How to Read This Manual

How to Read This Manual

The purpose of this manual is to guide you through the different possibilities of Cinderella.2. Compared to Cinderella 1.4 (the previous release), Cinderella has gained considerable functionality, expanding greatly the possibilities and scenarios in Cinderella can be used. One reason for this is that Cinderella now is no longer "only" a geometry program, but in addition, possesses features for scripting and for physics simulation.

The main part of the manual concerns the three major parts of Cinderella:

• Dynamic Geometry
• CindyScript (the programming language)
• CindyLab (the simulation engine)

The reference guide is written in a bottom-up style. First, all the elementary operations are described, and then, at a second level, it is explained how to connect the elementary features to build up more and more complex scenarios.

Additionally, many elaborate examples are presented that follow a "top-down" philosophy. They start with a specific problem and explain how to use the different features of Cinderella.2 to model the situation. The examples section at the end of each major chapter is under construction and will grow constantly. So we recommend that you look at these pages frequently.

Using the Manual Interactively

The manual is a highly interconnected document. Whenever a page refers to another page of the manual, a direct link is provided. This should make it easy to understand the interrelation of the different features of Cinderella. Whenever a feature is explained, the page ends with a "see also" section. There you will find the names of other major sections that are relevant for understanding all aspects of the current feature.

Using the Manual as a Linear Book

Although the manual is highly interlinked, it is written in a linear style. Thus it is possible to read the explanations one after the other. In the main page, Cinderella Documentation, a list of major sections is provided. Some of these sections are free-standing chapters, and some of them are lists of subsections. The complete ordered list of pages can be found in the Table of Contents.