p. ix: Note the bulleted text items on this page.

I cannot overemphasize these points. If you want to go anywhere with ARC/INFO, you absolutely, positively must be in complete control of these:

• Directory structure and file management
  When working in ARC/INFO, you will always be navigating in the file structure, creating, browsing, copying, moving, renaming, and deleting files and directories. You will need to have a handle on this!!!
  
  
• Text editor
  In order to create AML macros, key files, and other files, you will have to be able to use a text editor. You may feel comfortable with Notepad, Wordpad, or another simple text editor. These will work find for novice users, but if you want to become a power user, you will almost certainly end up using a text editor such as vi (or one of its Windows clones such as Lemmy), or Emacs. These text editors provide much more functionality than the simplistic Notepad types of editors.
  
  
• Windowing system and mouse
  Whether you are using ARC/INFO on a UNIX system with Xwindows or on an NT machine, you will need to become familiar with the windowing environment. For NT users, search Microsoft's site for TweakUI, which contains Xmouse, a utility for Xwindows style mouse movement. This will allow you to type in a command window without obscuring the graphics window.
  
  
• Not mentioned, but very important: File Transfer & Compression
  When you are using GIS in real practice, you will have to transfer files to and from many computers. You will need to know how to use ftp (file transfer protocol). Very often, these files will be compressed using gzip, Winzip, PKZip, or the UNIX compress utility and perhaps the UNIX tar utility. If you have the luxury of using a PC, Winzip will handle all of these formats with ease. However, if you need to send files to someone who is only using a UNIX machine, you may have to become familiar with gzip, compress, and tar.

p. xiii: platform independence

If you are using an NT platform, follow the UNIX instructions. They will work ~95% or the time on the NT platform. These notes will alert you to minor differences in the commands.

Online Documentation: Your absolute best friend when you are using ARC/INFO. The workbook will only tell you a fraction of what you need to know. These web pages will tell you even less. Please, do open the documentation whenever you are using ARC/INFO.

p. xvi: logging on:

On a UNIX system, you will automatically be placed in your home directory when you log on. In the NT environment, you may or may not. For this course, when you log on, you will also have to move to your home directory. If you open a DOS prompt and are not at the

C:\> prompt, enter

C: at the system prompt. Then move to your home directory:

C:\> cd \users\my_name (where "my_name" is your login-id, same as your dante account). Make sure to use the same PC every time you do your exercises, or you may not find your data.

p. xvii: copying data

On the NT system, use these commands once you have moved to your home directory:




command	purpose
mkdir ugis	makes a $home/ugis directory
cd ugis	move to the ugis directory
xcopy c:\aidata71\ugis\data data /si	copy the data tree from the sample dir
xcopy c:\aidata71\ugis\aml aml /si	copy the aml tree from the sample dir
xcopy c:\aidata71\ugis\results results /si	copy the results tree from the sample dir

p. xviii: &workspace /yourname/ ...?!!

Whenever you see the notation /yourname/ in this workbook, if you are using NT, you must enter the pathname to your home directory, e.g.,

ARC: &workspace c:\users\phurvitz

Note also that you can save typing by using the abbreviation &wo for &workspace.

Also, you can use the "up" key on the keyboard to scroll through recently entered commands, and you can make edits to those commands and re-submit them.

p. xviii - xix: station files

There is a build-in station file (9999) on NT and UNIX machines. You will not have to create a station file, you can just go ahead and use

ARC: &station 9999.