Chapter 1. Overview
What is the Atlantic Ocean Data Inventory 
Atlantic Ocean Data Inventory is the database application to manage large interdisciplinary sets of oceanographic metadata. This software was developed by the Database Laboratory, Marine Hydrophysical Institute of National Academy of Science of Ukraine in 2003. 
Database brief description
All collected data are grouped into the data sets. A data set is usually a set of stations. It is described by its start and finish date, has a name, and belongs to any organisation. Usually data set contains data of a research vessel cruise. Division of data to data sets and stations is arbitrary at all and is determined by data providers. Generally speaking, data set may not belong to the only organisation; for example, it can be a joint cruise. Data provider can differ from the organisation. For example, it can be a department or a scientist, or a data centre.
Station is a point located in space and time where some oceanographic measurements were carried out. It is characterised by its name, date and time, coordinates, bottom. Name is a text string containing no more than 80 characters. Hours, minutes, bottom may be unknown. A station can belong to the only data set.
Variables are called below as data. 
Software brief description
Atlantic Ocean Data Inventory is a special database application with the expanded functionality designed to manage large multidisciplinary oceanographic metadata sets. It provides many possibilities for data selection, access, preview and visualisation.
The main task of Inventory is to provide data manager with full information about oceanographic data which was/will loaded to Project database. Together with OceanBase, oceanologic database management system, which was developed in Database Laboratory of MHI, Inventory is program package for supporting of oceanologic scientific investigations.
The Inventory main features are:
•	Datasets selection on organisation, time (date, month), region, variables measured.
•	Displaying stations positions on maps, a possibility to choose stations on maps.
•	Convenient navigation through data sets and stations.
•	Generation of various reports.
•	Possibility to save obtained results in both text and graphic format.
Many efforts were undertaken to design a convenient interface. The main features of Inventory interface are:
•	A possibility to save/load the most important settings to configuration file, auto save/load option is available.
•	Easy navigation through data sets, stations, data values.
•	Well-defined default settings permit to start working Inventory at once without installation.
•	Many controls allowing customization of windows, etc.
Chapter 2. Quick Start
How to run Atlantic Ocean Data Inventory
1.	Insert CD-ROM with Atlantic Ocean Data Inventory to your CD-ROM drive.
2.	Autorun program will run Atlantic Ocean Data Inventory.

Working screen
The working screen features are read from default configuration file. This file is copied to destination directory during first launch the program. Screen view recorded in this configuration file is adjusted to 800x600 resolution with Small Fonts Font Size display property. If your monitor mode has other settings you have a set of tools to arrange all features of the data grids, windows, menu bars, maps, etc. They will be described later. When you quit the Inventory, all your personal settings will be stored automatically and will be used at the start of your next work session with the system.
The Inventory working screen consists of five main parts. They are Maps, Dataset table, Station table, Information panel (data description information panel, dataset statistics, station statistics, variables and organisations) and Search report panel.
Maps panel
This panel hold Stations map, Statistics map and About panel. Stations map to display positions of selected stations. Current data set is picked out by color. Current station blinks. Clicking on station on this map, you make it current. This feature allows you to display station statistics for any selected station in Information panels. 
Stations map status bar hold four values connected to station co-ordinates. A possibility to navigate through selected data sets and stations with the help of keyboard is realized in Stations map:
		previous station;
		next station;
	Home	first station;
	End	last station; 
Statistics map shows count digit map with amounts of mapped stations. This map is connected with Stations map to reflect map zooming on both maps.
About panel contain some information about program, Project and developers.
Dataset table panel
This panel contains data grid displaying selected data sets, navigator and setup dataset grid button. Current record in data grid contains so-called current data set. Changing current data set changes information in Information panels (dataset statistics). Only selected stations belonging to this data set are displayed in Station table. Current data set is marked out by color in Maps panel (Stations map). Setup dataset grid tool allows changing font, color and visibility of the data grid columns.
Data grid contains the following columns:
Name, 	data sets name;
Stations, 	number of stations in data set;
Variables, 	number of variables measured in data set;
Start, 		data set start date;
Finish, 	data set finish date;
Organization, 	organisation which data set belongs to;
Country,	country which data set belongs to.

OceanBase displays all dates in yyyy/mm/dd format.
Station table panel
This panel contains navigator, setup stations grid button and data grid displaying selected stations belonging to current data set. Current record in data grid of Station table panel contains so-called current stations. Changing current station changes information in Information panels (station statistics). Current station blinks in Maps panel (Stations map). Setup station grid tool allows changing font, color and visibility of the data grid columns.
Data grid contains the next columns:
Name, 		stations name;
Latitude, 		latitude, station coordinate;
Longitude, 	longitude, station coordinate;
Date, 		station date;
Time,		station time;
Bottom, 		station bottom depth;
Information panel
This panel consists of five pages: dataset description, dataset statistics, station statistics. To browse required information you can switch to window that holds information from appropriate page. To do it push rightmost tool button. Default configuration puts on the screen the window with Always On Top property.
Dataset description page shows brief description and all useful comments to current data set. This page is connected with dataset table panel and changes when user navigates through dataset table. You can change font and wrapping setting with tool buttons situated on the upper panel.
Dataset statistics page contains statistic information about current dataset. Statistics grid contains the next columns:
Variable, 	variables name;
Stations, 	number of stations on which was measured this variable;
Values, 	number of values which was produced on stations to measure this variable.
Station statistics page contains statistic information about current station. Statistics grid contains the next columns:
Variable, 	variables name;
Values, 	number of values which was produced on current stations to measure this
 variable.
Search report panel
This panel contains information about search conditions, number of datasets and stations that answer these search conditions. You can change font and wrapping setting with tool buttons situated on the upper panel.
Search
The aim of search is to form a set of selected datasets and stations to explore. Push Search button in the upper part of Maps panel. Search window will appear. There are ten pages to make selection of corresponding type:
Variables
Organizations
Date
Month
Region
There are three main buttons in the bottom part of Search window: Reset, Run and Close. Reset button returns default values to all search conditions, i.e. all datasets and stations are selected. Run button will launch searching process. Close button closes Search window.
When Inventory first time started the actual selection has no restrictions or limitations, and all datasets and stations are selected. When you quit the Inventory, all your search settings will be stored automatically and will be used at the start of your next work session with the system.
Search on variables
This, perhaps, the most complex kind of selection is realized in Variables page. There is the available variables list on the listbox; it displays all variables from the Project database. On default all variables are checked, i.e. all datasets and stations are selected. Variable selection rule is shown below this listbox. Functionality of buttons Select All and Deselect All is clear.
The aim of selection on data is to form data selection rule filtering datasets and stations on variables availability. The rule can contain or or and operations on variables names. You can choose AND or OR to act on variables name on the listbox.
Search on organisations
This kind of selection is realized in Organisations page. Functionality of buttons Select All and Deselect All is the same.
Search on dates
This kind of search is realized in Date page. By default, time interval is set up from oldest date in the database to newest. It is certainly covers all possible dates. To restore these settings press button Reset.
Search on months
This kind of selection is realized in Month page. It is very simple, button Reset makes month interval from January to December, combo boxes From and To allow to set up this interval, as you prefer. It is possible to set up month interval in reversed order; for example, winter settings are From December To February. If you check Include datasets with unknown months the datasets with unknown months will add to your search results.
Search on region
This kind of search is realized in Region page. It contains four edit boxes to assign rectangular area filtering stations on their coordinates. This page is connected to current map view, i.e. it shows top left and bottom right co-ordinates of the current map frame. To include Search on region to your search options check Use region selection.