The adjoint method is a method of data assimilation to improve the model results by seeking for model parameters that minimize the cost function and satisfy the governing equations of a model simultaneously. An adjoint package was set up for the two-dimensional linear tidal model and was applied to an idealized domain for an optimal estimation of the open boundary conditions. The assimilating data were selected from the results of forward modeling. Attention is paid on the response of the adjoint package to weighting parameters, the importance of initial estimates of model parameters and the applicability of the adjoint package to the case with varying depth. A procedure to determine optimal weight is presented based on the relationships between weights and other factors.