All the functionality of HelixTree can be conceptually organized in a framework of activities that have to be performed each time you use the program. This framework is called the HelixTree Basic Workflow and consists of the following activities:

1. Create a new HelixTree project (or open an existing project).
2. Import one or more data sets into the project.
3. View the imported data in a Spreadsheet Viewer.
4. In the Spreadsheet Viewer identify the specific data rows and columns that are to be used in analysis.
5. Perform the analysis.
6. Export the results of the analysis for publishing.

HelixTree can be executed in either GUI mode or scripting mode. The GUI mode allows for a ’hands-on’, interactive use of the tool and the scripting mode allows the tool to be used in a ’hands-off’, batch oriented fashion.

The following two tutorials provide a concrete illustration of performing the basic workflow. The first tutorial leads you through the basic workflow for HelixTree in GUI mode. The second tutorial shows how to perform the operations in the first tutorial using the HelixTree scripting mode.