WHAT IS FHX2?

   FHX2 is software developed for the explicit purpose of analyzing
fire history of forest ecosystems as revealed by fire scars and other
fire-related injuries that are often found in the annual growth rings of
trees. Several modules comprise the FHX2 system, including routines that
provide statistical descriptions and analyses of fire-scar data, display
graphic representations of fire history for a given site, and provide
means for data entry of fire history information. 
   FHX2 provides a means for entering, archiving, storing, editing,
and manipulation of fire history information from tree rings, which in
turn, provides a more efficient mechanism for data transfer and exchange. 
With FHX2, fire history data can be entered and stored in a format called
FIRE2 (pronounced "fire-2," now also called "FHX2 format" or simply
"fire history format"), a character-based format based on matrices (each
column is a sample and rows are years) that is extremely flexible in
the amount and type of fire history information that can be stored. The
Data Entry module allows the user to add, delete, move, and edit fire
history data for any site, and can be used to merge information from one
or more sites into a single data file.
   FHX2 had its beginnings mainly as a means for rapid generation of
graphical displays of fire history information. Fire history graphs are
composed of horizontal lines representing individual trees sampled for a
given site upon which symbols are overlain that represent the fires that
have been dated to their exact year of occurrence by dendrochronological
methods. The specimen identification of each tree is displayed to the
right of each line, while the x-axis is the time line ranging from the
earliest year of information to the latest. A "composite" line or axis
is drawn that represents the composite information from all individual
series (or a subset thereof) over the entire range (or subset) of years.
   FHX2 can perform a number of statistical tests and functions to
help the researcher evaluate the fire history for any given site. The
Statistics Module can output summaries for individual series and create
a table showing the changing sample depth over time. If seasonal
designations are available for the fire scars, FHX2 can analyze these to
determine the distribution of seasonal timing of past fires, and to help
the researcher note whether any changes in the seasonality of fire have
occurred. FHX2 can help the researcher analyze whether changes have
occurred in statistical descriptors of a fire regime or the number of
trees scarred between two time periods. This will help identify
possible reasons that could have caused such changes. The same analyses
can be conducted spatially to help determine whether fire regimes differ
between two or more sites.
   FHX2 provides a means for analyzing the relationship between fire
and climate using superposed epoch analysis (SEA). The SEA can use
either a tree-ring chronology, a tree-ring reconstruction of climate, or
any appropriate environmental time series as the independent variable
that is used to model fire occurrence. Using Monte Carlo simulations to
develop bootstrap confidence intervals, the program can analyze the
dominant pattern of climate that had occurred contemporaneously with
past fire occurrence as developed using the record of fire scars.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

   The FHX2 system operates on any IBM or IBM-class of personal
computers with at least 568 Kb of lower DOS RAM free. To determine how
much RAM is free on your system, type "chkdsk" (DOS versions 4 or lower)
or "mem" (DOS versions 5 or higher) at the DOS prompt. I strongly
encourage users to first optimize their memory management on their
personal computers prior to running FHX2 by using the DOS program
MemMaker (DOS versions 6 or later). Often, after running this program,
the computer will have over 600 Kb of low DOS memory free for running
the FHX2 software.
   The FHX2 software takes up less than one MB of hard disk space. No
special monitor or video cards are required as the FHX2 software will
operate across all video card types from monochrome to super VGA. I
recommend using at least a VGA card with at least one MB of video RAM
and color monitor to take advantage of the FHX2 graphics capabilities.
While the software will operate on slower personal computers, such as
XT's and AT's, I recommend using a personal computer with at least a
386 CPU operating at speeds greater than or equal to 20 Mhz. No math
chip is required as the software will emulate mathematically intensive
functions as if a math chip were present. However, a math chip will
greatly speed up the performance of both the graphics and
printing/plotting services of the software. The FHX2 software comes
equipped to plot or print across a variety of printers and plotters as
well. Output can be directed to an HPGL file for importing into a wide
variety of graphics programs (e.g. CorelDraw).

