NAME
aide - ANNIE Interaction Development Environment
ABSTRACT
AIDE provides a consistent methodology for building character-based
user interfaces for environmental software. Potential applications
range from generating input files from user-supplied data for
already existing scientific or environmental models to allowing user
access to data bases for the purpose of searching, analyzing, or
displaying data values. AIDE provides applications programmers with
the tools needed to build and store a convenient user interface
whenever and wherever there is a need to perform one or more of the
following operations:
o display text
o prompt the user to select a menu option
o prompt the user to input or edit data fields
o open a file to store or retrieve text and other information
The advantages gained by using AIDE for interface development center
on four concepts: modularity, consistency, portability, and ease of
application. The system utilizes a library of routines to perform
the basic communications functions between the user and the program.
Repeated use of these subroutines allows the programmer to focus
attention on designing an effective sequence of interactions while
minimizing the effort needed to program the more mechanical aspects
of the interface. At the same time, the repeated use of modular
routines decreases the likelihood of introducing programming errors.
The AIDE library is included in the LIB distribution. It requires
the util and adwdm libraries from the LIB distribution.
METHOD
The user interface was developed under the guidance of Dr. Albert
Badre of the Georgia Institute of Technology who provided expertise
on human-computer interaction. The established theory and practice
of user interfaces were used.
HISTORY
AIDE is a redesign of the interfaces from the original ANNIE program
and the Environmental Model Input File Editor (EMIFE). The AIDE
user interface was developed under the guidance of Dr. Albert Badre
of the Georgia Institute of Technology who provided expertise on
human-computer interaction. The established theory and practice of
user interfaces were used. The original AIDE implementation was
funded by EPA (1989). Additional features were added by the USGS
(1992).
Version 3.1 1996/12/11 - Updates
Version 3.0 1996/03/01 - Include file names changed to lower case.
Increased maximum number of fields on a screen from 60 to 180.
File type data field added.
Version 2.1 1994/08/11 - Updates
Version 2.0 1994/05/27 - General release
Version 1.0 1992 - General release, ported to UNIX platform.
NOTE: Version numbers and dates are for the entire LIB set of
libraries. A new version does not necessarily indicate that
the AIDE library has been changed.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
AIDE is written in Fortran 77 with the following extension: use of
include files. The AIDE library requires the ADWDM and UTIL
libraries.
DOCUMENTATION
A subroutine reference guide is provided in the distribution.
Kittle, J.L., Jr., Hummel, P.R., and Imhoff, J.C., 1989, ANNIE-IDE,
a system for developing interactive user interfaces for
environmental models (programmers guide): U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, EPA/600/3-89/034, Environmental Research
Laboratory, Athens, Ga., 166 p.
REFERENCES
Flynn, K.M., Hummel, P.R., Lumb, A.M., and Kittle, J.L., Jr., 1995,
User's manual for ANNIE, version 2, a computer program for
interactive hydrologic data management: U.S. Geological Survey
Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4085, 211 p.
General Sciences Corporation, 1987, EMIFE--Environmental Model Input
File Editor Fortran Utilities--Preliminary Documentation: U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Toxic Substances,
Washington, D.C.
Landers, M.N., Mueller, D.S., and Martin, G.R., 1996, Bridge scour
data management system user's manual: U.S. Geological Survey
Open-File Report 95-754, 72 p.
Lumb, A.M., Kittle, J.L., Jr., and Flynn, K.M., 1990, Users manual
for ANNIE, a computer program for interactive hydrologic analyses
and data management: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources
Investigations Report 89-4080, 236 p.
Lumb, A.M., McCammon, R.B., and Kittle, J.L., Jr., 1994, Users
manual for an expert system (HSPEXP) for calibration of the
Hydrologic Simulation Program--Fortran: U.S. Geological Survey
Water-Resources Investigations Report 94-4168, 102 p.
CONTACTS
Operation and Distribution:
U.S. Geological Survey
Hydrologic Analysis Software Support Program
437 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
h2osoft@usgs.gov
Official versions of U.S. Geological Survey water-resources analysis
software are available for electronic retrieval via the World Wide
Web (WWW) at:
http://water.usgs.gov/software/
and via anonymous File Transfer Protocol (FTP) from:
water.usgs.gov (path: /pub/software).
The WWW page and anonymous FTP directory from which the LIB software
can be retrieved are, respectively:
http://water.usgs.gov/software/lib.html
--and--
/pub/software/general/lib
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency documentation is available
from:
National Center for Environmental Publications
and Information (NCEPI)
P.O. Box 42419
Cincinnati, OH 45242
(513) 489-8190
(513) 489-8695 (Fax)