Artificial Intelligence (AI) Training in Nantes

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level AI professionals, business leaders, and compliance officers who wish to understand and implement ethical practices in AI systems. The course covers key ethical frameworks, regulatory standards like the EU AI Act, and practical techniques for auditing AI systems to mitigate bias and enhance transparency.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand core principles of responsible AI, including fairness, accountability, and transparency.
• Identify and mitigate biases within AI systems.
• Implement ethical frameworks and conduct AI audits for compliance.
• Apply governance strategies to manage ethical risks in AI deployment.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level administrative operatives who wish to have a basic understanding of AI and its applications in administrative tasks.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the basics of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Learn how AI can be integrated into daily administrative tasks.
• Improve efficiency in sending emails, conducting surveys, managing indicators, maintaining records, and performing manual validations through AI tools.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level to intermediate-level content creators, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts who wish to harness the power of AI for innovative media production and business growth.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Create realistic voice clones for various applications.
• Manipulate video content with DeepFake technology for creative or educational purposes.
• Adopt ethical AI practices for content creation.
• Leverage AI tools for business and creative enhancement.
• Master AI media technologies for advanced applications.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level IT professionals who wish to learn how to leverage AWS tools and services to build, train, and deploy AI models efficiently.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the AI/ML services provided by AWS.
• Be able to set up and manage AI/ML environments on AWS.
• Gain hands-on experience in building, training, and deploying AI models using Amazon SageMaker.
• Learn to utilize various AWS AI services for specific use cases.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level data scientists and healthcare professionals who wish to leverage AI for advanced healthcare applications using Google Colab.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Implement AI models for healthcare using Google Colab.
• Use AI for predictive modeling in healthcare data.
• Analyze medical images with AI-driven techniques.
• Explore ethical considerations in AI-based healthcare solutions.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Corporate Professionals is an introductory course that explores how AI can be safely and effectively applied across departments within the corporate environment to boost productivity, enhance communication, and streamline operations.

This instructor-led, live training (online or onsite) is aimed at non-technical corporate professionals who wish to understand and begin using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot to improve their everyday workflows.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand AI fundamentals, risks, and ethical considerations.
• Apply AI to automate tasks and assist with communication and research.
• Create structured prompts tailored to real-world administrative tasks.
• Plan for safe, scalable adoption of AI tools within their teams.

Format of the Course also allows for the evaluation of participants.

• Interactive lecture and discussion.
• Hands-on use of AI tools in corporate scenarios.
• Guided exercises focused on process improvement and communication.