INSTALLING FHX2

   The FHX2 software is distributed on one floppy diskette that contains
one file with the name "EXTRACT.EXE." This is a self-extracting
file created with the PKZIP software. All the programs and support files
used by FHX2 have been compressed (or deflated) into one file, and this
one file has been converted into a self-extracting file by using the
PKZIP software. To install, follow these directions:

1. Create a subdirectory on your hard disk to contain the FHX2 software.
Call this directory "FHX2" or any other appropriate name.

2. Change over to that subdirectory by typing at the DOS prompt "cd
fhx2." Be sure to substitute the correct subdirectory name if "fhx2" is
not the correct name.

3. Insert the floppy diskette containing the FHX2 software into the a:
or b: diskette drive on your computer.

4. At the DOS prompt, type "a:extract <dr>" where <dr> is the drive of
the hard disk that contains the subdirectory for the FHX2 software. Be
sure to substitute the correct diskette drive name if another drive
contains the FHX2 diskette other than the a: drive.

5. If you are re-installing the software, or have a previous version of
FHX2, messages will appear during the self-extraction process asking
the user whether to overwrite the old files. Answer "yes" to these
questions.

6. Once the files have been copied to the hard disk, the hardcopy device
needs to be installed. Within the FHX2 subdirectory, type "plot /i" to
install a device using the program PLOT.EXE. After selecting the
appropriate hardcopy device, be sure to correctly install which port the
output will be directed towards (usually LPT1). If your hardcopy device
is not listed, install a device that your particular printer/plotter can
emulate (see your user's manual to see which hardcopy devices can be
emulated). For additional information, see the section "Configuring the
Hardcopy and Video Devices" in the chapter discussing the Graphics
Module.

7. The video card needs to be specified as well. At the DOS prompt in
the FHX2 subdirectory, type "view /i" to install a device using the
program VIEW.EXE. Setting the detection of a video device to "automatic"
usually produces satisfactory results.

8. Next, the user should tell the FHX2 system where all the system files
can be found. After typing "FHX2" at the DOS prompt, the system must
first find the modules in order to launch them. This configuration can
be set by selecting the "Directory Path" discussed below.

9. The user should designate a working directory for all the FHX
analyses. By selecting "Set Workspace" (discussed below), the user can
tell the FHX2 system where to find all data files, as well as where to
place all graphics and output files produced.

RUNNING THE FHX2 SOFTWARE

   The various modules can all be "launched" from the FHX2 Main Menu,
or they can be run as separate programs. The names of the programs for
the various modules are:

1. Statistics: FHSTATS.EXE (long series), FSTATS2.EXE (short series)
2. Graphics: FHGRAPH.EXE (long series), FGRAPH2.EXE (short series)
3. Data Entry: FHENTER.EXE (long series), FENTER2.exe (short series)
4. Epoch Analysis: FHEVENT.EXE

In addition, there is a support program called FHREAD.EXE which is
able to read any ASCII text file passed to it as the first parameter.
To run any program individually, simply type the file name at the DOS
prompt, and the Main Menu for each module will be displayed. Alterna-
tively, the individual programs can be run from the FHX2 Main Menu. To
run FHX2, simply type "FHX2" at the DOS prompt. A screen appears and
the FHX2 logo is displayed while the variables used by the software
are being initialized. You just hit any key to close the logo and
immediately enter the Main Menu. After typing "fhx2," the FHX2 Main
Menu will be displayed showing the various names of the modules.
   All menus in the FHX2 system will show highlighted letters on each
line that when pressed will operate that particular function. For
example, in the FHX2 Main Menu, typing the letter "D" (upper or
lower-case) will select the Data Entry Module. In the Graphics Module,
selecting the letter "r" will open a dialog box in which the user should
enter the name of the data file to retrieve for the graphics program.
Any option or function can be canceled by simply hitting the escape
key on the keyboard. In addition, the ESC key can be used to
continuously "back out" from any open menus. Note that the highlighted
letters become "disabled" when another menu or window is opened. The
letters will revert back to black letters indicating they are not
functional from within the new menu or window.

RUNNING UNDER WINDOWS

   The FHX2 system can easily be installed to run under the Microsoft
Windows environment, including Windows95/98/NT. There are several ways
to install the FHX2 system, but the following method is perhaps
the easiest.

