ILabPascal - Introduction

When doing data analysis, you very soon get to the point where you want more than just calling ready-made routines. We have therefore spared no effort and implemented a programming interface in ImageLab. This interface allows so-called "scripts" to be written, which can do almost anything and can also access the collection of methods implemented in ImageLab.

When looking for a suitable scripting language, we decided on Object Pascal, because it is very easy to learn on the one hand and is object-oriented on the other. Based on Object Pascal we developed ILabPascal.

ILabPascal is a so-called "p-code language" in which the program is translated into an intermediate code which is then executed by the runtime system. This may have a speed disadvantage for certain applications, but it has the advantage that the generated program remains under the control of ImageLab. This makes it easier to intercept errors and the specifics of ImageLab can also be used.

ILabPascal itself is therefore significantly slower than compiled binary code, but the problem can be countered by suitable libraries. The routines of the libraries are available as binary code and therefore run at maximum speed. For speed-critical applications of ILabPascal scripts, it is therefore advisable to replace loops with a large number of passes with suitable routines from the library. This can improve execution speed by a factor of 100.

The development of ILabPascal scripts can be done directly in ImageLab with the help of the built-in script editor. In addition, a powerful debugger is available, which is an indispensable tool for troubleshooting.

ILabPascal scripts can be linked in a convenient way with user-defined shortcut buttons in the command panel, so that a script can be called by clicking the corresponding button (see meta tags, keyword #InstallBtn).