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1. The application QuickBASIC should be installed in the directory "c:\Win32App\QBasic4.5" by simply copying the files from floppy or extracting from the WinZip file "qbasic.zip".

2. To ensure that QBasic programs can run from any folder on the PC, use the WINDOWS utility <Tools/FileTypes/FolderOptions>; scroll down to the "BAS" extension type. Then:

• Use <Change>; if the application is not marked as "QB" to change this to program "QB" (QuickBASIC)
• Else use <Advanced> to check the settings which should be <Open>, <Always show extension>, and <Confirm open after download>.

Use <Edit> to check details of settings which should be "C:\Win32App\QBasic4.5\QB.EXE %1".

4. QBasic runs differently under Windows 2000, XP and ME than in earlier OS.One manifestation is that the mouse cursor in QB can behave strangely. To fix this open a QB window, and clear the checks in the "Edit Options" controls "QuickEdit Mode" and "Insert Mode". Close the window using "OK" and applying the properties to "... future windows with same title". This might have to be done for each dbSEABED program (e.g., MNE, RDB).

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1. The HostFolder for dbSEABED is usually "c:\dbSEABED\_db9\".

2. When dbSEABED is supplied, it is usually in the form of a Zip file which places all elements in their correct folders relative to _db9.

3. However, depending on the OS, you may have to create WINDOWS shortcuts for the programs including "db9_MNE*.bas" in the HostFolder (using a right mouse button drag).

4. Run the chosen program -

• db9_MIF* to render polygons as points (preparatory stage, usually already run)
• db9_MNE* to perform Data Mining
• db9_RDB* to create a Relational Database Structure
• db9_ONE* to create one GIS file by telescoping (follows db9_MNE*)
• db9_ALL* to create one all-inclusive GIS file (follows db9_MNE*)
• db9_BTY* (an executable) to attach water depths
• db9_SUB* to compile stratigraphic outputs
• db9_VRM* to compile VRML displays of core datasets
• and in ..\_Interp the grid interpolator db9_ITP*.exe (executable).
  

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1. Edit the "RUN_***.txt" file which is included in the Host Folder. This file is picked up by the program db9_MNE* once you interactively nominate *** as the 3-character study area.

You will probably want to make a set of 'favourite' RUN_*** files, one for each regional project that you use.

The other "SET_***.txt" files normally will not need editing, except at INSTAAR.

The top working-part of the file looks like this:

The primary configurations of the Integrating Information Processing are made. The file governs only the program db9_MNE*.

Latitude/Longitude processing limits expressed as Min and Max Latitude and Longitude in decimal degrees under WGS84 ellipsoid (example shows the whole-earth settings)

Water Depth processing limits (Min WD, Max WD)

Subbottom processing limits,

        (a) the actual limit on outputs, and
        (b) the maximum subbottom depth of units which overlap the output range (a) and will be considered for processing.
        For an illustration see the explanatory figure.

Whether the user wants Shepard or Folk word-based codes for texture, or naval-type Hydrographic codes for Bottom-Type.

 What types of phases/situations may go to outputs, whether only BULK, BULK+LAYERS, BULK+LAYERS+FRACTION (ie all)

Whether the UNSORTED or SORTED dictionary should be used. Unless the sorted dictionary has been supplied (in folder "_Split", option "SORT") then "RAW" should be used.

Whether English or Continental delimiting schemes should be used (ENG=",.|) (EUR=;,|) representing the field delimiter (in outputs only), the decimalpoint, the field delimiter in metadata.

Which regions to include, au9,eu9,go9,us9, etc.

If there are any other parts of names which should be included, for example the hand-compiled POLY sets, the program compiled MDMF sets.

The name of a file holding a list of the Data Resource Files in the folder \_Data which are to be processed. If the line above is "***" then all the files of this list will be processed. Otherwise some selection is exercised. Here is an example of a DRF list file. All lines must have 2 comma-delimited fields. Lines beginning with "%" are ignored (are comments only).

2. Ensure that appropriate setup files (thesaurus, facies table and colour table) are in the "_Setup" folder
and that the required data files are in the "_Data" ("_Interp or "_Polygons") folders. These files are usually edited in
WORD in "*.RTF" format then saved in Folder "_Documents" and saved as "*.TXT" in "_Data".

3. To start any of the programs you may either start them from within "_Program" or after creating a
Windows shortcut  in the Host Folder, double click on their shortcut icon.

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With the target files listed in "UserFile.txt" of Host Folder, run the program "db9_MNE*.bas".

This creates (in the _Mine Folder) a set of flat ASCII tables for each level of Data Mining:
 

Extraction	Parsing	Calculation	Data Sources	Seabed Facies	Grain Types and  Features
"*_ext.txt"	"*_prs.txt"	"*_clc.txt"	"*_src.txt"	"*_fac.txt"	"*_cmp.txt"

As well, it creates a dump of errors to the file "*_mne.2fx", chiefly:
(i) errors encountered during parsing (unknown terms)
(ii) errors encountered in calculation (out of range parameters).

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The EXT, PRS and CLC tables present data on the same sites and samples in a common format but trading differing levels of reliability for coverage.
The program "db9_ONE" amalgamates them into one by a telescoping, reporting EXT, PRS and CLC results in that order of priority.

The output file "*_ONE.txt" has the same format as EXT/PRS/CLC and is approximately the size of the largest of them. For more details about the format see db9_Outputs.

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The EXT, PRS and CLC tables present data on the same sites and samples in a common format but trading differing levels of reliability for coverage.
The program "db9_ALL" amalgamates them into one by adding all the outputs in order to a table that is approximately the size of all 3 added.

The output file "*_ALL.txt" has exactly the same format as EXT/PRS/CLC. For more details about the format see db9_Outputs.

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With the target files listed in "UserFile.txt" of Host Folder, run the program "db9_RDB*.bas".

This routine creates (in the _RDB Folder) a set of flat ASCII tables for each discipline in the dataset:

Data Source	Site Information	Lithology	Grainsize Texture	Composition	Physical Properties	Seabed Descriptions	Sediment Thickness	Metadata
"*_srce.txt"	"*_site.txt"	"*_lith.txt"	"*_texr.txt"	"*_comp.txt"	"*_phys.txt"	"*_desc.txt"	"*_sedt.txt"	"*_mdta.txt"

It also creates a dump of error reports to the file "*_rdb.2fx" in the Host Folder. This file contains all reports of

(i) bad formatting
(ii) data outside plausibility limits

For more information consult the manual page on Relational dbSEABED

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Report: The program reports that there are too many (>56) words in a description for parsing to take place.
Reason: The data file has been pepared in a MAC, UNIX or LINUX operating system and lacks the usual DOS/WINDOWS carriage return protocol.
Solution: Stop the program.  Open the data file in WORD on a PC then save it. Re-run the program.

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Report: The program reports that a file the program was searching for cannot be opened.
Reason: The file is not present in the correct folder or is mis-named.
Solution: Stop the program.  Check that the last filename in the display is in fact present in the folder.
                    The program can be resumed (<CTL-R>, S), even after the file is newly placed or re-named.

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Chris Jenkins (Email)
INSTAAR, University of Colorado
15-Apr-2006