text:
Talk:Accountancy

I'm an accountant, with years of managerial, public, and governmental accounting experience. I am also an adjunct instructor in accounting. The field of accounting is HUGE, and may be of interest only to a few. I just updated the question about accounting standards on the previous page. If you have any questions that you feel should be answered, please ask. Otherwise, I'll just post things I find interesting and may very well leave out fundamental aspects of accounting.

Expanding into a full book
(Previous content removed; issues have mostly been addressed.)

1 - History and Overview - A brief history of accounting, as well as introduction and explanation of some of the fundamental principles. Also covers forms of business ownership (Proprietorship, Partnership, Corporation, and variants thereof) and how they affect accounting.
 * I think the module with the title Accounting should be a comprehensive text, while smaller topics (such as a Quick Reference) should have their own 'books'.
 * Outline: Following is a tentative outline of the chapters to be included. Most of what is currently in the article should probably be rolled off into Chapters 2-4.

 * What is the purpose of this text? You can't make a text that covers an entire undergraduate and graduate accounting curriculum; it would be huge.  So you need to focus on a need.  I'm assuming that this is meant primarily as an introductory (first course) course in accounting.  If so, then I'd drop the history.  While I'd personally love to see a good history of accounting text book, I've already got my B.B.A and M.Acc.fcoulter (talk) 20:10, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

2 - Accounts - Explanation of types of accounts, and an introduction to Journalizing.

 * I'd break this into two sections. First, an explanation of the types of accounts and the accounting equation.  Then, I'd put journalizing after the next chapter on Transactions.fcoulter (talk) 20:12, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

3 - Transactions - In-depth recording of transactions from the original document through the journals to the ledger. Chapters 2 and 3 are likely to be very long and perhaps should be divided further.

 * I agree with the thought that this should be broken into two chapters. First, using the accounting equation I suggested you introduce above, have a chapter discussion transactions.  Then, the next chapter talks about the mechanics of journalizing transactions.  Heck, you could even add one more chapter on moving from the General Journal to the General Ledger.  (I know that computers hide this from most people, but you need to understand what's happening if you want to call yourself an accountant.)fcoulter (talk) 20:15, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

4 - Financial Statements - This is in preparation of the next chapter. (Trial Balances would have been introduced in an earlier chapter, however, to show the balance of the accounting equation, most likely in Chapters 1 and/or 2.)

 * Which statements are you planning on doing here? I'd skip Cash Flow for quite a while.  And if you're not closing the books, do you really want to create a Balance Sheet?  I would either move closing entries up before this chapter, or only deal with the Income Statement.fcoulter (talk) 20:19, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

5 - The Accounting Cycle - Adjustments and Closing entries, and a comprehensive review up to this point.

 * As I said above, I would discuss closing entries and the Accounting Cycle before Financial Statements. A review chapter at this point would also be an interesting idea.fcoulter (talk) 20:23, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

6 - Partnerships and Corporations - In-depth coverage of how equity transactions differ between forms of business. Up until now all examples would've been for a Proprietorship; following this, all examples should be of mixed business types.

 * It looks like you're going back over the balance sheet / income statement accounts in more detail. But I wouldn't do it in this order.  The equity section is the most confusing for my students.  I would hold off on this until after making another sweep through the balance sheet (and maybe even revenues and expenses).fcoulter (talk) 20:28, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

7 - Credit Transactions - Reviews recievables/payables, introduces credit terms(in preparation for the next chapter - just an overview), and subsidiary ledgers.

 * I would discuss assets in one chapter, liabilities in the next, then the equity chapter you listed above. Cash, receivables, and inventory are far easier to understand than prepaid expenses.fcoulter (talk) 20:28, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

8 - Merchandising Activities - Sales/COGS transactions, Merchandise valuation methods (FIFO, LIFO, etc.), and special journals.

 * Using Sales, you could go into both CoGS as well as special journals and subsiary ledgers. I'm not sure how far you should go in merchandise valuation in an intro book.  (I find it really difficult to go into any detail about inventory valuation before the student has taken a decent cost accounting course (or at least the second semester managerial accounting course). Then another chapter on other special journals and other subsidiary ledgers would be good.

 * Basically, I'm a little concerned that your outline will result in either (a) very long and hard to digest chapters, or (2) an outline of an introductory accounting text book. By breaking it down further (and possibly reordering some items), I think you can avoid these potential pitfalls.fcoulter (talk) 20:36, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

I think this point would be good to break for an introductory Accounting book; it is equivalant to what is covered in a 101-level college course or an introductory high school-level course. A next-level book would probably work better as a seperate project, but until such a project begins, this one should probably stay here at Accounting, and if/when it does begin, this should probably be moved to Fundamentals of Accounting or Principals of Accounting or something similar, but seeing as how there currently isn't much other material, I don't see a need to move it now.

 * The reason for moving it now would be that once it's complete, you may wish to publisize it. If you move it, then all the links will be broken.  Why would you want to go to the trouble of writing a text book and only use it for your classes. rather than sharing it with the world.

 * Of course, that goes directly to the question of why you're writing this book. There are lots of Introductory Accounting text books out there.  There are even some good free ones.  (I like Principles of Accounting.  Writing a text book is hard work.  What will be different (better?) about your book that justifies all the time you're putting into it?

