<!DOCTYPE book PUBLIC  "-//KDE//DTD DocBook V3.1-Based Variant V1.0//EN" [
  <!ENTITY kappname "&kbackgammon;" -- this only *seems* redundant -->
  <!ENTITY % addindex "IGNORE">
  <!ENTITY % English "INCLUDE"> 
  <!ENTITY % ents PUBLIC "-//KDE//ENTITIES Documentation V1.0//EN">
  %ents; 
]>

<book lang="&language;">

<bookinfo>
<title>The &kbackgammon; Handbook</title>

<authorgroup>
<author>
<firstname>Jens</firstname>
<surname>Hoefkens</surname>
<affiliation>
<address><email>jens@hoefkens.com</email></address>
</affiliation>
</author>
      
<othercredit role="developer">
<firstname>Bo</firstname>
<surname>Thorsen</surname>
<affiliation>
<address><email>gobo@imada.sdu.dk</email></address>
</affiliation>
<contrib>Developer</contrib>
</othercredit>
</authorgroup>

<copyright>
<year>1999</year><year>2000</year>
<holder>Jens Hoefkens</holder>
</copyright>

<legalnotice>&FDLNotice;</legalnotice>

<date>22/12/2000</date>
<releaseinfo>1.96.01</releaseinfo>
    
<abstract><para>&kbackgammon; is a graphical backgammon program for &kde;. It
supports backgammon games with other players, games against computer engines
like &GNU; <application>bg</application> and even on-line games on the <ulink
url="http://www.fibs.com/">First Internet Backgammon Server</ulink>.</para></abstract>

<keywordset>
<keyword>KDE</keyword>
<keyword>game</keyword>
<keyword>backgammon</keyword>
<keyword>FIBS</keyword>
<keyword>gnubg</keyword>
</keywordset>

</bookinfo>

<chapter id="introduction">
<title>Introduction</title>

<para>&kbackgammon; is a graphical backgammon program. The objective of
backgammon is to move your checkers off the board before your opponent
does. While the rules of backgammon are moderately difficult (the most difficult
part apparently being the initial positioning of the checkers), this document
does not try to teach these rules: please refer to the web, a book, or (probably
best) a friend for this.</para>

<para>&kbackgammon; offers you a graphical backgammon board that can be used
almost entirely by using the mouse (although textual commands are also
available). Therefore, &kbackgammon; is easy to use and allows you to
concentrate on the important aspects of playing backgammon.</para>

<para>In order to play backgammon, you usually need an opponent. &kbackgammon;
offers you to play against hundreds of different opponents of various strength
on the <ulink url="http://www.fibs.com/">First Internet Backgammon
Server</ulink>. If you prefer, you may also use the <link
linkend="engine-offline">Offline Engine</link> which allows you to play against
yorself or friends that are with you at your computer. In the near future
&kbackgammon; will also allow you to play against <link
linkend="engine-gnubg">&GNU; Backgammon</link>, which is a very powerful
backgammon program . It plays on <acronym>FIBS</acronym> with a rating of about
2000 (which is quite high). Finally, the architecture of &kbackgammon; i squite
open and it is possible to include support for other engines easily (if you are
interested in this, please contact the author).</para>

</chapter>

<chapter id="use-the-board">
<title>How to use the Board</title>

<para>Please explain how to manipulate the board...</para>

</chapter>


<chapter id="engines">
<title>Backgammon Engines</title>

<para>Explain the concept of engines...</para>

<sect1 id="engine-offline">
<title>The Offline Engine</title>

<para>Some words about the offline engine</para>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="engine-FIBS">
<title>The <acronym>FIBS</acronym> Engine</title>

<para>Some words about the <acronym>FIBS</acronym> engine</para>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="engine-gnubg">
<title>The &GNU; Backgammon Engine</title>

<para>Some words about the GNUbg engine</para>

</sect1>

</chapter>

<chapter id="prefs">
<title>Game options</title>

<para>The options to &kbackgammon; are set by selecting <menuchoice>
<guimenu>Settings</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Preferences</guimenuitem> </menuchoice>
from the menubar. This will bring up a dialog box.
</para>

<!-- <screenshot> -->
<!--   <screeninfo>&kbackgammon; Preferences</screeninfo> -->
<!--   <mediaobject> -->
<!--   <imageobject><imagedata fileref="kbackgammon2.png" format="PNG"></imageobject> -->
<!-- </mediaobject> -->
<!-- </screenshot>   -->

<!-- <para>This dialog box is divided into two tabs.</para> -->

<!-- <variablelist> -->
<!-- <varlistentry> -->
<!-- <term><guilabel>Main settings</guilabel></term> -->
<!-- <listitem><para>The top option, entitled <guilabel>case size</guilabel>, -->
<!-- determines the size of each of the squares in the playing area.  By default, -->
<!-- they are set small.  You can increase the size, if you are working on a very -->
<!-- high resolution monitor.</para>  -->

