1.0 Introduction

Newtwork Programming Interface Builder (NPIB) is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) tool that educators and researchers can use to create, maintain, and archive numerous parametric studies based on their legacy computer simulations. With NPIB users can create an interactive and collaborative Web-based working environment. Although NPIB uses standard Java, it is designed so that the community of scientists and engineers can build an NPIB working environment without knowledge of Java programming. However installing NPIB and creating a working environment on an existing Apache Web server, requires a basic understanding of shell scripts and configuring unix system level environmental variables in each user's public_html directory.

For educators NPIB provides a format that instructors can use to develope interactive modules based on computer simulation legacy codes that students can access and learn across a platform independent Java environment of a Web server. Instructors can more accurately monitor and evaluate students progress.

For researchers NPIB provides a format that scientists and engineers can develope a collaborative environment where participants can submit, monitor, and share computer simulation results running in real-time on a heterogeneous network of different remote-site computers unique to each researcher.

DISCLAIMER: Below we provide instructions on how to install, create and use NPIB. NPIB is not commercially supported, hence we provide NPIB here AS IS with out any implied waranty. While we did our best to create an application that performed well without errors, we do not make any quarantees about its suitability to any particular purpose. By installing and running this program you explicitly agree to accept the terms of this statement. If you find a bug please send us a description of the bug, including as much information as you can. While we cannot guarantee a prompt fix, we would appreciate your feedback and try to help as we can. Contact Ron Kriz at rkriz@vt.edu.