User's Guides for Individual LAS Modules

There is a User's Guide for each LAS application module. These guides can be accessed both via the HTML-based help browser and from within an LAS interactive session. From the help browser, the user may then select the guide for a particular module from either an alphabetical or functional listing of available modules. The functional listing duplicates the hierarchy of the menus displayed in LAS menu mode.

Individual LAS user's guides provide the following information:

Module name and function
A general description of the module's function including references to all subcommands.

Subcommands (if applicable)
Where subcommands are used, they are indicated by the word "Subcommand" followed by a dash (-) and the subcommand name. A description of the subcommand is also given. Listed below the subcommand is the sequence of parameters for that subcommand.

Parameters
Parameters are listed in bold font, with default values in "()" next to the parameter names. The parameters are listed in the same sequence as they appear on the tutor display screen.

Examples
At least one example and usually two or three are given for each module. An example should be available for each subcommand, if the module has subcommands. The example illustrates and explains the use of as many of the parameters as the user would typically use.

Description/Algorithm
A functional description of the algorithm used in the module is given. This includes any formulas and constants used. Also, references are supplied when appropriate.

Error Messages
A list of the all fatal and nonfatal error messages output by the application module and a brief description of subsequent user action is given. All error messages in the user's guides pertain just to the modules and not to TAE, the LAS support libraries, or the computer's operating system.

User's Notes
These indicate or explain any conditions that the user should be aware of when using the module. They may also provide a list of related modules.
Some of the items listed above may not be avalable for "contributed" modules and for the support modules mainly called by other LAS modules.


Last change: 1998 Dec 11, R. A. White / raw@essc.psu.edu