Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use ELKI?

Just run the jar file, either by double-clicking it or via command line: java -jar elki.jar. Obviously, you need to have a Java Runtime Environment installed. A window should open that assists you with parameterizing all algorithms released with ELKI.

When developing ELKI, you can run the MiniGUI class to get the GUI.

How do I run ELKI on my corporate database?

Please understand that this is research software. We currently do not offer professional support, and the software is developed and optimized for the use in science; it probably is not as easy to use as you want it to be. You should contact a professional consultant.

How do I visualize results using ELKI?

Choose the ResultVisualizer for the resulthandler parameter. If you just want to see your data without running a real algorithm, you could run the NullAlgorithm or ByLabelClustering. We could make the algorithm parameter optional, but that will irritate other users.

I'd like to script ELKI invocations - is there a command line?

ELKI also comes with a command line UI, accessible as KDDCLIApplication. Use a command such as java -cp elki.jar de.lmu.ifi.dbs.elki.application.KDDCLIApplication <parameters> to run ELKI without the tabular UI.

You can find out about parameters using the --help switch, find a complete list in the documentation, or copy the command line shown in the MiniGUI log window.

How do I invoke ELKI algorithms from Java?

The Parameterization documentation is a good place to start. Make sure to have a look at the unit tests, since these do exactly this: invoke algorithms from Java.

Why does my new algorithm not show up in the MiniGUI?

You probably did not implement the Parameterization API yet. Check the documentation on how to make your algorithm parameterizable by the UI. Note that this is also needed for command line UIs!

How do I make my algorithm parameterizable in the GUI and on the command line?

Check out the documentation and separate FAQ on Parameterization.

Where can I get help?

Subscribe to the users  MailingList and post your question there.