Period of Performance: 6/1/99 - 5/13/00

Principical Investigator: Jürgen Symanzik

Address before 8/20/99:
George Mason University
Center for Computational Statistics 4A7
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Phone: (703) 993 - 3786
FAX : (703) 993 - 1700

Address after 8/20/99:
Utah State University
Department of Mathematics & Statistics
Logan, Utah 84322-3900
Phone: (435) 797 - 0696
FAX : (435) 797 - 1822


e-mail: symanzik@sunfs.math.usu.edu
WWW: http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/

Collaborators funded through this contract:

• Nicholas Lewin-Koh, PhD Student, Iowa State University.
  
• Fabian Noetzel, Masters Student, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany.
  

• Software Developed:
  
  The previously existing ArcView/XGobi/XploRe environment has been enhanced as described in the task list of this contract. A current version has been installed at NCHS.
  
  
• Web Pages Constructed:
  
  The documentation for the ArcView/XGobi/XploRe environment has been considerably enhanced as described in the task list of this contract. The entry point is http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/.
  
  
• Publications:
  
  

  • Lewin-Koh, N. J., Symanzik, J., Cook, D. (1999): Dynamic Linking of ArcView, XGobi and XploRe for Multivariate Spatial Data: Linked Brushing for Points, Polygons, and Lines. Proceedings of the 20th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing, Volume 1, Joint Laboratory for GeoInformation Science of The Chinese Academy of Sciences and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (JLGIS), 575-580.

• Presentations:
  
  

  • Symanzik, J.: Final Presentation at NCHS (May 13, 2000):

  • Symanzik, J.: Conference (Invited Talk), American Association of Geographers (AAG) Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (April 2000): The ArcView/XGobi/XploRe Environment: Spatial Data Analysis in a Linked Software Environment.

  • Lewin-Koh, N. J.: Conference (Contributed Talk), 20th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing, Hong Kong (November 1999): Dynamic Linking of ArcView, XGobi and XploRe for Multivariate Spatial Data: Linked Brushing for Points, Polygons, and Lines.

Researchers have already conducted work in which the EDA software XGobi has been shown to seamlessly interact with ArcView GIS software and the statistical computing and analytic package XploRe. Supplying features to link GIS, EDA, statistical computing, data smoothing, and other analytic functions already available on the NCHS statistical research workstation will greatly enhance NCHS's data analysis capabilities. An additional feature that would be useful for GIS and mapping while using NCHS's research workstation would be linking the head-banging data smoothing algorithm to these software packages.

The software would be installed on a Sun Ultra 2 research workstation and must be year 2000 compliant and compatible with the Solaris 2.6 operating system and its successor, Solaris 7.

1. Install XGobi and XploRe on the research workstation. Test each of these software packages individually to insure that they are working correctly.
   

   XGobi and XploRe have been successfully installed and tested during 7 visits to NCHS in July and August 1999. A final test was made on May 12 & 13, 2000.
   
   

2. Link XGobi, XploRe, and ArcView Gis V. 3.1. Test this linking process to check on proper operation.
   

   All required software to link ArcView, XGobi, and XploRe has been successfully installed and tested during 7 visits to NCHS in July and August 1999. A final test was made on May 12 & 13, 2000.
   
   

3. Link the weighted head-banging smoothing algorithm (already on the research workstation) to XGobi, XploRe, and ArcView GIS.
   

   The existing weighted head-banging smoothing algorithm has been adapted to be used in the ArcView/XGobi/XploRe environment. This algorithm can now be called directly from within XploRe. Please see
   http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/avxpl/avxplhead.pdf
   for more details.
   
   

4. Test the entire set of linked software packages using data supplied by NCHS. Insure that all EDA, statistical and spatial analysis, and GIS features are working properly in the linked application. Also, perform the necessary test to assure that the completed product can be successful executed by as many simultaneous users as there are valid licenses of ArcView GIS V. 3.1 on the research workstation.
   

   The software has been successfully tested with the data provided by NCHS during 7 visits to NCHS in July and August 1999. A final test with new data was made on May 12 & 13, 2000. It has also been verified that multiple versions of the software can be executed at the same time.
   
   

5. Provide the methodology and documentation required to integrate XploRe with software not currently on the UNIX server. This assumes that the properties of the new analytic software are compatible with the XploRe linkage protocol.
   