Course Customization Options

• To request a customized training for this course based on your department's workflows or internal tools, please contact us to arrange.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level media professionals who wish to use AI tools to generate content, verify facts, automate editing tasks, and optimize workflows in digital journalism.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Leverage AI tools for drafting news articles, headlines, and summaries.
• Use AI to fact-check, detect bias, and suggest improvements in tone and clarity.
• Automate repetitive newsroom tasks like transcription and tagging.
• Apply ethical and editorial standards in AI-assisted content production.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at all-level administrative professionals who wish to leverage AI tools to automate routine tasks, enhance document handling, improve presentations, and optimize workflows in the office environment.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the basics of AI and how it applies to administrative roles.
• Use generative AI tools to write, summarize, and translate content.
• Automate calendar management, emails, and routine tasks.
• Design and implement an AI-assisted workflow specific to their role.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level to advanced-level cybersecurity professionals and technical leads who wish to understand how to implement AI models to enhance security processes, automate threat detection and response, and perform predictive analysis.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the role of AI in modern cyber security.
• Develop machine learning models for anomaly and threat detection.
• Implement AI for automating incident response and security operations.
• Evaluate the ethical and operational considerations of AI in cybersecurity.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at managers and business leaders who wish to learn about the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and manage AI projects for their organization.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to understand AI at a technical level and strategize using their organization’s data and resources to successfully manage AI projects.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at managers and business leaders who wish to learn about the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and manage AI projects for their organization.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to understand AI at a technical level and strategize using their organization’s data and resources to successfully manage AI projects.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level to intermediate-level business professionals and team leaders who wish to explore the value of AI through real-world cases and hands-on exercises.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand key AI concepts relevant to their industry.
• Identify opportunities where AI can enhance their operations or customer experience.
• Experiment with basic AI tools through guided practical activities.
• Assess how to start small with AI in their own workplace.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level healthcare professionals and data scientists who wish to understand and apply AI technologies in healthcare environments.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Identify key healthcare challenges that AI can address.
• Analyze AI’s impact on patient care, safety, and medical research.
• Understand the relationship between AI and healthcare business models.
• Apply fundamental AI concepts to healthcare scenarios.
• Develop machine learning models for medical data analysis.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level to intermediate-level professionals from various departments who wish to learn how to efficiently use AI tools for daily tasks, saving time and improving productivity.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Identify AI-powered tools suitable for different tasks.
• Automate repetitive processes to improve workflow efficiency.
• Leverage AI for better communication, reporting, and decision-making.
• Ensure responsible and ethical AI usage in the workplace.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level education professionals who wish to apply AI and AR/VR technologies to design interactive and personalized learning experiences for students.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the role of AI in AR/VR for education.
• Implement AR/VR solutions for immersive learning environments.
• Design personalized education systems using AI.
• Evaluate the ethical and privacy concerns of AI in education.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level healthcare professionals who wish to apply AI and AR/VR solutions for medical training, surgery simulations, and rehabilitation.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the role of AI in enhancing AR/VR experiences in healthcare.
• Use AR/VR for surgery simulations and medical training.
• Apply AR/VR tools in patient rehabilitation and therapy.
• Explore the ethical and privacy concerns in AI-enhanced medical tools.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level public sector professionals who wish to use Gemini to generate high-quality content, assist with research, and improve productivity through more advanced AI interactions.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Craft more effective and tailored prompts for specific use cases.
• Generate original and creative content using Gemini.
• Summarize and compare complex information with precision.
• Use Gemini for brainstorming, planning, and organizing ideas efficiently.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level professionals who wish to apply AI-driven AR/VR technologies in industrial settings.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the role of AI in enhancing AR/VR for industrial use.
• Apply AR/VR solutions to optimize manufacturing and maintenance tasks.
• Integrate AI algorithms for predictive maintenance in AR/VR environments.
• Develop AI-augmented AR/VR applications to improve worker training and safety.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level software professionals who wish to leverage AI and machine learning to improve efficiency and innovation in software development.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the role of AI and machine learning in automating software development tasks.