Windows 3.x: While in the Windows Program Manager, open the Windows
group in which you wish to install FHX2. Select "File" from the Menu
Bar at the top of the screen, then select "New." Select "Program Item,"
and Windows will prompt you for information regarding the software. Be
sure to install the correct path where the FHX2 software can be found.
The user may also wish to change certain default settings in the PIF
(Program Information File) for the FHX2 software. If so, be sure to save
the PIF file under a new name. In Windows 3.x, FHX2 should not be run in
a "windowed" environment as opposed to full screen mode, as the software
may become unstable. An icon is provided ("fhx2.ico") that can be
installed on the Windows desktop.

Windows95/98/NT: To install FHX2, first click on the "Start"
Button, the select "Settings" and "Taskbar." Select the tab marked as
"Start Menu Programs" and then select "Add" to add a new item (program)
to the Start Menu. Fill in the correct path to the program "FHX2.EXE."
For example, c:\fhx2\fhx2.exe, then click "Next." Finaly, select the
folder to place the program in, usually the "Start" Menu, then provide
a name for the program and select "Finish." When you now open the
Start Menu, you will see the FHX2 program's icon on the menu. Unlike
the Windows 3.x version, you CAN run FHX2 in a Windowed environment,
which makes cutting and pasting the output extremely easy (when creating
reports, for example.

USING PULL-DOWN MENUS

   After selecting a function by typing the highlighted letter, most
often the function will open or "pull down" another menu. For instance,
after typing "f" to select a new font in the Graphics Module, another
menu will be opened that will display the choices available. All menus
usually have a title bar with highlighted words at the top of their
box letting the user know in which menu they are located. Pull-down
menus that are currently active will also have "double" line borders.
Notice that when a new menu drops down, or becomes open, the previous
title bar becomes "un-highlighted" and drops to the background. The
border of the previous box also changes to a "single" line border to
help the user notice the change. After closing the current menu, the
old menu will jump to the foreground, the title bar will once again
become highlighted, and the box border will change back to double lines.
Remember that to close any menu, simply hit the ESC key, or select the
option to quit by typing "q."

DIALOG BOXES

   Instead of opening a new menu after selecting an option, some
selections will open what is called a "dialog box." These are boxes in
which the user must type a response. For instance, after selecting "e"
to enter a name of a data file containing the fire history information in
the Statistics Module, a dialog box will open and jump to the foreground.
Within the dialog box, a cursor will appear. All dialog boxes will open
with cursors indicating the user must type in a response. The user should
then type in the file name, hit return, and the program will then close
the dialog box, search for and open the data file. Note that hitting the
ESC key will act as if the Enter key had been pressed in case there is
text within the dialog box. Also note that, in some responses, the user
must type in numbers (either integers or real numbers) rather than text.
In dialog boxes, responses typed by the user all have a preset maximum
number of characters. If the key pressed does not appear on the screen,
the maximum number of allowable characters has been reached.

EDITING LINES WITHIN DIALOG BOXES

   While in a dialog box, the FHX2 system allows some basic editing
capabilities to make entering information easier. The advantages of
these editing commands will become readily apparent the more the FHX2
system is used. When combinations of keystrokes are necessary, remember
to hold down the first key while typing the second key. "Ctrl" indicates
that the "Control" key should be pressed. The following keys or
combinations of key strokes will perform the following functions:

Ctrl-D or <right arrow> moves the cursor to the right one letter
Ctrl-S or <left arrow>  moves the cursor to the left one letter
<Home>       moves the cursor to the beginning of the input line
<End>        moves the cursor to the end of the input line
<Backspace>     moves the cursor back one letter, erasing that letter
Ctrl-G       deletes the character at the cursor
Ctrl-Y       deletes the entire line
Ctrl-U       recovers the last line deletion

