Min
Base
a
Max
Construction
0.8
1
1.2
Output
0.8
1
1.2
Maintenance
0.85
1
1.15
Reefs
0.75
1
1.25
a Base refers to 100% of the central value for the corresponding variable. Min and max refer to the
corresponding percentages of the base case
5.5 Technical Characteristics
We created the decision support tool as an open-source-based web application, based
on R language Shiny. R is a programming language and free software environment
for statistical and graphics that is supported by the R Foundation for Statistical
Computing. The R language is widely used among statisticians and data miners for
developing statistical software and data analysis.
1 Shiny is an R package for building
interactive web applications straight from R. Shiny Server can deliver your R
visualization to your customers via a web browser and execute R functions, including database queries, in the background. The tool was built entirely with the use of
open-source technologies, which allow for a low cost (both initial development cost
and usage, maintenance, and update cost), are auditable, and are continuously
developed and maintained from a large community.
5.6 Architecture of the Tool
The tool is designed as a typical client server web-based application. This architecture allows multiple clients (computers, tablets, smartphones) to request services
from the application’s server and display the results. The application runs on a Linux
web server, but it can also easily be deployed in a cloud infrastructure such as
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, allowing for a more scalable solution (Fig. 5.6).
5.7 Conclusions: Future Enhancements
Building on the experience of MERMAID’s assessment tool, we propose enhancements in the following aspects:
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_(programming_language)
92
E. Mailli et al.
Base
a
Max
Construction
0.8
1
1.2
Output
0.8
1
1.2
Maintenance
0.85
1
1.15
Reefs
0.75
1
1.25
a Base refers to 100% of the central value for the corresponding variable. Min and max refer to the
corresponding percentages of the base case
5.5 Technical Characteristics
We created the decision support tool as an open-source-based web application, based
on R language Shiny. R is a programming language and free software environment
for statistical and graphics that is supported by the R Foundation for Statistical
Computing. The R language is widely used among statisticians and data miners for
developing statistical software and data analysis.
1 Shiny is an R package for building
interactive web applications straight from R. Shiny Server can deliver your R
visualization to your customers via a web browser and execute R functions, including database queries, in the background. The tool was built entirely with the use of
open-source technologies, which allow for a low cost (both initial development cost
and usage, maintenance, and update cost), are auditable, and are continuously
developed and maintained from a large community.
5.6 Architecture of the Tool
The tool is designed as a typical client server web-based application. This architecture allows multiple clients (computers, tablets, smartphones) to request services
from the application’s server and display the results. The application runs on a Linux
web server, but it can also easily be deployed in a cloud infrastructure such as
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, allowing for a more scalable solution (Fig. 5.6).
5.7 Conclusions: Future Enhancements
Building on the experience of MERMAID’s assessment tool, we propose enhancements in the following aspects:
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_(programming_language)
92
E. Mailli et al.