Decision Making for Sustainable Use and Development - Coastal Lagoons: Ecosystem Processes and Modeling for Sustainable Use and Development - page 345

Today, scientists, engineers, and even managers (some of them with little computer
knowledge) are using software for engineering and decision-making purposes. These
users are specialists in hydrodynamics, ecosystem modeling, water quality management,
decision making, environmental management, water resources, etc., but they are not
(and they need not be) computer scientists. In this case, the user interface has the task
of isolating the user from the details of information technologies and supplying the user
with an environment, where the user needs to know only about the processes and not
about the computational details such as how to format the input files for the models.

8.4.4.1 Types of User Interfaces

A general classification of user interfaces would be as follows.

• Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs): These user interfaces use all the
advantages of window-based operating systems and environments such
as Microsoft Windows or X-Window of UNIX. They have graphical
elements such as data boxes and command buttons, etc. GUIs are easy
to design but in many cases the coding process needs considerable
time and manpower. Most commercial and some freeware modeling
software packages are distributed with GUIs. Innovative technologies
like GIS are integrated into GUIs. The latest version of EPA's Water
Quality Model WASP (Version 6.x) has a GUI with GIS and database
support.
• Geographic Information System (GIS): In the last few decades, GIS has
become an important tool for spatial database compilation, environmental
assessment, and presentation of modeling results. GIS is used extensively
to store spatially distributed data (land use, demography, bathymetry, rough-
ness, vegetation, sediment physical and chemical parameters, etc.). A num-
ber of coupled hydraulic and ecological models include GIS as a part of
user interface to enter the data and visualize the modeling results (MIKE
model family developed by DHI, SMS models, ASA models, and WES =
CH3D developed by the USACOE are GIS-compatible formats). Geosta-
tistics, including spatial interpolation techniques, are critical to create the
statistically reliable spatial grids, which are necessary for both hydraulic
and ecological models. Further modeling applications are commonly used
to combine outputs of ecological models together with other relevant infor-
mation (i.e., socio-economic maps. pollution levels) as well as perform
additional spatial analysis for use in integrated coastal zone management.
Finally, GIS is a very valuable tool to present modeling results as self-
explanatory maps and graphical interfaces to the public and decision makers.
• Command Line Based User Interfaces: The user runs data input commands
from a nongraphical command prompt. These may also be used for data
file management or file format conversion. This type of a user interface
can also be used as a preprocessor, which checks the validity of the input
data. The CE-QUAL-W2 hydrodynamic/water quality model developed
by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a utility program for this task. 36