 * Yes, I too am in the very early stages of writing an accounting text book. But my first step is to see if what I want is commercially (or freely) available.  I don't think so, but I've contacted a couple of the professional organizations to double check.  If it's available for free, and it's well done, I'm not going to duplicate it.  If it's available commercially at an inexpensive price, it'll be very difficult to justify writing one.  However, I think that it's not available elsewhere, and that the potential market is not large enough to justify attempting to get a text book publisher to pick it up.  And so, I'm investigating the possibilities.fcoulter (talk) 20:44, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

One convention I've found to be effective in Accounting textbooks is the use of fictional businesses throughout the chapters as examples to the concepts presented. That's probably all that would be needed to start with. Special journals and subsidiary ledgers only appear briefly so having their own template would be a waste and it would probably just be easier to Table those. But general journals and ledgers are going to appear throughout the text and this would expedite the process quite a bit - the contributors could concentrate on text and examples, and not markup.
 * Chapter Format: Each chapter should follow a certain format, something like(but not limited to) the following:
 * 1) Chapter Overview - Brief summary paragraph (less than 10 lines or so) introducing the material of the chapter.
 * 2) Terms - List of new terms with links to glossary page(see below).
 * 3) Chapter Body - This may end up being split into multiple subpages due to length, since multiple related topics are covered in each chapter. A short review problem or a few short questions should be at the end of each section, with the answers on the chapter's Answer Page(once again, see below).
 * 4) Chapter Summary - Review of the chapter.
 * 5) Exercises - Several large problems and some smaller problems covering different aspects of the chapter.
 * 6) Summary Problems - A few (no more than three?) comprehensive problems that encompass the entire chapter as well as reinforce concepts from earlier chapters.
 * The glossary and answer pages were mentioned above. The glossary page is just that - an alphabetical glossary, cross-referenced back to the original appearance of the term. Terms should be linked to the glossary in the Terms section of the chapter, the first appearance of the term in the Chapter Body, and in the Chapter Summary.
 * The answer pages are answers to the problems given in the body text and end section of the chapter. In addition to giving the actual answers, it should be explained why the answers are what they are.
 * If someone could help me with some templates I would be very grateful. I've been through the meta page on it a few times and still don't understand it. The use of templates for showing Journal and Ledger entries would save a lot of time in preparing examples. Here's a tentative list of what templates could be put to use:
 * Journals:
 * (see the Journals templates section below)
 * Ledgers:
 * Ledger Header - Account Name & Number and column headings
 * Ledger Entry - Date, Comment, PR, Debit amount, Credit amount, balance. Fields included as applicable.

I guess that's about all I wanted to say, so now it's time to get down to writing. As content is completed, it should be moved to the chapter pages and replaced with a link to those pages; once chapters 1-4 are mostly complete the main page should take over the role of a chapter index. Xerol 04:42, 6 October 2005 (UTC)

 * I am a bit concerned about the date of this entry. It's been almost four years.  Have you dropped the idea?  If so, I wonder if anyone else wants to pick it up.fcoulter (talk) 20:44, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

Journals templates
moved to Accounting/Templates

Organization
I added Accounting/Quick_Reference and Accounting/Templates here, instead of on the bookshelf page- please revert this if they don't belong to this book. DettoAltrimenti 00:51, 28 May 2006 (UTC)

''Why is this section called "Accountancy" rather than "Accounting"? I'm a CPA, CISA, and MA and in all my years of study, practice (public and private) and in adjunct teaching, have only heard the term "Accountancy" used by the upper levels of academia administration. The rest of the civilized (English speaking) world refers to the study of this profession “Accounting”. In order to make this WikiBook a useful one, I would strongly suggest that the conventions of the real-world be used in this case. The purpose of Wikiversity in general, and this Wikibook in specific, is not to promote the speech used in the upper levels of academia, rather to educate those who are new to the field of Accounting. (For case in point, in every job posting in this field, within the US, the posting is for “Accounting,” not “Accountancy.”)''

 * Exactly. What you do for a living is "Accounting". However this book is not about what you do for a living. This is a book about the fundamental concepts behind it that you need to know before once can practice "Accounting". Accountancy is the study of Accounting. Thus Accountancy is far more appropriate for an explanitory text. But please, rather than fight over nunance, with your credentials, please contribute content. Be Bold! --Mig77 15:11, 22 August 2006 (UTC)

 * In general though, many people haven't heard of the term Accountancy, and might be confused or turned off by the title of the book. Accountancy might be the study of Accounting, but aren't most people who read this book going to be Accounting students, studying the practices and formalities of accounting, as opposed to the theory behind it all? I've only ever heard that term a few times and if an accountant has never heard of it, maybe we should call the book Accounting so that it's more clear. Most Accounting textbooks that I've ever encountered don't use the term Accounting and the wikipedia article gives different definitions than yours. senanatrim 06:28, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

 * My Masters degree says Accountancy. My spell checker thinks my resume is misspelled.  Take that however you like.fcoulter (talk) 19:57, 2 August 2009 (UTC)

Thanks
I'd like to thank Wikibooks for this wikibook. I couldn't find any accountancy books in my school library (lol) Ecapa (talk) 04:55, 3 October 2008 (UTC)Ecapa

Financial Statements
Income statement- is a financial statement that reports a company's financial performance over a specific accounting period. Balance sheet is a statement of the assets, liabilities, and capital of a business Stockholders Equity - represents the equity stake currently held on the books by a company's equity investors.

title: Talk:Accountancy


text:
Cookbook:Bubble Tea

| Cuisines | East Asian cuisines | Cuisine of Taiwan

Bubble tea is a tea beverage with black tapioca pearls mixed in.

