IDL get variable size in bytes

There are two ways to get the actual size (byte) of the IDL variables.

    1.  Use built-in size function

FUNCTION sizeof, DataItem


;
; First get the information regarding the item
;
Info = SIZE (DataItem)


;
;  deduce type and number of elements
;
Type = Info(Info(0)+1)
Nitems = Info(Info(0)+2)
Size = 0


;
;  calculate number of bytes depending on item type
;
CASE Type OF


   1:  Size = 1 * Nitems


   2:  Size = 2 * Nitems


   3:  Size = 4 * Nitems


   4:  Size = 4 * Nitems


   5:  Size = 8 * Nitems


   6:  Size = 8 * Nitems


   7:  Size = 1 * Nitems


   8:  BEGIN
          Tags = TAG_NAMES (DataItem)
          Info1 = SIZE (Tags)
          FOR j = 0, Info1(Info1(0)+2)-1 DO BEGIN
             String = "Size = Size + sizeof(DataItem." + Tags(j) + ")"
             ret = EXECUTE (String)
          ENDFOR
       END


ENDCASE


;
;  return size in bytes
;
RETURN, LONG(Size)


END

    2. Use the structure information

structure = {variable:variable}

help, structure

The prompt will print out the actual number of bytes that variable occupys.