الفهرس 
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Abstract
The impetus of this study was the recognition that spatial decision-
making, such as site selection, requires advanced means to handle the
numerous socio-economic factors while considering physical suitability
conditions. Although expert systems (ES), geographic information systems
(GIS), and multicriteria decision making (MCDM) techniques have played
important roles in solving spatial decision problems, each of these tools has its own limitations and could not be used alone to reach an optimal solution.
Simultaneous use of several decision support tools such as GIS, MCDM, and
ES is necessary for reaching optimal solutions for highly complex spatial
decision-making problems. This poses the challenge of integrating these
decision support tools. Although current systems integration techniques (loose
and tight coupling) have achieved considerable success in integrating GIS with other tools, these techniques have many drawbacks and limitations. These
drawbacks can be avoided by applying the concept of software interoperability
and the COM technology.
This study developed a strategy to facilitate the decision-making process
for industrial site selection in the presence of different priorities and uncertainties among the decision criteria. A framework for integrating the strengths of GIS
(ArcGIS 8.2), ES (Visual Rule Studio), and MCDM (AHP) using COM technology
was developed. In addition, the decision maker’s preferences on a range of