• Implement AI tools to generate code, tests, and documentation.
• Apply AI techniques for code optimization, quality assurance, and debugging.
• Integrate AI into the DevOps and CI/CD pipelines for improved deployment strategies.
• Address ethical considerations and challenges in AI-augmented software engineering.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at advanced-level professionals who wish to master AI integration for creating cutting-edge AR/VR systems with improved performance and interactivity.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Implement advanced AI algorithms in AR/VR systems for optimization.
• Develop AI-driven interactive environments and objects.
• Apply machine learning to enhance user experience and personalization.
• Optimize real-time processing and performance using AI.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level to intermediate-level IT professionals who wish to understand and implement AI TRiSM in their organizations.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Grasp the key concepts and importance of AI trust, risk, and security management.
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with AI systems.
• Implement security best practices for AI.
• Understand regulatory compliance and ethical considerations for AI.
• Develop strategies for effective AI governance and management.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level to advanced-level participants who wish to optimize customer care operations using AI and automation while equipping their teams with the latest tools and strategies.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the latest trends in customer care and customer success.
• Leverage AI and automation to improve customer satisfaction and reduce workloads.
• Optimize sales workflows and customer engagement using advanced automation.
• Train teams remotely on modern tools and strategies for customer success and sales.
• Create scalable solutions to improve customer experiences and drive revenue growth.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level to intermediate-level content creators, writers, and marketers who want to leverage Claude AI for content generation, editing, and summarization to enhance blogs, reports, and marketing materials.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Use Claude AI for content brainstorming and idea expansion.
• Enhance writing with AI-assisted editing and proofreading.
• Generate summaries for long-form content and reports.
• Automate marketing copy creation for different platforms.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at advanced-level professionals who wish to fine-tune and customize AI models on Ollama for enhanced performance and domain-specific applications.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Set up an efficient environment for fine-tuning AI models on Ollama.
• Prepare datasets for supervised fine-tuning and reinforcement learning.
• Optimize AI models for performance, accuracy, and efficiency.
• Deploy customized models in production environments.
• Evaluate model improvements and ensure robustness.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level to intermediate-level data analysts and business professionals who wish to perform complex data analysis tasks more intuitively across various industries using Google Gemini AI.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the fundamentals of Google Gemini AI.
• Connect various data sources to Gemini AI.
• Explore data using natural language queries.
• Analyze data patterns and derive insights.
• Create compelling data visualizations.
• Communicate data-driven insights effectively.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level professionals who wish to implement AI in AR/VR applications for enhanced gaming and entertainment experiences.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand AI’s role in gaming and entertainment AR/VR applications.
• Implement AI-driven non-player characters (NPCs) in immersive environments.
• Create personalized user experiences with AI algorithms.
• Develop AR/VR gaming systems using AI for real-time processing.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at advanced-level professionals who wish to implement secure and efficient AI-driven workflows using Ollama.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Deploy and configure Ollama for private AI processing.
• Integrate AI models into secure enterprise workflows.
• Optimize AI performance while maintaining data privacy.
• Automate business processes with on-premise AI capabilities.
• Ensure compliance with enterprise security and governance policies.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level software developers and AI engineers who wish to integrate Claude AI into their applications, build AI-powered chatbots, and enhance software functionality with AI-driven automation.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Use the Claude AI API to integrate AI into applications.
• Develop AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants.
• Enhance applications with AI-powered automation and NLP.
• Optimize and fine-tune Claude AI models for different use cases.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level content creators who wish to utilize Google Gemini AI to enhance their content quality and efficiency.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the role of AI in content creation.
• Set up and use Google Gemini AI to generate and optimize content.
• Apply text-to-text transformations to produce creative and original content.
• Implement SEO strategies using AI-driven insights.
• Analyze content performance and adapt strategies using Gemini AI.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level to intermediate-level developers and architects who wish to learn the fundamentals of intelligent driving and how to apply them to real-world scenarios.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Explain the basic concepts and principles of AI and how it can be applied to driving.
• Understand the architecture and components of intelligent driving systems.
• Create and visualize a composite driving model from different design disciplines.