Ingredients

 * ½ cup (125 ml) cooked boba tapioca pearls
 * 1 cup (250 ml) crushed ice
 * 1 cup (250 ml) very strong chilled black tea
 * 1 cup (250 ml) milk, to taste
 * Honey or granulated sugar, to taste

Procedure

 * 1) Place pearls in a large glass.
 * 2) Combine all remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously until mixture is frothy.
 * 3) Pour into glass and serve with large-diameter straws.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * If you don't want the drink to be frothy, simply stir the ingredients together instead of shaking.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Cookbook:Bubble Tea


text:
Cookbook:Tea Eggs

| Cuisines | East Asian cuisines | Cuisine of Taiwan

Ingredients

 * 6 chicken eggs
 * 4 cups water
 * 3 tbsp Jasmine green tea leaves
 * ¼ tbsp dark soy sauce
 * ½ tsp minced ginger
 * ½ tsp minced garlic

Procedure

 * 1) Bring water and spices to a boil.
 * 2) Add eggs, and boil for 3 minutes.
 * 3) Remove eggs from the liquid and roll them gently on a hard surface to crack the shell all over.
 * 4) Return the eggs to the pot of liquid, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 1 hour.
 * 5) Reduce to low heat and allow eggs to sit in brine until served.

title: Cookbook:Tea Eggs


text:
Cookbook:Egg Butter

| Estonian Cuisine | Finnish Cuisine

Ingredients

 * 3 eggs
 * 4 tbsp butter, softened
 * Salt to taste
 * Pepper to taste

Procedure

 * 1) Hard-boil the eggs (about 10 minutes).
 * 2) Chop the eggs into small pieces (larger pieces of egg white often fail to mix with butter).
 * 3) Mix chopped eggs with butter.
 * 4) Add salt and pepper.
 * 5) Use as sandwich spread.

title: Cookbook:Egg Butter


text:
Cookbook:Chicken Parmesan

| Meat

Chicken Parmesan is a classic Italian dish, which is wonderful served over pasta or on a sandwich. This is a fairly simple recipe made mostly with ingredients already on hand.

Ingredients

 * 6 chicken breast halves, flattened to ½-inch thickness
 * ½ cup all purpose flour
 * 2 eggs
 * 1½ cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
 * ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
 * ½ tsp salt
 * ½ tsp black pepper, freshly-ground if possible
 * Olive oil
 * 1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce (or make it fresh)
 * 1 package sliced mozzarella cheese

Procedure

 * 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
 * 2) Mix the breadcrumbs, salt, black pepper, and half the Parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl.
 * 3) Beat the eggs in a small bowl.
 * 4) On the stove, heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat
 * 5) Take each chicken breast and dip it into the flour, then into the eggs, then into the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure to coat it thoroughly.
 * 6) Pan fry the chicken breasts lightly in the olive oil until brown on both sides. You do not need to cook them through, just brown them. Once brown, the breadcrumbs should stick to the outside.
 * 7) Pour half a jar of pasta sauce into a shallow baking dish, then lay the chicken out in the pan. Pour the rest of the sauce on top.
 * 8) Sprinkle the remaining grated Parmesan cheese over the chicken.
 * 9) Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F (175°C).
 * 10) Remove and add a slice of mozzarella cheese to each chicken breast.
 * 11) Return to the oven for 10 more minutes to melt the mozzarella.
 * 12) Serve with pasta.

title: Cookbook:Chicken Parmesan


text:
Computers for Beginners/Security

=Why Security Matters= Why should you spend effort to keep your computer secure? There are many reasons why someone would want to do so.

Protect Others on the Internet
Failure to properly secure your computer could mean that your computer will be used by criminals to send spam messages or be part of an attack against web sites or it may harm your computer hardware and crash your computer.

Malware can cause trouble with your computer
Malware, viruses, worms and Trojan horses all can affect your computer and attempt to steal personal information from you or make your computer unresponsive, necessitating you to reinstall Windows

Protect Your Privacy
Many spyware apps may collect information on stuff like your web browsing habits and sell them so ads will be targeted to your tastes.

Criminal Intentions of Crackers
Many crackers intend to hack to get a hold of credit card numbers, passwords, and other items that they can use for making a profit.

=Updating= Updating is the process of updating certain elements of a program to close vulnerabilities in a certain scenario. This will mean that your computer will be protected against future threats from a certain scenario. In Windows, updates are regularly done around once a month on Tuesdays.

