January 2004Professor APM Coxon1 WHAT IS NewMDSX? NewMDSX is…… A library of self-contained computer programs and utilities for multidimensional scaling with: –a common simple command language for running; –extensive user-documentation both technical and user-oriented; –test input and output data to ensure correct running.

January 2004Professor APM Coxon2 NewMDSX – Why Library and not a Package (e.g. SPSS, SAS etc)? specific algorithms & programs are more robust when fine-tuned to particular data; in this post-modernist age, allows User to pick and choose what s/he wants and minimize cost; allows flexibility:m specific programs can be modified, inserted, deleted.

January 2004Professor APM Coxon3 NewMDSX –NewMDSX is available in 2 forms: either – (1) the original MS-DOS format ( as.exe. Files), documentation etc., organised by program –or (2) NewMDSX for Windows An entirely new development, with clean and simple Windows front-end and interface, extensive graphics, context-based help files.

January 2004Professor APM Coxon4 NewMDSX ORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT: –by Tony Coxon, Charles Jones and David Muxworthy (all of the University of Edinburgh) under SSRC funding, distributed by U of Edinburgh –Consisted of a collection of commonly used programs from Bell Laboratories (Shepard, Kruskal, Wish), University of Michigan (Guttman & Lingoes), University of Nijmegen (Roskam) and some specially written utilities and programs MDSORT (Takane), PRINCOMP, CORRESP & WOMBATS (data measures and input) –RunFiles, given simple SPSS-like command language to replace (“6 in col. 18 is non-metric”) akin to SPSS syntax

January 2004Professor APM Coxon5 NewMDSX –numerical algorithms replaced by more reliable, accurate, up-to-date versions –FORTRAN programming brought up to 1977 & later specifications. –Original Funding ceased in 1977, and MDS(X) charged and distributed via Program Library Unit (and later Manchester RCC/MIMAS) to Universities &c. until NewMDSX launched as independent package in 2000

January 2004Professor APM Coxon6 NewMDSX NewMDS(X) Project Team: Professor A.P.M. Coxon(University of Edinburgh) Dr A. Brier (University of Southampton) Professor C.L. Jones (University of Toronto) Mr D.T. Muxworthy (University of Edinburgh) Dr W. Otto (University of Zurich, MAC) Dr S.K. Tagg (Strathclyde University) Dr W van Schuur (Groningen University) Mr Roy Omond (Blue Bubble Ltd) Plus team of International & National SPONSORS URL:

January 2004Professor APM Coxon7 NewMDSX 2000: Re-formation of group as NewMDSX : formed to: –re-think structure and purpose of MDSX, and review future developments –co-opt interested collaborators, associated projects (e.g. Ron Heady, PERMAP) –“mothball” unused programs; include new programs –develop Windows implementation –modularise and rewrite documentation and contextual help.

January 2004Professor APM Coxon8 NewMDSX IMPROVEMENTS VIA NEWMDSX FOR WINDOWS: –Clean simple opening page –Choose program to run (e.g. MINISSA) –DATA INPUT: “Behind” the run is a MDSX RunScript (with free-format, avoiding the dreaded INPUT FORMAT specification!) –Most instructions are default; Easy to modify test- input to own needs. – new development: INPUT WIZARD, which also allows for file input, or collection at screen.

January 2004Professor APM Coxon9 New (& beta) Versions include PCA, Correspondence Analysis, Hierarchical Clustering etc as well as strictly MDS programs Includes interactive 3D, 2D configurations and drag’n’drop graphics; Andrews Plot (HIDIM), variable- length labelling Contextual Help & Documentation Input data and measure-calculation (TUG ch2) utility (WOMBATS) with flexible control over input/output formats & their interchange Comparison of configurations by Procrustes methods (PINDIS) New scaling programs for Sorting, Triads etc

January 2004Professor APM Coxon10 New Version Available as 3-month beta-version with free use … with reminders Includes associated FORUM for FAQs, problems etc Developing Data-bank of classic and useful MDS data-sets Board of international sponsors of those who develop and/or are actively involved in using MDS Cross-links, and increasing compatibility with, associated developments (Fully Interactive PERMAP; Text-analysis HAMLET etc) Allows continued free use of MS-DOS version (AYOR), but Windows version is re-organised as not- for-profit but necessary low-cost (graded) package, with support.