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% introduction.tex
% Copyright (c) Markus Kohm, 2001-2006
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% Introduction of the KOMA-Script guide
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% Translation: Kevin Pfeiffer, Markus Kohm
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% Einleitung der KOMA-Script-Anleitung
% Verwaltet von Markus Kohm
% Übersetzung: Kevin Pfeiffer, Markus Kohm
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\ProvidesFile{introduction.tex}[2006/07/04 KOMA-Script guide introduction]
% Date of translated german file: 2006-07-01

\chapter{Introduction}
\labelbase{introduction}

\section{Preface}\label{sec:introduction.preface}

The {\KOMAScript} bundle is actually several packages and classes. It
provides counterparts or replacements for the standard \LaTeX{} classes such
as \emph{article}, \emph{book}, etc. (see \autoref{cha:maincls}), but offers
many additional features and its own unique look and feel.

The \KOMAScript{} user guide is intended to serve the advanced as well as the
inexperienced \LaTeX{} user and is accordingly quite large. The result is a
compromise and we hope that you will keep this in mind when using it.
Your suggestions for improvement are, of course, always welcome.


\section{Structure of the Guide}\label{sec:introduction.structure}

The \KOMAScript{} user guide is not intended to be a \LaTeX{} primer.
Those new to \LaTeX{} should look at \emph{The Not So Short Introduction
to \LaTeXe{}} \cite{lshort} or \emph{\LaTeXe{} for Authors}
\cite{latex:usrguide} or a \LaTeX{} reference book. You will also find
useful information in the many \LaTeX{} FAQs, including the \emph{TeX
Frequently Asked Questions on the Web} \cite{UK:FAQ}.

\begin{Explain}
  In this guide you will find supplemental information about \LaTeX{} and 
  \KOMAScript{} in (san serif) paragraphs like this one. 
  The information given in these explanatory  sections is not essential for 
  using \KOMAScript{}, but if you experience  problems you should 
  take a look at it -- particularly before sending a bug report.
\end{Explain}

If you are only interested in using a single \KOMAScript{} class or
package you can probably successfully avoid reading the entire guide.
Each class and package typically has its own chapter; however, the three
main classes (\Class{scrbook}, \Class{scrrprt}, and \Class{scrartcl})
are introduced together in chapter three. Where an example or note only
applies to one or two of the three classes, it is called out in the
margin. \OnlyAt{\Class{Like this.}}

\begin{Explain} 
  The primary documentation for \KOMAScript is in German and has been
  translated for your convenience; like most of the \LaTeX{} world, its
  commands, environments, options, etc., are in English. In a few cases, the
  name of a command may sound a little strange, but even so, we hope and
  believe that with the help of this guide \KOMAScript{} will still be usable
  and useful to you.
\end{Explain}


\section{History of \KOMAScript}\label{sec:introduction.history}

In the early 1990s, Frank Neukam needed a method to publish an
instructor's lecture notes. At that time \LaTeX was \LaTeX2.09 and there
was no distinction between classes and packages -- there were only
\emph{styles}.  Frank felt that the standard document styles were not
good enough for his work; he wanted additional commands and
environments. At the same time he was interested in typography and,
after reading Tschichold's \emph{Ausgewählte Aufsätze über Fragen der
Gestalt des Buches und der Typographie} (Selected Articles on the
Problems of Book Design and Typography) \cite{JTsch87}, he decided to
write his own document style -- and not just a one-time solution to his
lecture notes, but an entire style family, one specifically designed for
European and German typography. Thus \Script{} was born.

Markus Kohm, the developer of \KOMAScript{}, came across {\Script} in
December 1992 and added an option to use the A5 paper format. This and
other changes were then incorporated in to\ScriptII{}, released by Frank
in December 1993.

Beginning in mid-1994, \LaTeXe{} became available and brought with it
many changes. Users of \ScriptII{} were faced with either limiting their
usage to \LaTeXe{}'s compatibility mode or giving up \Script{}
altogether.  This situation lead Markus to put together a new \LaTeXe{}
package, released on 7~July 1994 as \KOMAScript{}; a few months later
Frank declared \KOMAScript{} to be the official successor to \Script{}.
\KOMAScript{} originally provided no \emph{letter} class, but this
deficiency was soon remedied by Axel Kielhorn, and the result became part
of \KOMAScript{} in December 1994.  Axel also wrote the first true
German-language user guide, which was followed by an English-language
guide by Werner Lemberg.