=User Privileges= The administrator account should not be used for anything but administration purposes, or for programs that require administrative privileges. This is because it is too easy for your computer to become victim of malware, Trojan horses and viruses while logged onto an administrators account. This is especially important when performing your normal tasks like browsing the web, checking your e-mail, or word processing. This is because many of the programs that hackers use in an attempt to infect your computer require that you be an administrator to execute. They require writing files to certain directories, and registry keys, that "normal" user do not have access too. These programs are often hidden within webpages, IM chat windows, word processing documents, and e-mails. It is a very good idea to create a new user without administrative privileges to use on a normal basis.

In Windows, a problem often arises when a program needs to have administrative privileges to run. In this case, you can run the program as administrator. In windows operating systems, this is done by right clicking the program to run, selecting 'run as administrator account, and typing in the administrator account's information. If that doesn't work, you can always login to the administrators account to run the program, but be wary of running any other programs while in that account, especially programs that access the Internet like web browsers, chat programs, or e-mail programs.

Sometimes, damaging programs can infect non-administrator accounts. If this happens, these programs are usually limited to the that specific user account. Deleting that user account usually solves the problem. There are viruses sophisticated enough to infect the entire computer from a non-administrator account; however, if you keep your computer up to date with Windows Update and always download the signatures for your Anti-Virus software vulnerabilities in your computer will be closed and the virus cannot damage the system.

You wouldn't hand out a key that could open everything in your house to anyone who asked, so why would you hand out administrative account to anyone? If you really want to protect your data, do not give out your administrator password or account to untrusted people. If other people want to use your computer, it is a good idea to create a general guest account without administrative privileges for them to use. If they use it often, creating a new user for them is also an option.

=Physical Access= If a person has physical access to the computer, there are a few measures that can be taken to prevent damage to the computer. First, change the settings in your computers BIOS so that it boots first to the hard drive. Booting from the hard drive first ensures that a person cannot boot from a bootable media such as a CD-ROM or floppy disk. Often bootable media contains programs that can crack Windows and change the administrators password. As well, operating system (ex: Windows XP, Linux) installation disks are bootable and often have tools that allow users to erase all the information on the computer. NOTE: Do not EVER go into BIOS if you are not 100% sure of what you are doing. Ask someone who has extensive knowledge to help you.

Next, make it so a user needs a password to change the BIOS settings, this prevents someone from changing the boot order and thus booting from a CD-ROM or floppy disk drive. Last, put a lock on the computer case preventing someone from opening the computer case and resetting the jumper on the motherboard that clears the BIOS boot password.

=Malware= Malware is a class of software, which usually does harm to a computer, and is unwanted on the computer by its owner. Malware includes viruses, spyware, adware, and trojan horses.

Anti-Virus
There are some people who spend their free time writing viruses, programs that do bad things to computers. The threat of getting a virus is high in the digital age of today especially if you are using the Windows operating system. In order to protect your files and everything on your computer, an anti-virus program should be obtained. Anti-virus software is dependent on definitions. Worms can spread through the Internet faster than anti-virus makers can make definitions for them, so you should not protect your self with only anti-virus software.

Here are some good ones: Make sure that you set up your anti-virus program to update its virus definitions at least every week, or you'll get lost in the dust. If possible set up your anti-virus program to update every day because new viruses are always emerging. To get an idea of how quickly things change you can look at any of the sites listed above and they will list the current top virus threats.
 * Kaspersky Antivirus Kaspersky is good anti-virus program Available in world. But this is a Commercial Anti virus program.
 * AVG Antivirus - This is an outstanding free anti-virus program. It is free for personal use only. A more advanced, professional version is available for purchase as well.
 * Avast Antivirus - This is a popular and Anti-virus program
 * Norton Anti-Virus - This is probably the most popular commercial anti-virus. A good choice.
 * McAfee VirusScan - A competitor to Norton Anti-Virus. This one is also a good choice.
 * NOD32 - This is one of the top anti-virus scanners based on tests conducted by ISCA Labs. Although it isn't as well known as Norton and McAfee, it still provides an excellent degree of protection along with a faster scanning rate than most other Anti-Virus applications.
 * TrendMicro PC-Cillin - This is also a good choice and has been around for many years.

Worms
Worms are a type of virus that spread automatically through the internet, through exploits in a running service. Examples are Nimda and Msblaster. These can easily be blocked using a firewall, or making sure the services and your Operating System are up-to-date. Doing these can be especially important, because worms can spread faster than anti-virus software can be created, and often don't need any use interaction in order to install.

Spyware and Adware Blocker
Much of the free software available is not able to remove all spyware and adware.

Spyware and Adware are similar to viruses, except that they don't spread on their own, but can be installed without your knowledge. They are more annoying and can be just as harmful.

Spyware's main motive is to get personal information of whoever is using the computer and send it to a company. Adware is enhanced spyware. It uses the information that it collects to show you advertisements on your computer screen. Adware can be received the same ways as spyware.

There are some good free spyware and adware blockers. Together, these make a good defense against evil programs.
 * Spybot - Search & Destroy
 * Ad-Aware
 * Windows Defender

There are also commercial spyware and adware blockers. The major companies that make anti-virus software have been including spyware/adware detection with their products in recent years.

Common Spyware Infestation Methods and Prevention
A lot of spyware can be prevented. A few simple steps can save you from a lot of nightmares later.