USING THE DOS SHELL

   While within one of the Modules, the user may find it useful to
re-enter the operating system currently loaded on the personal computer.
The operating system is the software that actually runs your personal
computer, such as Microsoft DOS, IBM DOS, DR DOS, 4-DOS, or one of many
others that are commercially available. The most popular operating
systems are made by Microsoft and IBM. As an example, the user may wish
to re-enter the operating system to locate a data file that is not stored
where it should be. The user can re-enter the system and search for the
misplaced data file, all while the FHX2 software or any one of its
modules is still loaded within system memory. In all of the modules and
from the FHX2 Main Menu, the user can temporarily enter the operating
system currently loaded on the personal computer by selecting "O" from
the FHX2 Main Menu, or "D" in any of the modules. Once the user has
finished the task, the FHX2 system can be re-entered by simply typing
"exit" at the DOS prompt. Once the operating system has been re-entered,
the user must remember that the FHX2 software is still loaded in memory.
If you try to run other software, there may not be enough memory to load
that particular software and an error will occur. Usually there will be
enough memory to run a particular application for all but the most
memory-intensive of applications, such as spreadsheets and certain word
processors.

THE STATUS LINE

   At the bottom of all the screens displayed for the FHX2 Main menu
and all the individual modules is the "Status Line," a common feature of
nearly all programs. The status line contains information about opera-
ting certain functions using "hot keys," usually those functions used
most often. The line is used by the individual modules to display "hot
keys" for the most commonly used functions. For instance, in the
Statistics Module, the status line will display information reminding
the user that selecting "d" from anywhere in any menu will allow the
user to enter the DOS Shell. Selecting "v" will view the most recently
created output file containing the results from the last statistical
analysis.

SETTING THE DIRECTORY PATH

   In the FHX2 Main Menu, the user will see an option called "Set
Directory Path." This option allows the user to tell FHX2 where on the
hard disk the FHX2 system is located. For instance, if you are located
in the subdirectory containing your data files, you can start the FHX2
software by typing the path to FHX2 in front of the FHX2 command.
For example, let's say FHX2 is located in the "fhx2" subdirectory which
is located in the "subdir2" subdirectory which itself is located in the
"subdir1" subdirectory. Typing the following command will start the FHX2
software if these subdirectories are located on the <c:> drive:
    "c:\subdir1\subdir2\fhx2\fhx2.exe"
At this point, the FHX2 system does not know where it's modules are
located. Trying to activate one of the modules from the Main Menu will
result in no action being taken by the system because, as yet, the FHX2
system does not know where to look for the other programs. To overcome
this, the user should set the directory path from the FHX2 Main Menu,
especially if the system will be run from locations on the hard disk
other than the FHX2 directory. Setting the directory path creates an
initialization file in the current directory that contains the path to
the FHX2 system. This procedure is analogous to typing in the path in
the AUTOEXEC.BAT file located in the root directory of your personal
computer. Note that setting the path in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file is not
enough as the FHX2 system uses many data files (such as symbol sets)
that are not normally looked for in a PATH statement. The user can,
however, use the DOS statement "APPEND" to alleviate this problem, but
this is much more complicated than simply setting the directory path
from the FHX2 Main Menu.
   The initialization file is always read by the all modules of the
FHX2 system to retrieve this information upon system startup. If the
user has changed the names of the directories, or transferred the FHX2
software to another directory along with the old initialization file, an
error will occur because of the now invalid paths. In this case, FHX2
will initialize the paths to null strings, and the user should
re-enter the updated paths.

SETTING THE WORKSPACE

   Another convenient feature of the FHX2 system is the ability to
define a "working" subdirectory on your hard disk. This subdirectory may
contain all your data files containing the fire history information, for
instance. By telling the FHX2 system where to find all the data files,
where to conduct all the analyses, and where to write all the output and
graphics files, the user does not have to maintain more than one working
subdirectory. Once the user has set the "working directory" from the
FHX2 Main Menu, another line is added to the FHX2 initialization file if
one already exists, or creates an initialization file if it doesn't,
that contains the path information for the working directory. All data
files (files usually ending with ".DAT") should be located within the
working subdirectory. All graphics output files (plot files with names
that usually end with ".PLT"), as well as all statistical output files
(files with names usually ending with ".OUT"), are written to and read
from the working directory. In addition, the user has the ability to
change the working directory from within each of the individual modules
by selecting the appropriate option (typing "k" from the menu), such
that each module could effectively have its own working directory.
