DIRECTIONS (don't touch the mouse!)
The spacebar is our control key.spacebar + up-arrow or down-arrow: NEXT SEGMENTspacebar + left-arrow or right-arrow:- step onto bridge, see sourcedoc and xanadoc side by side- cross bridge to sourcedoc- cross bridge back to xanadoc
NO LINKS YET
Xanadu has three types of connection--- to original sources (SOURCE TRANSCLUSIONS,NOW SHOWING)- links, connections and relations (XANALINKS-- NOT YET)- shared content between xanadocs (MUTUAL TRANSCLUSION,NOT YET)
ADVANCED DIRECTIONS (mouse OK now)
- scrollwheel: go up and down in xanadoc or sourcedoc- clicking on any page takes you to it- spacebar + shift: step through three views
THE XANADU CONCEPTWe foresaw in 1960 that all document work would migrateto the interactive computer screen, so we could write in new ways--- paper enforces sequence-- we could escape that!- paper documents can't be connected-- we could escape that!- this means a different form of writing- this means a different form of publishing- this means a different document format,to send people and to archive.We screwed up in the 1980s,and missed our chance to be world wide hypertext(the Web got that niche).However, we can still compete with PDF,which simulates paper,by showing text connections.
HOW IT WORKSA xanadoc is assembled from content portionsand xanalinks that can be all over the internet.Our OpenXanadu program, embedded in an HTML page, opens your chosen xanadoc file.The xanadoc file tells what portions to assemble.The OpenXanadu program assembles those portions,and presents their connections interactively.
WHY IN THE WEB BROWSER?The Web browser(Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, Firefox...)is a virtual computer that runs inside everybody's real computer.Its bizarre structure was created byarbitrary initiatives of varied peopleand it has a terrible programming language,BUT--- it's free- it's everywhere- it presents OpenXanaduwith no further installation.STRANGE RESTRICTION--because of Web security rules (a complex maze),a web page cannot request pages from elsewhere.So we have to packageall the contents into this first program.
In the next version,OpenXanadu will send for content through a server,so the content can be brought from anywhere.
Meaning you or anyone can publish xanadocs.
(A full Xanadu application, not in the browser,will be able to send forcontent from anywhere by itself.)
THE CURRENT DATA STRUCTURE- Open here the .xanadoc file that generates "Origins",by Moe Juste.Open here the current data definition,explaining the formats forthe .xanadoc file and the xanapointer.- The format for the .xanalink file will be publishedwhen we have it working.
XANADU HISTORYWe'll skip that for now.
SPECIAL CREDITto Nicholas Levin, who programmed OpenXanadu so excellently.