ROOT

Each topic is a divided into the following sections:-

Overview

Purpose

ROOT is a C++ framework that is being used for a wide range of applications in HEP. One of the most popular is as a data analysis tool, and in this regard it can be considered as a replacement for PAW. However it is far more that this; it is used for tasks such as on-line monitoring, Monte Carlo, event reconstruction and event display. It can be used interactively, in batch and has network and parallel processing support. It incorporates an interactive C++ compiler allowing the user to develop software on-line. This feature is also a good way to learn the basics of the C++ language.

Availability

ROOT supports most (all?) platforms popular in HEP. Pre-built binaries are available from:-
http://root.cern.ch/root/Availability.html
For platform/compiler versions for which no binary exists, the full source is also available so that users can build their own.

Using at Oxford

ROOT is available on the linux machines. Getting binaries for other platforms is simple as explained above.

Further Information

Tutorial

The MINOS group at Oxford have written their own simple root tutorial First Steps: In C++ and ROOT and also have a link to several others from their ROOT Crib. The above includes a link to the The ROOT Home Page from which can be found a set of tutorials and HowTos

There is also a tutorial on Plotting with Style or the art of making pretty ROOT plots.

There is also a ROOT Lecture (ppt)

Books

The official manual is the ROOT User's Guide

Courses

I know of no courses on ROOT.

FAQs

The richest source of FAQs is an email discussion group called roottalk and the RootTalk Forum

Hints and Tips

For beginners, its probably best not to try to learn ROOT from scratch working from the The ROOT Home Page - there is just too much information. Instead start with a tutorial.

References

The ROOT Home Page is a very rich source of references.

Contact

Nick West

If you have any comments about this page please send them to Nick West