• Communicate and annotate issues and feedback within the model.
• Perform clash detection and resolution between driving scenarios.
• Simulate and control driving schedules and costs.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level professionals who wish to learn how to apply AI techniques to AR and VR systems.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the basics of AI and its role in AR/VR technologies.
• Explore key AI-driven techniques for enhancing AR/VR experiences.
• Implement simple AI models in AR/VR applications.
• Use AI to improve interactivity and user experiences in AR/VR.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at professionals who wish to learn and understand the concept of AI and how to use it effectively and responsibly.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Learn the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Understand the limits and dangers of AI and use it responsibly.
• Know how to effectively use AI in real-world scenarios.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level to advanced-level developers and AI hobbyists who wish to create advanced AI workflows in n8n.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the integration of AI services with n8n workflows.
• Implement AI-driven decision-making in automated processes.
• Create custom AI nodes and use pre-built AI nodes in n8n.
• analyze and optimize the performance of AI workflows.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level professionals who wish to integrate Claude AI into their daily workflows to improve efficiency and automation.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Use Claude AI for automating repetitive tasks and streamlining workflows.
• Enhance personal and team productivity using AI-powered automation.
• Integrate Claude AI with existing business tools and platforms.
• Optimize AI-driven decision-making and task management.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level professionals who wish to deploy, optimize, and integrate LLMs using Ollama.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Set up and deploy LLMs using Ollama.
• Optimize AI models for performance and efficiency.
• Leverage GPU acceleration for improved inference speeds.
• Integrate Ollama into workflows and applications.
• Monitor and maintain AI model performance over time.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level customer service professionals who wish to implement Google Gemini AI in their customer service operations.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the impact of AI on customer service.
• Set up Google Gemini AI to automate and personalize customer interactions.
• Utilize text-to-text and image-to-text transformations to improve service efficiency.
• Develop AI-driven strategies for real-time customer feedback analysis.
• Explore advanced features to create a seamless customer service experience.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at digital marketers, content creators, and developers who wish to understand the impact of AI on search engines, explore the capabilities of Bing AI, and learn about chatbot technologies and their applications.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the principles and benefits of Bing AI.
• Identify the AI-powered features within Bing and their applications.
• Utilize Bing AI to enhance search results and user experiences.
• Evaluate the potential of AI in search engine optimization (SEO) and content creation.
• Explore chatbot technologies and their applications, including Bing AI Chatbot.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level AI and cybersecurity professionals who wish to understand and address the security vulnerabilities specific to AI models and systems, particularly in highly regulated industries such as finance, data governance, and consulting.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the types of adversarial attacks targeting AI systems and methods to defend against them.
• Implement model hardening techniques to secure machine learning pipelines.
• Ensure data security and integrity in machine learning models.
• Navigate regulatory compliance requirements related to AI security.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level to intermediate-level researchers and laboratory professionals who wish to process and analyze images related to histological tissues, blood cells, algae, and other biological samples.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Navigate the Fiji interface and utilize ImageJ’s core functions.
• Preprocess and enhance scientific images for better analysis.
• Analyze images quantitatively, including cell counting and area measurement.
• Automate repetitive tasks using macros and plugins.
• Customize workflows for specific image analysis needs in biological research.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level to intermediate-level developers who wish to integrate AI functionalities into their applications using Google Gemini AI.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the fundamentals of large language models.
• Set up and use Google Gemini AI for various AI tasks.
• Implement text-to-text and image-to-text transformations.
• Build basic AI-driven applications.
• Explore advanced features and customization options in Google Gemini AI.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level business professionals, customer support teams, and tech enthusiasts who wish to understand the fundamentals of Claude AI and leverage it for business applications.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand Claude AI’s capabilities and use cases.
• Set up and interact with Claude AI effectively.
• Automate business workflows with conversational AI.
• Enhance customer engagement and support using AI-driven solutions.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at beginner-level professionals who wish to install, configure, and use Ollama for running AI models on their local machines.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the fundamentals of Ollama and its capabilities.
• Set up Ollama for running local AI models.
• Deploy and interact with LLMs using Ollama.
• Optimize performance and resource usage for AI workloads.
• Explore use cases for local AI deployment in various industries.