Internet Explorer/ActiveX Exploits
A common avenue is for spyware to install through ActiveX or an exploit in IE, known as a drive by download. These usually affect IE shells like Avant. To prevent this type of installation, tighten up your IE settings, or use an alternative browser like Firefox. If you don't like Firefox we suggest Javacool's Spyware Blocker as an alterative.

P2P Apps and other Freeware
Another way to get spyware is by downloading free programs that are bundled with it. Almost every open source program, however, is spyware and adware free. Avoid programs that are known to contain spyware, especially proprietary file-sharing apps, and instead use one on the second list.

Filesharing apps known to contain spyware:
 * Kazaa
 * Bearshare
 * Morpheus

Filesharing apps known not to contain spyware:
 * Ares
 * Azureus
 * BitTorrent (watch out for "rigged" distributions however)
 * eMule
 * Limewire (older versions contained some spyware/adware; make sure you have the latest version to avoid this)
 * Shareaza

=Firewall= A firewall protects your computer by blocking certain network packets. They come in different flavors. Even if you are sent a packet that contains an exploit that is unpatched, a firewall can block the packet.

NAT Firewall
A NAT Firewall is used in routers. It maps one public IP address to multiple private IP addresses. This will make your whole network appear to be one computer. By default, unsolicited (inbound) packets are dropped, giving you basic firewall protection. Many routers offer more advanced firewall features. By default, any servers run behind the NAT (Network Address Translation) will only be accessible from your LAN (Local Area Network). Port forwarding can be used so that a server can be accessed from the Internet.

Software Firewall
A software firewall runs on the client computer. They're also known as personal firewalls. (This can refer to any firewall that only protects one computer like the firewall built into some nForce chipsets.) Because it runs on your computer, it can block or allow traffic depending on the application. For this reason, many people run software firewalls in addition to a hardware firewall. Hardware firewalls are harder to configure for new computer users so software firewalls are more common. However, software firewalls take up resources on the host computer. Windows XP and above comes with a basic firewall that prevents inbound attacks, while allowing other programs to access the Internet.

title: Computers for Beginners/Security


text:
Cookbook talk:Masala Chai I

I tried this the other day.. incredible. Thanks

=My chai= This is my version, uses a tea bag and american engredients.

ingredients
--
 * 2 cups boiled water
 * 2 tbs heavy cream
 * 1 bag - black tea
 * 2 tsp vanilla sugar
 * 1/2 tsp cinnamon
 * pinch cocoa powder
 * 3-4 cardamom seeds
 * pinch carroway seeds
 * pinch anise seeds

boil the water, add everything in a serving cup and seep the tea for about 5 minutes. stir vigourously for a few minutes, especially at the top, to fold in the cocoa and cinnamon. reheat in the microwave if you prefer it hottest.

-- try

spicyer

 * pinch ginger
 * (big) pinch cloves

subtler
Robbie (talk)
 * pinch saffron
 * crushed almond

title: Cookbook talk:Masala Chai I


text:
Talk:Computers for Beginners/The Basics

"Also, the computer shouldn't be sitting directly on carpet, as this may create static electricity and short out your components."

Is this true? Sounds kind of hokey to me. Computers are well-grounded so if you want to protect it from static electricity you need to ground yourself, not the computer (you're the one moving and thus the one getting charged). Besides, unless the computer is actually open and there is a risk of touching the inside components, any static would go through the grounded case and thus not be an issue. I would take this sentence out since it's just going to scare people who are already unsure of themselves around computers.

I read one time in a Dell Manual not to put the computer directly on carpet, which is why I included it. Better be safe than sorry, right? --Kram 18:55, 27 Mar 2005 (UTC)

This is mostly a dust issue. if the computer is on carpet the fan can draw in fibers from the carpet and damage the computer. - "The "escape" key at the top left normally exits a program or stops a task."

I would change this to something like: The "escape" key at the top left is rarely used.

There aren't many programs that use Escape to exit and so saying this early on might lead people to try to close programs using the Escape key and being confused when it doesn't work.

To whoever wrote this: If you want to add that than go right ahead. It's only deleting content that really needs to be discussed. --Kram 18:55, 27 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Is this worth it?
Is there a reason for Computers for Beginners/The Basics being on wikibooks? Who is going to use it? Anyone who can find it on wikibooks is going to know everything here. Can someone offer their opinion about this? (perhaps that's why no one has done much here) Gavin 12:15, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes, it's worth it
I'm trying to teach my grandmother basic computing. I can print this out and show it to her. #Brandon Johnsonn 12:41, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Linux OS????
Ok. Who's been calling Linux "Linux OS"?

Mac OS I understand, but Linux is a name of its own! It's like Windoze... sorry. Windows. You wouldn't call it "Windows OS" even though it IS an OS. People have to understand that the OS suffix is part of the name, and you can't just randomly add it on.