Since then much time has passed. \LaTeX{} has changed in only minor ways, but
the \LaTeX{} lanscape has changed a great deal; many new packages and classes
are now available and \KOMAScript{} itself has grown far beyond what it was in
1994. The initial goal was to provide good \LaTeX classes for German-language
authors, but today its primary purpose is to provide more-flexible
alternatives to the standard classes. \KOMAScript{}'s success has lead to
e-mail from users all over the world and this has lead to many new macros -- all
needing documentation; hence this ``small guide.''


\section{Special Thanks}\label{sec:introduction.thanks}

Acknowledgements in the introduction? No, the proper acknowledgements can be
found in the addendum. My comments here are not intended for the authors of
this guide -- and those thanks should rightly come from you, the reader,
anyhow. I, the author of \KOMAScript, would like to extend my personal thanks
to Frank Neukam.  Without his \Script{} family, \KOMAScript{} would not have
come about.  I am indebted to the many persons who have contributed to
{\KOMAScript}, but with their indulgence, I would like to specifically mention
Jens-Uwe Morawski and Torsten Kr\"uger. The English translation of the guide
is, among many other things, due to Jens's untiring commitment. Torsten was
the best beta-tester I ever had. His work has particularly enhanced the
usability of \Class{scrlttr2} und \Class{scrpage2}. Many thanks to all who
encouraged me to go on, to make things better and less error-prone, or to
implement additional features.

Thanks go as well to DANTE, Deutschsprachige
Anwendervereinigung \TeX~e.V\kern-.18em, (the German-Language TeX User Group).
Without the DANTE server, \KOMAScript{} could not have been released and
distributed. Thanks as well to everybody in the \TeX{} newsgroups and mailing
lists who answer questions and have helped me to provide support for
\KOMAScript{}.

\section{Legal Notes}\label{sec:introduction.legal}

{\KOMAScript} was released under the {\LaTeX} Project Public License. You
will find it in the file \File{lppl.txt}. An unofficial German-language
translation is also available in \File{lppl-de.txt} and is valid for all
German-speaking countries.

\iffree{This document and the \KOMAScript{} bundle are provided ``as is'' and
without warranty of any kind.}%
{Please note: the printed version of this guide is not free under the
conditions of the LaTeX{} Project Public Licence. If you need a free version
of this guide, use the version that is provided as part of the \KOMAScript{}
bundle.}

\section{Installation}\label{sec:introduction.installation}
Installation information can be found in the file \File{INSTALL.txt}. You
should also read the documentation that comes with the \TeX{} distribution you
are using.

\section{Bugreports and Other Requests}
\label{sec:introduction.errors}

If you think you have found an error in the documentation or a bug in one of
the \KOMAScript{} classes, one of the \KOMAScript{} packages, or another
part of \KOMAScript{}, please do the following: first have a look at
CTAN to see if a newer version of \KOMAScript{} is available; in this case
install the applicable section and try again.

If you are using the most recent version of \KOMAScript and still have a
bug, please provide a short \LaTeX{} document that demonstrates the problem. You
should only use the packages and definitions needed to demonstrate the
problem; do not use any unusual packages.

By preparing such an example it often becomes clear whether the problem is
truly a \KOMAScript{} bug or something else. Please report \KOMAScript{} (only)
bugs to the author of \KOMAScript{}. Please use \File{komabug.tex}, an
interactive \LaTeX{} document, to generate your bug report and send it to the
address you may find at \File{komabug.tex}.

If you want to ask your question in a newsgroup or mailing list, you
should also include such an example as part of your question, but in this
case, using \File{komabug.tex} is not necessary. To find out the version
numbers of all packages in use, simply put \Macro{listfiles} in the preamble of
your example and read the end of the \File{log}-file.


\section{Additional Informations}
\label{sec:introduction.moreinfos}

Once you become an experienced \KOMAScript{} user you may want to look at some
more advanced examples and information. These you will find on the
\KOMAScript{} documentation web site \cite{homepage}. The main
language of the site is German, but nevertheless English is
welcome.

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