FUNCTION idl_version
  dot_pos = strpos(!version.release,'.')
  IF (dot_pos LT 1) THEN BEGIN
      return,float(0)
  ENDIF ELSE BEGIN
      major_string = strmid(!version.release,0,dot_pos)
      idl_version_number = float(0)
      reads,major_string,idl_version_number
      minor_string = strmid(!version.release,(dot_pos+1))
      idl_minor_version = fix(0)
      reads, minor_string, idl_minor_version
      return, idl_version_number+0.1*idl_minor_version
  ENDELSE
END

      
