Hints for Reading

This page contains hints for an optimal display of the author's web pages and explains the meaning of navigation buttons and icons.

Recommended Browser

Please, use a browser which supports HTML 4.0 (or higher) and Cascaded StyleSheets (version 1.0, at least) - the Opera Browser 5.11 (or newer) is recommended. This browser is available for a number of different platforms and suffers from much fewer security leaks than Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer (see [1]). In contrast to these products, however, Opera is not (completely) free of charge: without a valid license key, periodically changing advertisement banners will be shown in a part of the browser's display window - they will disappear as soon as you buy a license. In the author's opinion (which is based on very bad experiences with Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer, and better ones with the Opera Browser), paying the license fee can be recommended.

Recommended Window Size and Font Settings

Tables, source code examples, pictures, etc. have been designed with a preferred page width of approx. 600 pixels in mind. You may use the thin black horizontal ruler in the upper and lower area of every page as a measure for that width.

Please resize your display window until this line becomes completely visible and appears roughly in the middle between left and right window margins.

Should your browser be unable to support style sheets, it is then recommended to configure Helvetica or Arial with a size of 11pt as "normal" text font (on UNIX workstations this roughly corresponds to the setting medium). Additional font settings can be found in the StyleSheet used for the author's web pages. In case of questions concerning syntax and semantics of style sheet definitions please look into [2] (or an equivalent HTML reference as the referred manual is a german one).

Graphics Formats

Mainly for licensing reasons, the author tries to do without graphics in (CompuServe) GIF format and to prefer PNG (Public Network Graphics) images instead. The actual releases of all browsers mentioned above support this format automatically (i.e. without the need to download and install a plug-in). Should your browser be unable to show, e.g., the button faces on the top of this page please upgrade your installation or (if that doesn't help) use a different browser.

JPEG graphics will still be used for photographs and similar graphics.

ActiveX

You won't find any "ActiveX Controls" on my web pages - for security reasons, it is recommended to deactivate ActiveX anyway, whenever you visit "unknown" HTML documents. The comfort offered by such components does not compensate for the potential security problems - and the security pretended by "certification" of ActiveX controls is just ridiculous (see [1]).

Java and JavaScript

The author's HTML pages usually do without any Java applets and JavaScript macros. For the time being, it just causes to much effort to implement applets and scripts in such a way that they run properly on every version of every browser (with all their different "features" and bugs) - especially, as they are not really needed for these pages.

The only exception are web pages written to demonstrate a certain applet or script or to offer a particular additional "function". Only these pages (which are explicitly marked as such) will require a Java- and/or JavaScript-capable browser - but please don't forget to actually activate the required language! Even in the case that you don't use an appropriate browser, you may still be able to read the document itself - only the foreseen demonstration or the offered function won't be available to you.

Navigation Buttons

Above and below every web page you'll see a number of navigation buttons referring to other important HTML documents. These buttons exist both in an activated and a deactivated form:

	Hints for Reading This button brings you back to this document from wherever you are. Here, you'll find hints for an optimal display of the author's web pages and descriptions of its buttons and icons.
	HomePage Using this button you may jump directly to the author's home page. Such a function is particularly useful, if you've accessed a document following a third-party link or a bookmark (rather than navigating through the set of pages starting at the beginning) but now want to get an overview of the available material.
	German Version Some documents are only available in german, some only in english and others in both languages. If available, this button shows you the german version of the current HTML document - there, a counterpart of this button may bring you back again.
	Recent Changes This button shows a document informing about recent changes and extensions of the author's web pages.
	Feedback Use this button to send an EMail to the author (e.g., with comments on current web pages or ideas for new ones).
	Next Topic Some of the author's web pages are arranged by topic - with probably multiple individual HTML documents per topic. From within such a series of documents this button brings you directly to the first page of the next topic.
	Previous Topic From within a series of web documents this button brings you to the first page of the previous topic.
	Start of a Topic Jump to the first page of the current series of web documents using this button.
	Next Page Using this button, you may jump to the next page within a series of web documents.
	Previous Page This button brings you back to the previous page within a series of HTML documents.

Some of the shown buttons may appear to be deactivated (when the corresponding function is not currently available) - such a case is indicated by a hollow appearance of a button's icon.

Status of Documents and References

The current status of links and references will be indicated as follows:

	The given document is under preparation and has not yet been released.
	Although the given page has already been released it still needs to be completed.
	This document will be continued soon. You should come back in a few days and look for this page again.
	The given link refers to a new page.
	The document this link refers to has been updated recently.
	The referred page has been extended.
	The given document has moved to a new location - please update your list of bookmarks accordingly.
	The given page will be removed soon - if need be, please remove any link to this document from your list of bookmarks or other web pages, etc.

Modifications within HTML documents will usually be indicated for about one month.

Icons

From time to time you may also encounter the following icons:

	Note This icon marks paragraphs containing additional notes to the normal text.
	Nota Bene This icon can be found close to text which requires special attention, such as the description of special cases in a general rule, etc.
	Important! A "text marker" identifies paragraphs containing important text.
	Attention! Text preceeded by this icon makes aware of potential problems (e.g., during the use of certain programs or commands, etc.).
	Caution! A stop sign (f.e., found inside a manual) makes aware of potentially dangerous situations - for example, when the inadequate operation of an application might cause the loss of data.
	German Document Placed close to a link this flag indicates the existence of a german version of the referred document. In combination with an english flag it marks a page that exists in both languages.
	English Document Placed close to a link this flag indicates the existence of an english version of the referred document. In combination with a german flag it marks a page that exists in both languages.
	Tip Useful tips and tricks how to operate an application or how to use routines in a library, etc. are marked by this symbol.
	Conclusion Lengthy descriptions and explanations that eventually lead to a short conclusion are accompanied by such a finishing flag which marks the final result. Thus, if you're interested in the conclusion only, you may avoid a tedious search and proceed to this symbol right away...
	Source If results of other authors have been used in a document, this icon refers to the source of such an information.
	Reference This symbol marks literature belonging to the topic which has been described on the current web page.

References