Programs

Here are links to allow you to download and install our analysis programs.

The brief descriptions of each program on this site supersede the older descriptions on the UCL server.

Manual

Download the collected manuals. The manuals are for the DOS programs, but they explain the inputs that are needed for the Windows versions of HJCFIT etc. For Windows 7 or 8 PCs, ignore the installation instructions in the manual and proceed as below.

Programs on Github

All downloads are now available also on Github, and it is likely that any new developments will appear there. Here are the links.

Main link to DCPROGS organisation on GitHub: https://github.com/DCPROGS

General description of DCPROGS organisation: https://github.com/DCPROGS/MAIN

Compiled DOS programs: https://github.com/DCPROGS/DCDOS

Compiled Windows programs https://github.com/DCPROGS/DCWIN

FORTRAN source code: https://github.com/DCPROGS/DCFORTRAN

Windows programs

HJCFIT icon

Some programs are written for Windows. The most important is HJCFIT, our maximum likelihood fitting program. It is the only such program that has exact missed event correction, and the only such program for which the statistical properties of the estimators have been investigated (Colquhoun, Hatton & Hawkes, 2003).

To install Windows programs, download dcwinprogs.zip. Copy the contents of the sip file to a new folder on your hard disk. The folder should be named C:\dcwinprogs You can create a desktop short cut to the programs you want to use, e.g. HJCFIT.EXE. Autplot.exe.

DOS programs

The original programs are all written in Fortran, with GINO graphics.

Some programs are still DOS, especially the crucial SCAN program for idealisation of raw data. The idealisation stage is crucial and much of the reason why we get better resolution than most people is attributable to SCAN. The DOS programs run on most PCs, but to run them on a Windows 7 or Windows 8 machine, you must install DOSBOX first. The following method works on a 64 bit Windows 7 machine.

  • Download the programs and stuff needed to run them as a zip file. Copy the contents of the zip file to a new folder on your hard disk. The folder should be named C:\dcprogs
  • Download and install DOSBOX from http://www.dosbox.com/ (there is a tutorial on DOSBOX here)
  • Run DOSBOX by clicking the desktop icon
  • At the Z:\> prompt in the DOS box, type

    mount c c:\dcprogs

  • Type C:\ to go to the virtual disk C which is now the dcprogs folder
  • at the C:\> prompt you can type HELP for a list of commands, eg type DIR to see the contents of the \dcprogs folder.
  • Type scan to run scan.exe or the name of any other .exe file in the C:\dcprogs folder. A new window appears in which the program runs. You can make it run whole screen by hitting alt-enter (repeat to exit full screen mode).
  • Remember that DOS file names are restricted to 8 characters + 3 character suffix. You can use only letters and numbers in the file name, no spaces or punctuation.
  • When you leave the program you get back to the C:\> prompt. Type EXIT to end the DOS emulation.

Instructions for installation on Mac computers

Both DOS and Windows programs can be run on Macs, The instructions for installation have been compiled by Andrew Plested, who has kindly agreed to help if you have problems. Download the instructions [pdf].

DOS source code

The source code for all DOS programs can be downloaded from Dropbox (not needed to run the programs). The source code has almost 800,000 lines of code.

Python programs

Some programs have been written in Python, and further developments are planned in this language. This work has been done by Remigijus Lape and Christoph Schmidt-Hieber.

DC-PyPs download page http://code.google.com/p/dc-pyps/

DC_PyPs documentation ( http://www.stimfit.org/qmat/index.html

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