 * 1) Brandon Johnsonn 12:42, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

a computer is electronic machine.

title: Talk:Computers for Beginners/The Basics


text:
Cookbook:Oven Pancakes

Ingredients

 * 1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
 * 2 teaspoons baking powder
 * ½ teaspoon baking soda
 * ½ teaspoon salt
 * 2 tablespoons sugar
 * 1 cup (250 ml) milk
 * 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
 * 2 teaspoons vanilla
 * 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Procedure

 * 1) Preheat oven to 232°C (450°F), and oil an 8-inch oven-safe skillet.
 * 2) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
 * 3) Add the milk, oil, and vanilla; stir well.
 * 4) Stir in the apple cider vinegar, mix well, and pour immediately into the skillet.
 * 5) Bake at 232°C (450°F) for 18 to 20 minutes, and serve.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * When a toothpick is inserted into the completed product, it should come out clean.

title: Cookbook:Oven Pancakes


text:
Talk:Internet Technologies/Remote Desktop Connection

You can play music over the connection if the connection is fast enough, it certainly works great on my LAN (though not quite CD quality). poop on a biscuit


text:
Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Creating Basic Seawater

 * [ed. note: Need a much more basic introduction to what materials, textures, maps, and all the accompanying terms are with illustrative examples before diving into a specific sea-water example. Much more effective learning when you know what you're changing.]

75% of the Earth's surface is covered with water. In homage to this great fact, we will develop your materials skills first by creating basic seawater.

Create 3 linked planes
First we create a new file in Blender and delete the default cube by pressing XKEY and confirming the popup dialog. Now switch to top view with NUM7 and enter SPACE > Add > Mesh > Plane to create a plane. Then scale it up to 20 its original size with the SKEY the way you've already learned in one of the earlier tutorials. Go to the side view with NUM3 and duplicate this plane two more times using Alt-D (not Shift-D), moving the plane down on the Z axis by two grid spaces each duplicate. This will make the transparency of the water more realistic once we set it. Using Alt-D rather than Shift-D makes a linked duplicate, so that the changes we make to one plane effect the other two.

Create material
Now off to the actual texturing work. Select any one of the planes and press F5 to bring up the Material Buttons in the Buttons Window. You will probably find two new small windows appearing here: one called Links and Pipelines and the other one Preview.

(Noob note: A new section has been added for Blender 2.63 users after this section.)

Click the 'Add New' button in the 'Links and Pipelines' tab to create a new material named `Material.001' or so. To make life easier we'll rename it to something meaningful like 'Seawater' by simply clicking it and typing in the letters, as shown here (SHIFT+DELETE in field to clear):

Now, on the same tab, give the seawater material a color of RGB (0.100, 0.310, 0.435). Find the tab that reads 'Mirror Transp' and click it. Click on 'Ray Mirror' and 'Ray Transp'. For the "Ray Mirror" box, move the 'RayMir' slider to 0.3, the 'Fresnel' slider to 2.5 and the Depth to 5. For the 'Ray Transp' box, move the 'IOR' slider to 1.33, the 'Fresnel' slider to 2.0 and the Depth to 5. This will give the water realistic transparency and reflection. Also click the 'Shaders' tab, change 'CookTorr' to 'Blinn', move 'Spec' to 2.000, 'Hard' to 180 and 'Refr' to 10.000. This will make the water look more glossy.

Now we'll add a procedural texture to our seawater, which will give it a "wavy" look. Click the Texture button (looks like bricks) or press F6 to view the texture buttons subcontext. Click on the knob to the left of the texture name and select the "Add New" button. This creates a new texture named "Tex.001" or so. Click on the name and change it to "Waves".

Go to the Texture Type pull-down (F6) and select 'Clouds'. On the Clouds tab change 'NoiseSize' to 0.050. Our Waves texture is ready; next, we will refine how it is applied to our Seawater material.

Noise Size increases the size of the noise, in this case, the clouds. Soft Noise blends the intensities and reduces the contrast. Makes a mellow effect, like soft waves. Hard noise creates a high contrast, and brings out individual 'shapes'.

If you want to add more detail to your water, add another texture and rename it to "LargeWaves". Make it a cloud texture like the previous one, but make it's 'NoiseSize' 0.300 and use 'Hard noise'.

Left click on the Materials button (looks like a red sphere) to return to the material buttons subcontext. Look at the Texture panel, and you'll see that the "Waves" texture has been automatically associated with the Seawater material.

Select the 'Map To' tab. Click the 'Nor' and 'Spec' buttons so they're selected and have white text (the white text indicates a positive mapping). Click the 'Hard' button twice so it's selected and has yellow text (the yellow text indicates a negative mapping). Click the 'Col' button so it is not selected, this button will show any color in the texture which we do not want. Find the 'Nor' Slider and move its value to about 5.00.

If you created the "LargeWaves" texture, select the "LargeWaves" texture under 'Texture and Input', go to the 'MapTo' tab, deselect 'Col', select 'Nor' and move the 'Nor' slider to 7.00. Do not select 'Hard' or 'Spec' this time.

For lighting press Space > Add > Lamp > Sun. You shouldn't need to move the sun or change any of its settings. Finally move the camera to the edge of the plain and move it up towards the sky a bit.

Go to the Scene tab (F10), and look for the six buttons next to the big render button. Deselect all these, leaving only the 'Ray' button selected. This will tell Blender not to render some features in our scene that we really don't need. Go and press F12 to render the water, it may take a while depending on your system.

Admire your water, and maybe drink a tall glass of something refreshing!

