview may require significant amounts or memory to run properly.
It is recommended that you start specview with the provided startup
scripts, since these scripts include memory sizing parameters in
the java call. The default sizes provided by a plain 'java' call
are not sufficient in some cases to prevent an "OutOfMemory" error.
If that happens, it is recommended that Specview be restarted.


You should edit the memory size parameters to adjust them to the
size of available memory in your machine.

For details on the parameters syntax, see the documentation for
the 'java' command at:

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/tooldocs/tools.html



DETAILED INSTALLATION STEPS:

UNIX, LINUX:

- Verify that you have the appropriate Java version already
  installed (use the 'java -version' command at the shell prompt).
  If not successful, you have to download and install the Java
  Runtime Environment from the Sun web site (http://java.sun.com/j2se/).

- Download the Specview distribution file specview.tar in any
  convenient place, and un-tar it.

- 'cd' to the directory with Specview files.

- Edit the SPV and JHOME environment variables in the 'specview'
  script file to point to the actual place where the Specview
  files are installed, and to the actual place where your JRE/JDK
  is installed.

- To run Specview, just execute the script in the 'specview' file.
  This script transparently starts the Java Virtual Machine, starts
  Specview and builds an eventual command line with optional parameters.
  For user convenience, the 'specview' script file can be copied into 
  any appropriate location in the system such as /bin or /usr/bin.


WINDOWS:

- Verify that you have the appropriate Java version already 
  installed (use the 'java -version' command at the DOS prompt). 
  If not successful, you have to download and install the Java 
  Runtime Environment from the Sun web site (http://java.sun.com/j2se/).

- Download the Specview distribution file SPECVIEW.EXE in any 
  convenient place.

- Execute the self-extracting SPECVIEW.EXE file; it will ask 
  you where to put the files. The default place is the user's 
  environment variable TEMP, usually C:\windows\TEMP. Type in 
  the path for the place you want the files installed into.

- Once SPECVIEW.EXE is finished, change directory to the place 
  the Specview files were installed into.

- Edit the "spv" and "jhome" environmental variables in the 
  SPECVIEW.BAT file to point to the place where the Specview 
  files are installed, and to the actual place where your JRE/JDK 
  is installed.

- To start Specview, you can either directly run the SPECVIEW.BAT 
  file from a DOS command window, or, more conveniently, you can 
  create a desktop shortcut to that file. This is how I do it under 
  Windows 2000 Professional:

  - Click the right mouse on the desktop, select "New", and select
    "Shortcut".

  - Enter the location of the SPECVIEW.BAT file in the Specview 
    topmost directory; click "Next" and then "Finish".

  - Click the right mouse button on the new shortcut icon; select
    "Properties".

  - In the "Run" selector, select "Minimized".

  - You can also optionally select a new icon from the icon library
    ("Change icon..." button). Presto ! A mouse double click over
    the shortcut will automatically start Specview.