NATO TU-Black Sea Data Inventory

Version 2.0

Release Date: 15 November 1997


Contents


Introduction

The purpose of the TU-Black Sea project is to develop and implement ecosystem models as a management tool for improving the health of the Black Sea, and to help build the capacity within the Black Sea coastal countries for high quality oceanographic measurement and analysis capabilities for carrying out long-term monitoring of the Black Sea following the completion of the project.

One of the main project objectives is to establish a database management system (DBMS) in all Black Sea countries, for environmental and oceanographic data pertinent to the goals of this program. This DBMS has been already developed and distributed amongst participants of the project. There exist some restrictions on data usage till 2001 year, but metadata information is distributed freely. NATO TU-Black Sea Data Inventory provides metadata on both data loaded into the DBMS and data available but not still included into the database.


Product Summary

main screen (32 KB)

All collected data are grouped into data sets. A data set is a set of stations. It has a start and finish date, name and brief description. A data set belongs to some institution. Usually, a data set contains data of a research vessel cruise. Station is a point located in space and time where some oceanographic measurements were carried out. It is characterized by its name, time, coordinates, and sea depth. The name is a text string containing no more than eight characters. The day, hour, minutes and sea depth may be unknown. A station can belong to the only data set.

Inventory contains information about data collected in data sets. You can see how many stations were carried out for each parameter measured in a data set. Some data contributors, usually biologists and chemists, passed information about the amount of samples (casts), but not on the amount of stations. This summary is displayed at the right part of the screen for the current data set. Current data set and station are displayed at the bottom part and are marked out on the map by color.

It is possible to navigate through data sets and stations with the help of keyboard or mouse clicking on the map. The information about the current data set and station is displayed instantly.

A user can select data sets on time, region, country, institutions, measured data, etc. Only selected data sets are displayed.

Data included into Inventory are divided into three groups: Physics (13 variables); Chemistry (24 variables) and Biology (14 variables).

Inventory contains information about 377 data sets (8 scientific institutions, 33 research vessels, 14748 stations, 51 variables).

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Key Benefits

Minimum hardware requirements
Inventory is a DOS application and can work even on 286 PC.
User-friendly interface
Windows-like graphics interface with context-sensitive help provides convenient working.
High performance
Original database structure provides an extremely fast access to data.
Good facilities
Tools providing data selection, visualization and navigation are convenient and have rich functionality.

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Key Features

Inventory provides a set of powerful and convenient tools to manage data:

The next features provides a user some convenience:

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On-line help

The context-sensitive on-line help is available. It is realized as a hyper-text with graphics images.

help window #1 (9 KB)

help window #2 (10 KB)

help window #3 (17 KB)

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Data sets & stations navigation

Few ways to navigate through data sets and stations are realized:

The current data set and station are kept during map zooming and saved to desktop file.

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Data sets selection

It is possible to select data sets on the next items:

Complex selection rules can be easily constructed. Zooms made in the map operate as selection on region.

selection dialog (11 KB)

A report about the selection made is available. It can be printed or saved to a file.

selection report (11 KB)

A brief information about actual selection is also available.

selection results (23 KB)

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Map tool

This tool is the main presentation tool. A small marker on the map indicates locations of stations, which are combined for cruises. The current data sets and station are marked out by color. This tool allows the following possibilities:


Map Zoom

This feature allows to select any region on the map. An original algorithm realizes this operation instantly even on slow computers.

Coastline and isobaths were obtained from: IOC, IHO, BODC, 1994, GEBCO Digital Atlas CD-ROM, British Oceanographic Data Centre, Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, Bidston Observatory, Birkenhead, Merseyside L43 7RA, United Kingdom.

zoom (31 KB)

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Back To Key Features

Back To Map Tool


Map statistics

Sometimes it is useful to get the information on so-called data availability - how many stations have been taken in various geographical regions. The map tool is very convenient for such purpose. You can choose the box size for statistical calculations at corresponding dialog window.

statistics dialog (5 KB)

Results displayed on the map can be saved & printed.

map statistics (9 KB)

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Map save & print

It is possible to save the map as standard Windows bitmap file.

save map to file (4 KB)

It is possible to print the map using standard DOS utility GRAPHICS.COM.

print map (4 KB)

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Back To Key Features

Back To Map Tool


Map customizing

You can customize the map tool on your preference. All settings made are stored to desktop files.

map setup dialog (7 KB)

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Back To Key Features

Back To Map Tool


Data sets information

The main task of Inventory is to provide information about data sets (cruises). A brief information for the current data set (name, time, station locations, amount of data collected) are displayed at the cruise scroll line, map and informer. The more detailed information can be reported separately.


Informer tool

This tool is placed at the right part of the screen and displays a brief information about amount of data measured in the current data set. All oceanographic variables are arbitrary grouped into three sections (Physics, Chemistry and Biology). These groups are marked out by corresponding colors. It is possible to display information only about assigned variables. These settings are saved to the desktop files.

informer setup dialog (14 KB)

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Back To Data Sets Information


Data sets reports

Inventory provides the brief descriptions for all data sets. This description contains information about data measured, used methods and devices, etc. Reports are generated as for the current data set as for all selected data sets.

data set report (10 KB)

These reports can be saved to files or printed.

data set report saving (12 KB)

data set report printing (12 KB)

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Back To Key Features

Back To Data Sets Information


Inventory customizing

There are two levels of Inventory customizing: low and high ones. The low-level configuration file SYSTEM.CFG is read every time the application starts. It contains some general features of the application performance. These settings are made in the corresponding dialog window.

general setup dialog (6 KB)

Some features of reports printing are also saved to configuration file SYSTEM.CFG.

printer setup dialog (4 KB)

The high-level customizing options are saved to desktop files which can be load on a user's request. These files contain information about the current data set and stations, data sets selection, map and informer customizing, etc.

desktop file save dialog (6 KB)

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Specifications

Computer:
286 PC and higher
Memory:
4 MB RAM
Disk Space:
2 MB
Operating System:
DOS, Windows
Video:
Standard VGA mode (16 colors, 640×480 resolution)
Mouse:
Necessary

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How To Contact Developers

This software was developed at the Data Base Laboratory of Marine Hydrophysical Institute (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) jointly with the Institute of Marine Sciences (Middle East Technical University).

  DBL MHI IMS METU
Address 335000, Marine Hydrophysical Institute, 2, Kapitanskaya Street, Sevastopol, Ukraine Institute of Marine Sciences, P.O.Box 28, 33731, Erdemli, Ichel, Turkey
Fax +380(692)444253 +90(324)5212327
e-mail database@alpha.mhi.iuf.net sukru@ims.metu.edu.tr

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Load Now!

NATO TU-Black Sea Data Inventory is freely distributed.

Load archive inventor.zip (size 633K), place it in a separate directory (C:\INVENTOR, for example) and unpack. Use batch-file START.BAT to run Inventory under DOS. Read contents of README file to install software properly under Windows.

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Copyright © 1996-97 MHI NASU & IMS METU. All rights reserved.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.