<!-- <para>The next option down, labelled <guilabel>Enable ? Mark</guilabel>, -->
<!-- determines whether you can mark squares as <quote>questionable</quote>.  If -->
<!-- there is a mark in front of this option, then right clicking the mouse will -->
<!-- first cause a case to be flaged. If you click again on the same square, the flag -->
<!-- will change to a <guiicon>?</guiicon>, to indicate you don't know if there is a -->
<!-- bomb there or not.  If you click again, the square will change back to -->
<!-- blank.</para> -->

<!-- <para>If there is not a mark in front of this option, the first -->
<!-- <mousebutton>right</mousebutton> mouse click will change the case to a red flag. -->
<!-- The second will make it blank again, thus skipping the ? symbol.</para> -->

<!-- <para>The next option down, labelled <guilabel>Enable keyboard</guilabel>, -->
<!-- determins if the keyboard shortcuts will work while playing the game.</para> -->

<!-- <note><para>The only keyboard shortcuts affected, are those responsible for -->
<!-- playing the game.  Keyboard commands such as <guimenuitem>New -->
<!-- Game</guimenuitem>, and <guimenuitem>Quit</guimenuitem>, still -->
<!-- work, regardless of this option.</para></note> -->

<!-- <para>The last section of this tab, allows you to change the action of each of -->
<!-- the three mouse buttons.  Your options are:</para> -->

<!-- <variablelist> -->
<!-- <varlistentry> -->
<!-- <term>Reveal</term> -->
<!-- <listitem><para>This will reveal the contents of the case.  If there is no bomb, -->
<!-- then a number will appear.  If there is a bomb under that case, then the bomb -->
<!-- will explode, and the game will be over.</para></listitem> -->
<!-- </varlistentry> -->
<!-- <varlistentry> -->
<!-- <term>Toggle Mark</term> -->
<!-- <listitem><para>Clicking with this button on a case, will mark/unmark with a red -->
<!-- flag.</para></listitem> -->
<!-- </varlistentry> -->
<!-- <varlistentry> -->
<!-- <term>Autoreveal</term> -->
<!-- <listitem><para>Clicking on a case with this button, will automatically reveal -->
<!-- all neighboring cases, that are not marked with red flags.  If one of those -->
<!-- neighboring cases has a bomb under it, the bomb will explode, and the game will -->
<!-- be over.</para></listitem> -->
<!-- </varlistentry> -->
<!-- <varlistentry> -->
<!-- <term>Toggle ? Mark</term> -->
<!-- <listitem><para>Clicking with this button on a case, will mark/unmark with a -->
<!-- question mark.</para></listitem> -->
<!-- </varlistentry> -->
<!-- </variablelist> -->
<!-- </listitem> -->
<!-- </varlistentry> -->
<!-- <varlistentry> -->
<!-- <term><guilabel>Color Settings</guilabel></term> -->
<!-- <listitem><para>This dialog box will allow you to adjust the color of the kbackgammon -->
<!-- screen.  To adjust, simply click the color button beside each description, and -->
<!-- select the new color.</para></listitem> -->
<!-- </varlistentry> -->
<!-- <varlistentry> -->
<!-- <term>Saving your changes</term> -->
<!-- <listitem><para>Once your changes are complete, click -->
<!-- "<guibutton>OK</guibutton>" to make them permenant.</para> -->
<!-- <para>If you want to abandon your changes, click "<guibutton>Cancel</guibutton>" -->
<!-- to abort the changes.</para> -->
<!-- <para>If you click on "<guilabel>Default</guilabel>", the default settings will -->
<!-- be restored.  Click "<guilabel>OK</guilabel>" to make these default changes -->
<!-- permenant, or edit the settings some more.</para> -->
<!-- </listitem> -->
<!-- </varlistentry> -->
<!-- </variablelist> -->


</chapter>

<chapter id="command">
<title>Commands/Keyboard Shortcuts</title>

<para>The following sections briefly describe each menubar option.</para>

<sect1 id="file-menu">
<title><guimenu>File</guimenu> Menu</title>
      
<para>Information missing...</para>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="engines-menu">
<title><guimenu>Engines</guimenu> Menu</title>

<para>Information missing...</para>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="play-menu">
<title><guimenu>Play</guimenu> Menu</title>

<para>Information missing...</para>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="settings-menu">
<title><guimenu>Settings</guimenu> Menu</title>

<para>Information missing...</para>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="help-menu">
<title><guimenu>Help</guimenu> Menu</title>