This is a 5 day introduction to Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The course is delivered with examples and exercises using Python 

What will cities look like in the future? How can Artificial Intelligence (AI) be used to improve city planning? How can AI be used to make cities more efficient, livable, safer and environmentally friendly?

In this instructor-led, live training (onsite or remote), we examine the various technologies that make up AI, as well as the skill sets and mental framework required to put them to use for city planning. We also cover tools and approaches for gathering and organizing relevant data for use in AI, including data mining.

Audience

• City planners
• Architects
• Developers
• Transportation officials

Format of the Course also allows for the evaluation of participants.

• Part lecture, part discussion, and a series of interactive exercises.

Note

• To request a customized training for this course, please contact us to arrange.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at marketers who wish to use AI to improve improve digital marketing strategies through valuable customer insights.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Leverage AI software to improve the way brands connect to users.
• Use chatbots to optimize the user-experience.
• Increase productivity and revenue through the automation of tasks.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at engineers who wish to program and create robots through basic AI methods.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Implement filters (Kalman and particle) to enable the robot to locate moving objects in its environment.
• Implement search algorithms and motion planning.
• Implement PID controls to regulate a robot's movement within an environment.
• Implement SLAM algorithms to enable a robot to map out an unknown environment.

In this instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite), participants will learn the different technologies, frameworks and techniques for programming different types of robots to be used in the field of nuclear technology and environmental systems.

The 6-week course is held 5 days a week. Each day is 4-hours long and consists of lectures, discussions, and hands-on robot development in a live lab environment. Participants will complete various real-world projects applicable to their work in order to practice their acquired knowledge.

The target hardware for this course will be simulated in 3D through simulation software. The ROS (Robot Operating System) open-source framework, C++ and Python will be used for programming the robots.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the key concepts used in robotic technologies.
• Understand and manage the interaction between software and hardware in a robotic system.
• Understand and implement the software components that underpin robotics.
• Build and operate a simulated mechanical robot that can see, sense, process, navigate, and interact with humans through voice.
• Understand the necessary elements of artificial intelligence (machine learning, deep learning, etc.) applicable to building a smart robot.
• Implement filters (Kalman and Particle) to enable the robot to locate moving objects in its environment.
• Implement search algorithms and motion planning.
• Implement PID controls to regulate a robot's movement within an environment.
• Implement SLAM algorithms to enable a robot to map out an unknown environment.
• Extend a robot's ability to perform complex tasks through Deep Learning.
• Test and troubleshoot a robot in realistic scenarios.

In this instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite), participants will learn the different technologies, frameworks and techniques for programming different types of robots to be used in the field of nuclear technology and environmental systems.

The 4-week course is held 5 days a week. Each day is 4-hours long and consists of lectures, discussions, and hands-on robot development in a live lab environment. Participants will complete various real-world projects applicable to their work in order to practice their acquired knowledge.

The target hardware for this course will be simulated in 3D through simulation software. The code will then be loaded onto physical hardware (Arduino or other) for final deployment testing. The ROS (Robot Operating System) open-source framework, C++ and Python will be used for programming the robots.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the key concepts used in robotic technologies.
• Understand and manage the interaction between software and hardware in a robotic system.
• Understand and implement the software components that underpin robotics.
• Build and operate a simulated mechanical robot that can see, sense, process, navigate, and interact with humans through voice.
• Understand the necessary elements of artificial intelligence (machine learning, deep learning, etc.) applicable to building a smart robot.
• Implement filters (Kalman and Particle) to enable the robot to locate moving objects in its environment.
• Implement search algorithms and motion planning.
• Implement PID controls to regulate a robot's movement within an environment.
• Implement SLAM algorithms to enable a robot to map out an unknown environment.
• Test and troubleshoot a robot in realistic scenarios.

This instructor-led, live training in Nantes (online or onsite) is aimed at intermediate-level to advanced-level professionals, business leaders, and policymakers who wish to explore AI’s role in business, society, and future developments.

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

• Understand how AI influences business, the economy, and workforce dynamics.
• Recognize ethical, legal, and societal challenges of AI adoption.
• Analyze the role of AI in privacy, governance, and inclusion.
• Evaluate strategies to address AI bias and ethical concerns.
• Discuss AI’s future potential and emerging challenges.

Delegates will learn how to

• AIGP training teaches how to develop, integrate, and deploy trustworthy AI systems in line with emerging laws and policies. The curriculum provides an overview of AI technology, a survey of current law, and strategies for risk management, security and safety considerations, privacy protection, and other topics.
• Establish foundational knowledge of AI systems and their use cases, the impacts of AI, and comprehension of responsible AI principles.
• Demonstrate an understanding of how current and emerging laws apply to AI systems, and how major frameworks are capable of being responsibly governed.
• Show comprehension of the AI life cycle, the context in which AI risks are managed, and the implementation of responsible AI governance.
• Presents awareness of unforeseen concerns with AI and knowledge of debated issues surrounding AI governance.
• This training teaches critical AI governance concepts that are also integral to the AIGP certification exam. While not purely a “test prep” course, this training is appropriate for professionals who plan to certify, as well as for those who want to deepen their AI governance knowledge. Both the training and the exam are based on the same body of knowledge.

This course uses a practical approach to teaching OptaPlanner. It provides participants with the tools needed to perform the basic functions of this tool.