Create Material / Textures (Blender 2.63)
Material
 * Go to the properties window (Bottom right window by default) and click on the Material tab
 * Click of the + symbol to create a new material and name it Seawater
 * Click on the diffuse color box and give it a seawater blue RGB (0.100, 0.310, 0.435)
 * Enable the Mirror checkbox
 * In the Mirror section, set Reflectivity: 0.3, Fresnel: 2.5 and Depth: 5
 * Enable the Transparency checkbox
 * In the Transparency section, click the Raytrace button
 * Also in the Transparency section, set IOR: 1.33, Fresnel: 2 and Depth: 5
 * In the Specular section, use the pull-down menu to change CookTorr to Blinn, then set Intensity: 1, Hardness: 180 and IOR: 10

Textures (Noob Note: V. 2.78 Under Mapping change coordinates to Generated.) (Noob Note: V. 2.78 Under Mapping change coordinates to Generated.)
 * Still in the Properties window, click on the Textures tab
 * Click on the “+ New” button to create a new texture and name it Waves
 * Set the Type: Clouds using the pull-down menu
 * In the Clouds section, set Size: 0.05 to create soft noise
 * In the Influence section, uncheck Color under Diffuse, then under Specular, check the "Specular" box and “Hardness” box then set the value to Hardness: -1. Under Geometry, check the “Normal” box and set the value to Normal: 5
 * Select the second line in the Textures list and create a second Texture using the “+ New” button. Name it LargeWaves
 * Set the Type to clouds again, but this time, set Size: 0.3 in the Clouds section and click on the "Hard" button for hard noise
 * Deselect “Color” and under Geometry, select the “Normal” box and set the value to Normal: 7

Lighting
 * In object mode, select the default lamp (if present) and delete it
 * Create a new lamp by pressing ALT+A and selecting Lamp --> Sun
 * Place the Sun in the sky by moving it up the Z-axis. Press G, Z, 20 and hit ENTER
 * Go back to the Properties window and click on the World tab
 * Click on the box under Horizon Color and set the color to RGB (0.242, 0.617, 0.831) for sky blue
 * Position the camera to be looking over the water with some sky visible and render your scene.
 * How about using what we have learned in previous modules to add some dolphins swimming just below the surface?

Extra Practice
This tutorial might also help you make even more realistic water: Link


text:
Cookbook:Tomato and Onion Salad

| Salad

Salad

 * 6 tomatoes, chopped or diced
 * 1 red onion, diced
 * 1 white onion, diced
 * Spring onion, chopped finely
 * Sliced black olives
 * Lebanese cucumber, peeled and diced

Dressing

 * 1 tsp vinegar
 * 1 squirt lemon juice
 * Ground black pepper to taste
 * Sea salt to taste

Procedure

 * 1) Mix all salad ingredients together.
 * 2) In a separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients.
 * 3) Stir dressing into salad.
 * 4) Serve with flat bread and feta cheese.

title: Cookbook:Tomato and Onion Salad


text:
Wikibooks:Book of the month/March 2005

The book of the month for March is High school extensions.

High school extensions is an online textbook aimed at, but not limited to, 14 to 18 year olds who are interested in mathematics in general. Several interesting topics of mathematics not covered in the standard high school curriculum are introduced in this text.

Vote for April - Book of the month

title: Wikibooks:Book of the month/March 2005


text:
Wikibooks:Book of the month/April 2005 voting

The voting for the Book of the month for April 2005 is open from 1 - 31 March, 2005, and will close on March 31, 2005, 00:00 UTC. The book of the month will be featured on the main page of Wikibooks.

'''Closed. Any votes added will be reverted.'''

Physics Study Guide (4)
(Automatically nominated with 4 votes in February)

Votes:
 * 1) Naryathegreat 03:26, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) User:Charlie123
 * 3) Lemontea 14:27, 15 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * 4) --Andreas 09:25, 19 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Comments:

Mandarin Chinese (3)
(Automatically nominated with 4 votes in February)

Votes: Comments:
 * 1) --Andreas 13:28, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) Eyu100
 * 3) -EuropracBHIT 05:29, 21 Mar 2005 (UTC).
 * Last month, the last vote was made 37 minutes after the deadline, otherwise there would have been a tie with HSE. I still think it is time for a language book to become book of the month this time, and with the speed of growth of the internet in China, Chinese will be internet language #1 in a few years. --Andreas 13:28, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)

US History (5)
(Automatically nominated with 3 votes in February)

Votes:
 * 1) --Lawman 02:30, 15 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) --Andreas 09:40, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * 3) --Andrewcool 03:24, 29 Mar 2005 (UTC)--
 * 4) --Hyperlink 07:32, 29 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * 5) --EuropracBHIT 06:05, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC).

Comments:

Movie making manual (1)
Votes:
 * 1) EuropracBHIT 05:52, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC).

Comments:
 * A practical guide to the world of making feature and short films which has a lot of potential to stretch itself. EuropracBHIT 05:52, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC).

