GUIDE TO GMU ISM SOFTWARE

(Appendix 2 of Handbook of Interactive Management)

A2.1 GETTING STARTED.

The GMU ISM PC software is expected to run on an IBM-compatible machine, provided the machine also contains a math coprocessor. Attempts to run the programs without the coprocessor will cause an error message to occur that mentions floating point. For this software to run successfully, the IBM-compatible PC must have at least 640K of RAM. Old machines sometimes have only 512 K, and we know from experience that the software will "hang up" at the point where querying begins. It is also necessary that the machine have a graphics capability, because the querying may use more than one font, depending on the length of the query.

In this particular version of ISM software, three software commands are featured, one of which will be chosen in a specific structuring application. These commands are: DOMODEL, DOCLUS, and DOPRIOR.

DOMODEL. DOMODEL is the most general command, and it can be used in any ISM structuring application. As programmed in this software, it will not be as efficient as the other two commands for those applications where the other two are appropriate. The user should learn when to use DOCLUS and DOPRIOR and choose one of them when appropriate. For all other applications, the user should use DOMODEL.

DOCLUS. The DOCLUS command is to be used when and only when the user knows at the beginning that the structure to be produced will consist only of one or more cycles. (This knowledge allows the machine to use the following inference rule: If ARB, then BRA for all A&B. Conversely, if A is not related to B, then B is not related to A.)

DOPRIOR. The DOPRIOR command is to be used when and only when the user knows at the beginning that the structure to be produced will consist of a priority structure (or a structure that meets all the requirements of a priority structure). Such a structure will have a single path from one end of the structure to the other. It may have cycles on this path.1

These notes have been prepared to help the user apply the software, once it has been installed in the C Drive. After the software has been installed, the ISM programs are held in the ISM Directory. This directory will also hold user-produced files, which will be explained in the next section. To see the program files in the ISM Directory, after installation of the software,

you transfer to the ISM directory as shown later in these notes, and then you enter this command:

C:\ISM>>DIR /p

and press the ENTER or RETURN key. You should then see the following on your screen:

Each time you use the ISM software, you will create a matrix file ("mat") and a text file ("txt") . After you have created matrix and text files, they will also appear in the ISM directory listing. Instead of the listing shown above, the screen will then present a display like the following (showing just one illustrative matrix file and one illustrative text file):

In the above, TEST1.MAT is a name that a user has arbitrarily assigned to a matrix file; while TEST1.TXT is a name that a user has arbitrarily assigned to a text file. Many other names could have been used, such as JOE, SALLY, PRINCETON or YALE.

This ISM software operates with two kinds of user-produced files. One is a file to hold a matrix that is developed in an ISM session. The other is a file to hold relevant textual information. It is suggested that you use your word processor to create an ISM Files Log. It is optional whether you do this, since this Log does not involve the ISM software, and is only for the convenience of the user in having a separate location for important information. The files held in this log might be retrieved by using a number, and should be assigned distinctive textual names to identify what they represent, as well as what ISM Project they relate to. The main purpose of this file is to enable past information to be retrieved for future use.