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A short history of SHELX

A short history of SHELX An account is given of the development of the SHELX system of computer programs from SHELX‐76 to the present day. In addition to identifying useful innovations that have come into general use through their implementation in SHELX, a critical analysis is presented of the less‐successful features, missed opportunities and desirable improvements for future releases of the software. An attempt is made to understand how a program originally designed for photographic intensity data, punched cards and computers over 10000 times slower than an average modern personal computer has managed to survive for so long. SHELXL is the most widely used program for small‐molecule refinement and SHELXS and SHELXD are often employed for structure solution despite the availability of objectively superior programs. SHELXL also finds a niche for the refinement of macromolecules against high‐resolution or twinned data; SHELXPRO acts as an interface for macromolecular applications. SHELXC, SHELXD and SHELXE are proving useful for the experimental phasing of macromolecules, especially because they are fast and robust and so are often employed in pipelines for high‐throughput phasing. This paper could serve as a general literature citation when one or more of the open‐source SHELX programs (and the Bruker AXS version SHELXTL) are employed in the course of a crystal‐structure determination. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Acta Crystallographica Section A Foundations of Crystallography Wiley

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References (74)

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company
ISSN
0108-7673
eISSN
1600-5724
DOI
10.1107/S0108767307043930
pmid
18156677
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

An account is given of the development of the SHELX system of computer programs from SHELX‐76 to the present day. In addition to identifying useful innovations that have come into general use through their implementation in SHELX, a critical analysis is presented of the less‐successful features, missed opportunities and desirable improvements for future releases of the software. An attempt is made to understand how a program originally designed for photographic intensity data, punched cards and computers over 10000 times slower than an average modern personal computer has managed to survive for so long. SHELXL is the most widely used program for small‐molecule refinement and SHELXS and SHELXD are often employed for structure solution despite the availability of objectively superior programs. SHELXL also finds a niche for the refinement of macromolecules against high‐resolution or twinned data; SHELXPRO acts as an interface for macromolecular applications. SHELXC, SHELXD and SHELXE are proving useful for the experimental phasing of macromolecules, especially because they are fast and robust and so are often employed in pipelines for high‐throughput phasing. This paper could serve as a general literature citation when one or more of the open‐source SHELX programs (and the Bruker AXS version SHELXTL) are employed in the course of a crystal‐structure determination.

Journal

Acta Crystallographica Section A Foundations of CrystallographyWiley

Published: Jan 1, 2008

Keywords: ; ; ; ;

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