1.2.2 How to Use this Hyperscript

Specialities in the Text

If you have read so far you noticed that there are some recurring peculiarities in the format of the hyperscript.

There are all those

and

signs structuring the flow of prose in a somewhat hierarchic way:

= main topic,

= subtopics.
Those symbols have no particular meaning and just express my personal feeling that long texts are hard to read on a screen. They are simply supposed to make reading easier.

Some words are black and bold. This means that you will find exactly these words in the key word Index of the script. If you click on any word or short sentence in the index, you jump to the bold-faced word in the text.

Some words are red and bold . This means that you will find exactly these words, which are always last names, in the Name Index of the script.

Some terms are bold and italic. That means there is a German translation for that word that appears if you hold the cursor on it. You can also look it up in the dictionary.

Some abbr. are also bold and italic. That means there is an explanation for that word that appears if you hold the cursor on it. You can also look it up in the Abbreviation Index files.

Some words are in red italics. That simply intends to emphasize those words or sentences in the text.

Sentences in this green box are really important.

A little blue box like this one emphasizes a link to a major module that is relevant to the topic in the main text in one of the other columns of the content matrix or, as I call it, the module matrix of this hyperscript . You may not agree to my choice of what is relevant but that's your problem.
What I mean with "column in the module matrix" will become clear if you activate the link in the box and look around.

Link

Matrix of Modules

There are far more links in the hyperscript than just the ones in the blue box. They lead to less important modules in one of the other columns or to earlier modules in the main or backbone column. They are kept unobtrusive in order to keep the text blocks from looking too unruly.

The menu provides for easy access to the main parts of the hyperscript. If there is no menu on the left, click on "Menue" on top of the Hyperscript or the

button at the bottom of the page.
All but one of the menu entries are self-explaining; just click on it if you are in doubt. The entry "Project", however, is not so much for you but for me. It helps me to keep track of what I'm doing and identifies problems that need to be fixed.
I need that "project" information because:

A Hyperscript is never finished!

In contrast to writing a printed book, I can constantly change, correct, update, amend, augment or embellish it. And as long as it is fun I will keep doing that.

Structure of the Hyperscript

The menu has an entry called "Module Matrix". This is the most important button for accessing this Hyperscript in a general way.

If you click on it, a large table opens up. It looks basically like this:

Basics	Backbone	Science	Illustrations	Word and pdf	Miscellaneous
1. Introduction
1.1 What You Will Find in this Hyperscript
b1_1_1 Glossary b1_1_2 Periodic table b1_1_3 Sword types	r1_1_1 The "What" Questions r1_1_2 The "Why" Questions	s1_1_1 Books and literature
1.2 How This Hyperscript Works
	r1_2_1 A Word to the Style r1_2_2 How to Use this Hyperscript

If it doesn't look exactly like this I may have changed details it since I wrote this module.

In a regular book the "Matrix of Modules" would be the linear "Table of Contents". We need to be more involved here, because the Hyperscript contains not only a linear flow of text like book, but much more.

The general ordering principle is clear from the picture above:
Horizontally you have rows for chapters and subchapters. Vertically you find 6 columns. The have headlines or labels called:

Basics. These modules contain basic and potentially boring background information. They supply some details you may want to refer to on occasion.
Backbone. This contains the text etc. that would constitute a normal book.
Science. In this column you find modules that enlarge in a more scientific way upon what is treated in the backbone. There will be equations! Nevertheless, the science modules can still be understood by anybody with a math background going just somewhat beyond being able to count to 100.
Illustrations . Here you find more pictures, text or other stuff that illuminates some particular point in the backbone in more detail.
Word and pdf. Here you find links to some "Word" or "pdf" files, usually from other authors, that relate to the topic at hand. All those documents are from the Net but stored in the files of this Hyperscript to make sure that you will have a working link.
Miscellaneous. You guessed it. In this column all kind of stuff is collected that goes beyond what is treated in the backbone. That doesn't mean that it is incomprehensible. Sometimes the content of these modules may appear to be a bit removed from the topic presented in the backbone part (try this link for a taste treat). Sometimes these modules are very long and sometimes they are short. Sometimes they may enrage you and sometimes they may bore you. So be it.
Hidden Modules They are hidden. But you can find them if you don't drink too much beer while reading along.

Browse a bit in the the matrix of modules and you will understand.
All modules outside of the "backbone" have links at the bottom that lead you to modules with links to the module in question.

The Matrix of Modules has some formatting peculiarities of its own that are explained right there.

	Using the Hyperscript
	Do I have to tell you? Just try it out. You have many options:
		Start at the beginning and keep reading. Don't look left or right (in other words: don't click on anything) and it's like reading a regular book. Look at the index and jump to any entry you find interesting. Use the links in the module containing this entry and keep going. You will do a kind of random walk between the modules of the Hyperscript. This is the exact opposite of reading a book—and possibly fun. Do whatever you like. I neither know nor care.