   The easiest approach to incorporate additional software (that is written in a programming language such as C, C++, or Fortran) is through dynamically linked libraries (DLLs). There exists an XploRe tutorial on DLLs which is accessible at the following URL: http://www.xplore-stat.de/tutorials/dllstart.html
   
   In addition, the following tutorial describes in detail how the weighted head-banging algorithm has been incorporated into XploRe through the use of DLLs:
   http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/avxpl/avxplhead.pdf
   
   

6. Provide system and user documentation.
   
   The entry point for system and user documentation of the ArcView 3.1 - XGobi - XploRe Environment Version 2.000 (2000) can be found at:
   http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/index.html
   
   For each of the following parts of the documentation, it is indicated how the part is reached, starting at the entry point URL given above. In addition, the direct URL that addresses the pure document without any frames is indicated as well.
   
   System documentation includes:

   • information on scripts;
     
     From entry point: "Installation & Update", 1. Installation at the System Level
     
     URL: http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/axxinstall.html
     
     
   • paths to important files related to execution of the linked and individual software;
     
     From entry point: "Installation & Update", 1. Installation at the System Level
     
     URL: http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/axxinstall.html
     
     
   • methodology to connect to updated versions of each of the integrated software packages;
     
     From entry point: "Installation & Update", 3. Uninstalling and Updates
     
     URL: http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/axxinstall.html
     
     
   • installation of XGobi and XploRe;
     
     From entry point: "Installation & Update", 1.2 Installing XGobi & 1.3 Installing XploRe
     
     URL: http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/axxinstall.html
     
     
   • and recommended follow-up on how this working environment of linked software can be enhanced.
     
     From entry point: "Future Work"
     
     URL: http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/axxfuture.html
   
   User documentation includes:
   • information on the use of the linked software packages, including getting started;
     
     From entry point: [1] "Basics" & [2] "Installation & Update", 2. Installation at the User Level
     
     Individual features of the ArcView/XGobi/XploRe link are described under [3] ArcView/XGobi, [4] XGobi/XploRe, and [5] ArcView/XploRe.
     
     URLs:
     [1] http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/axxbasics.html
     [2] http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/axxinstall.html
     [3] http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/avxg/index.html
     [4] http://www.xplore-stat.de/tutorials/rpcstart.html
     [5] http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/avxpl/index.html
     
     
   • a description of the various exploratory data analysis features of XGobi,
     
     A Web page for XGobi exists and several papers about XGobi have been published. Some sources are summarized within the following document.
     
     From entry point: "Basics", Basics of XGobi
     
     URL: http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/axxbasics.html
     
     
   • and the statistical computing capabilities of XploRe.
     
     A Web page for XploRe exists and several books and papers about XploRe have been published. Some sources are summarized within the following document.
     
     From entry point: "Basics", Basics of XploRe
     
     URL: http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/axxbasics.html
     
     

7. Give a demonstration of the entire linked package. This demonstration would be given at NCHS, once it has been determined that the entire linked package is successfully working.
   

   A final demonstration of the linked software package has been given at NCHS on May 12, 2000.
   
   

• Printout of "The ArcView 3.1 - XGobi - XploRe Environment Version 2.000 (2000) - Basics":
  http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/axxbasics.html
  
  
• Printout of "The ArcView 3.1 - XGobi - XploRe Environment Version 2.000 (2000) - Installation & Update":
  http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/axxinstall.html
  
  
• Printout of "The ArcView 3.1 - XGobi - XploRe Environment Version 2.000 (2000) - Future Work":
  http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/axxfuture.html
  
  
• Printout of the tutorial on the weighted head-banging algorithm:
  http://www.math.usu.edu/~symanzik/axx/axx2000/avxpl/avxplhead.pdf
  
  
• Copy of the paper Lewin-Koh, N. J., Symanzik, J., Cook, D. (1999): Dynamic Linking of ArcView, XGobi and XploRe for Multivariate Spatial Data: Linked Brushing for Points, Polygons, and Lines. Proceedings of the 20th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing, Volume 1, Joint Laboratory for GeoInformation Science of The Chinese Academy of Sciences and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (JLGIS), 575-580.

Final Report last updated 6/20/00