<variablelist>

<varlistentry>
<term><anchor id="contents"><menuchoice>
<shortcut><keycombo action="simul"><keycap>F1</keycap></keycombo></shortcut>
<guimenu><accel>H</accel>elp</guimenu><guimenuitem><accel>C</accel>ontents</guimenuitem></menuchoice></term>
<listitem><para>This invokes the &kde; help system starting at the &kbackgammon;
help pages (this document).</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term><anchor id="bug"><menuchoice>
<shortcut><keycombo action="simul"><keycap>Shift</keycap><keycap>F1</keycap></keycombo></shortcut>
<guimenu><accel>H</accel>elp</guimenu><guimenuitem>What's <accel>T</accel>his?</guimenuitem></menuchoice></term>
<listitem><para>This changes the mouse cursor to a combination arrow and
question mark.  Clicking on items within &kbackgammon; with this arrow will open a help
window (if one exists for the particular item) explaining the item's
function.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term><anchor id="whats-this"><menuchoice>
<guimenu><accel>H</accel>elp</guimenu><guimenuitem><accel>R</accel>eport
Bug...</guimenuitem></menuchoice></term>
<listitem>
<para>If you have a good idea for the next version of the game, or the program
crashes on you, you can select this option to send a bug report to the
author.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term><anchor id="about-kbackgammon"><menuchoice>
<guimenu><accel>H</accel>elp</guimenu><guimenuitem>About
<accel>K</accel>Backgammon</guimenuitem></menuchoice></term>
<listitem>
<para>This will displays version and author information</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>
<term><anchor id="about-kde"><menuchoice>
<guimenu><accel>H</accel>elp</guimenu><guimenuitem>About
<accel>K</accel>DE</guimenuitem></menuchoice></term>
<listitem>
<para>This displays the &kde; version and other basic information.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</sect1>



<sect1 id="keys"><title>Default Key Bindings</title>

<para>The following tables show you the default key bindings of
&kbackgammon;.</para>


<table>
<title>Key bindings</title>
<tgroup cols=2>
<thead><row><entry>Key Combo</entry><entry>Action</entry></row></thead>
<tbody>
<row><entry><keycombo action="simul"><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>P</keycap></keycombo></entry><entry>Print Game</entry></row>
<row><entry><keycombo action="simul"><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>Q</keycap></keycombo></entry><entry>Quit &kbackgammon;</entry></row>
<row><entry><keycombo action="simul"><keycap>F1</keycap></keycombo></entry><entry>Help Contents</entry></row>
<row><entry><keycombo action="simul"><keycap>Shift</keycap><keycap>F1</keycap></keycombo></entry><entry>Whats This Help</entry></row>
<row><entry><keycombo action="simul"><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>Z</keycap></keycombo></entry><entry>Undo move</entry></row>
<row><entry><keycombo action="simul"><keycap>Shift</keycap><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>Z</keycap></keycombo></entry><entry>Redo previously undone move</entry></row>
</tbody>
</tgroup>
</table>

<para>These key bindings can be changed by selecting <menuchoice>
<guimenu>Settings</guimenu> <guimenuitem>Configure Key Bindings</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice> from the menubar.</para>

</sect1>

</chapter>


<chapter id="credits">
<title>Credits and License</title>
 
<para>&kbackgammon;</para>

<para>Program copyright 1999-2000 Jens Hoefkens
<email>jens@hoefkens.com</email></para>

<para>Documentation copyright 2000 Jens Hoefkens
<email>jens@hoefkens.com</email></para>

&underFDL;
&underGPL;

</chapter>                  

<appendix id="installation">
<title>Installation</title>
 
<sect1 id="getting-kapp"><title>How to obtain &kbackgammon;</title>
 
<para>&kbackgammon; is part of the &kde; project <ulink
url="http://www.kde.org">http://www.kde.org</ulink>. &kbackgammon; can be found
in the kdegames package on <ulink
url="ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/">ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/</ulink>, the main
&FTP; site of the &kde; project.</para>

<para>The home page of &kbackgammon; is located at <ulink
url="http://backgammon.sourceforge.net/">http://backgammon.sourceforge.net</ulink>.
It will usually contain the most up-to-date informationon the program
available.</para>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="compilation">
<title>Compilation and installation</title>
 
<para>In order to compile and install &kbackgammon; on your system, type the
following in the base directory of the &kde; distribution:</para>

<screen width="40">
  <prompt>%</prompt> <userinput><command>cd</command> <replaceable>kdegames</replaceable></userinput>
  <prompt>%</prompt> <userinput><command>./configure</command></userinput>
  <prompt>%</prompt> <userinput><command>make</command></userinput>
  <prompt>%</prompt> <userinput><command>make</command> <option>install</option></userinput>
</screen>

<para>Since &kbackgammon; uses <application>autoconf</application> and
<application>automake</application> you should have not trouble compiling
it. Should you run into problems please report them to the &kde; mailing
lists.</para>
 
</sect1>         

</appendix>


</book>
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