This thesis provides a `proof-of-concept' prototype and a design architecture for a Object Oriented (00) database towards the development of a Decision Support System (DSS) for the national freight transport planning problem. Both governments and industry require a Strategic Planning Extranet Decision Support System (SPEDSS) for their effective management of the national Freight Transport Networks (FTN). This thesis addresses the three key problems for the development of a SPEDSS to facilitate national strategic freight planning: 1) scope and scale of data available and required; 2) scope and scale of existing models; and 3) construction of the software. The research approach taken embodies systems thinking and includes the use of: Object Oriented Analysis and Design (OOA/D) for problem encapsulation and database design; artificial neural network (and proposed rule extraction) for knowledge acquisition of the United States FTN data set; and an iterative Object Oriented (00) software design for the development of a `proof-of-concept' prototype. The research findings demonstrate that an 00 approach along with the use of 00 methodologies and technologies coupled with artificial neural networks (ANNs) offers a robust and flexible methodology for the analysis of the FTN problem domain and the design architecture of an Extranet based SPEDSS. The objectives of this research were to: 1) identify and analyse current problems and proposed solutions facing industry and governments in strategic transportation planning; 2) determine the functional requirements of an FTN SPEDSS; 3) perform a feasibility analysis for building a FTN SPEDSS `proof-of-concept' prototype and (00) database design; 4) develop a methodology for a national `internet-enabled' SPEDSS model and database; 5) construct a `proof-of-concept' prototype for a SPEDSS encapsulating identified user requirements; 6) develop a methodology to resolve the issue of the scale of data and data knowledge acquisition which would act as the `intelligence' within a SPDSS; 7) implement the data methodology using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) towards the validation of it; and 8) make recommendations for national freight transportation strategic planning and further research required to fulfil the needs of governments and industry. This thesis includes: an 00 database design for encapsulation of the FTN; an `internet-enabled' Dynamic Modelling Methodology (DMM) for the virtual modelling of the FTNs; a Unified Modelling Language (UML) `proof-of-concept' prototype; and conclusions and recommendations for further collaborative research are identified.

An emerging trend in GIS is the adoption of object oriented concepts for both logical and physical design phases. Extensive research has been conducted on logical design of GIS and several conceptual models have been proposed. Classical data models like the relational data model have proven to be insufficient for the conceptual modeling of spatial data. Therefore among other object oriented modeling tools, a new modeling language, Unified Modeling Language (UML) has also become a popular modeling tool in the GIS domain due to its wide acceptance in industry. In this thesis ArcInfo UML Model, which is an extension of UML and proposed by ESRI is utilized to create analysis pattern of Sanliurfa Harran Plain within the scope of GAP (In Turkish, G&uuml / neydogu Anadolu Projesi). The proposed analysis pattern mainly characterize the irrigation drainage system, social environment and irrigation management activities of the Sanliurfa Harran Plain and incorporate the interactions between, and among, features of the system. At the implementation phase ESRI&#039 / s geodatabase model is used. This is an object relational spatial database utilizing the full functionalities of the underlying relational DBMS. This hybrid approach claims to be the most promising approach to deal with the complex data types found in GIS applications and allows the storage of spatial and non-spatial data together. Besides many advantages of geodatabase, ability to implement it in a multi-user environment is the most remarkable one. In this thesis both the personal and multi-user approaches, in which the underlying DBMSs are MS access and Oracle, are tested. The multi-user geodatabase is built in three-tier architecture with ESRI&#039 / s ArcSDE (Spatial Database Engine) as the middleware.

This study extends a recently-developed [1] cellular automata (CA) elastodynamic modeling approach to arbitrary two-dimensional geometries through development of a rule set appropriate for triangular cells. The approach is fully object-oriented (OO) and exploits OO conventions to produce compact, general, and easily-extended CA classes. Meshes composed of triangular cells allow the elastodynamic response of arbitrary two-dimensional geometries to be computed accurately and efficiently. As in the previous rectangular CA method, each cell represents a state machine which updates in a stepped-manner using a local "bottom-up" rule set and state input from neighboring cells. The approach avoids the need to develop partial differential equations and the complexity therein. Several advantages result from the method's discrete, local and object-oriented nature, including the ability to compute on a massively-parallel basis and to easily add or subtract cells in a multi-resolution manner. The extended approach is used to generate the elastodynamic responses of a variety of general geometries and loading cases (Dirichlet and Nuemann), which are compared to previous results and/or comparison results generated using the commercial finite element code, COMSOL. These include harmonic interior domain loading, uniform boundary traction, and ramped boundary displacement. Favorable results are reported in all cases, with the CA approach requiring fewer degrees of freedom to achieve similar or better accuracy, and considerably less code development.

We introduce a class of program editors that present a program using a rich set of transformations; we call these kinds of editors composable presentation editors. Proper use of these kinds of editors appears to lead to more expressive programs-programs whose structure are aligned with the problem they are trying to solve. By default, the composable presentation editor presents program elements textually as concrete syntax and enables typical editor commands on the program. Metadata on program elements control how the transformations are applied. Customized metadata can re-order, pictorialize, collapse, duplicate, or expand the displayed form of program elements and can additionally alter the available editor commands. We have developed a set of presentation techniques to be used by presentation designers (i.e., the programmers who design how a program is presented in the editor. These techniques relate to well-understood programming language design, editor design, and programming best-practices techniques including scoping, higher order functions, refactoring, prettyprinting, naming conventions, syntax highlighting, and text hovers. We introduce two implementations of composable presentation editors and a number of examples showing how programs can be made more expressive when presentation techniques are properly used. The first implementation is the ETMOP, an open editor, where a metaobject protocol is provided that allows language and editor designers to customize the way program elements are displayed. These customizations are called presenta- tion extensions and the corresponding presentation extension protocol acts in a way similar to the way that syntax macros extend the syntax of a language. The second implementation is Embedded CAL, a closed editor that uses these presentation techniques to embed one language (CAL) inside a host language (Java) through the use of presentation techniques, without changing the syntax or compiler of either language.

Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 1998

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on March 11, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2007. / Title from file title page. Ying Zhu, committee chair; Xiaolin Hu, Geoffrey Hubona, Roy Johnson, Rajshekhar Sunderraman, committee members. Electronic text (216 p. : ill. (some col.)) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Nov. 29, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-216).

Thesis (M.S.)--Ohio University, March, 2001. / Title from PDF t.p.

Thesis (M.S.--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references.