IADSS (Information and Decision Support System): Users' manual

This manual is a publication of the Fuelwood/Forestry Research and Development (F/FRED) in Hawaii. Specifically, it covers the setup and use of F/FRED)'s Information and Decision Support System (IADSS). IADSS is a computer program designed to hold and process the results of field trials and other forestry-related experiments. The manual has three sections that are more or less traditional in computer literature: installation procedures, a quick lesson in the use of the system, and a detailed description of system operations. The installation section is very straightforward. A list of required hardware is provided, along with instructions for setting up Digital Operating System (DOS) directories and transferring material from a disc to one's hard drive. The quick start section shows the user how to start the IADSS program. IADSS is "menu-driven"; it has a number of forestry-related databases (experiments, abstracts, soil, climate, etc.) that can be reached via screen menus. These databases can be accessed or modified using "search," "add," "modify," and "delete" commands. The system options section describes each option available within each database (experiment descriptions, trial site information, weather measurements, etc.). All are illustrated with appropriate screen presentations. This is a very readable and straightforward document. An intelligent person who knows nothing about computers could set up and operate an IADSS system using this manual.