The Unicyclopedia (4)
Votes:
 * 1) EuropracBHIT 05:59, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC).
 * 2) --Andreas 09:55, 18 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * 3) Gentgeen 10:47, 27 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * 4) --Riaan 09:57, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Comments:
 * A very unique book where the contributors show a great degree of mastery of the Wiki (for instance, it's easy to get around with the sidebars on the right) and it promotes a safe and healthy physical activity. EuropracBHIT 05:59, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC).

What You Should Know About Medicines (1)
Votes:
 * 1) User:Charlie123

Comments:
 * Nowhere near finished, but a great idea which deserves to succeed.
 * I don't think an idea is enough to be presented as "Wikibook of the month". There are really a lot of great ideas for Wikibooks out there, but transforming this idea into an actual great book - this is what we want to award here. --Andreas 13:55, 8 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Cookbook (2)
Votes:
 * 1) marsh
 * 2) -EuropracBHIT 05:29, 21 Mar 2005 (UTC).

Comments:
 * Obviously a book that will never be finished, but a good start. Organization is the key to keeping this one going, and that seems to be happening - marsh 17:37, 15 Mar 2005 (UTC)

UK Constitution and Government (1)
Votes:
 * 1) marsh

Comments:
 * Still like this little book that is "finished". Can use some polish, but that is really what Wikibooks are all about: get the book out there and readable, then rub, rub, rub til it shines - marsh 17:37, 15 Mar 2005 (UTC)

How To Build A Computer (4)
Votes: Comments:
 * 1) --Noogz 11:00, 18 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) Yayyak 01:07, 19 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * 3) Eyu100
 * 4) -EuropracBHIT 05:29, 21 Mar 2005 (UTC).
 * This "how to" book has a good deal of useful content and is a great work in progress.--Hyperlink 07:06, 18 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * This book I feel is still a work in progress. I'd really like it exposed when it is ready. The new split format I think can allow it to go more indepth. Reub2000 04:36, 23 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * I think some more good touches can easily be put on before april. I'll be trying to do a bit of "last minute editing" and such myself if this ends up getting it. I'm also planning on either finding or opening up my computer and taking a suitable picture myself.--Hyperlink 08:55, 23 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * I think some expansion is direly needed, especially on the actual building part. I can work on this during my spring break, which is in a couple of weeks. This needs a few other things I feel before it should be exposed. Wouldn't you like in May or June, when we can show someone one of the most throrough guides to making a computer on the internet. Reub2000 01:17, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)

 * I retract my vote in support of the original author's judgement.--Hyperlink 01:27, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Hi guys, if you don't want to vote for this book anymore, please vote for one of the other books here. ("US History" for example is a really good and for long finished book!). Take some responsibility, vote for the best. --Andreas 10:12, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Blender 3D: Noob to Pro (2)
Votes: Comments:
 * 1) -EuropracBHIT 05:29, 21 Mar 2005 (UTC).
 * 2) -Lemontea 03:42, 29 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * A very informative book which might allow a new user to get started right away and create people and animals as well as other images. It is also written entertaingly, with a good stretch of experience and learning. -EuropracBHIT 05:29, 21 Mar 2005 (UTC).

Japanese (1)
Votes: Comments
 * 1) -EuropracBHIT 05:29, 21 Mar 2005 (UTC).
 * Very complete stuff, especially the guides for all writing systems and the Japanese Proficiency Test. Good links to East Asian orthography and also to Japanese cooking! -EuropracBHIT 05:29, 21 Mar 2005 (UTC).

Calculus (2)
Votes: Comments
 * 1) -benjaminong BJ 12:21, 27 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * 2) -Lemontea 03:44, 29 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * Easy for those new to calculus to understand. BJ 12:21, 27 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * The differential equation part has been helpful... --Lemontea 03:44, 29 Mar 2005 (UTC)


text:
User talk:Brim

This is my talk page.

Deleting Pages
I see that you removed the redirect from Radiation Oncology:SCLC since it wasn't needed (and no pages linked to it) but the page itself wasn't actually deleted. This leaves an orphan, and is something I've been trying to clean up recently. I've marked the page with a speedy delete tag ( delete ) so that it doesn't clutter things up, but please try to follow this in the future: It makes everyone's job easier. --Xerol Oplan 00:35, 7 April 2006 (UTC)

Author Contributions

 * Just to give you heads up, I added "edit counts" to each author. I looked it up since I was curious about who contributed what where. And I want to say you have done a great job to get this thing off the ground! You deserve the credit not just for "original concept" but for all the work as well. I plan on expanding/updating/editing as appropriate, as I have time and energy. Tdvorak 00:23, 13 September 2006 (UTC)
 * [reply] Thanks! As for my "edit velocity", the first 6 months (late 2005) I had time off, so had plenty of time to play around. Now I started my residency, so I suspect the velocity will drop off. But I do find it helpful as a study aid. Overall, I think the format works well. I have heard few people mention it, who had no idea I was contributing. So there is definitely "some" awareness out there :) Tdvorak 00:53, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

Wikibooks Newsletter, Volume 1
(Wikibooks gazette home | Discuss | Bulletin board | Subscription list)

This is a short newsletter that is being distributed to all active wikibookians. You are getting this message because you are recognized as an established contributor to the project. This newsletter will be distributed on a regular basis to help share news, information, and tips. It comes from a bot account, User:The Staff. User:The Staff is currently operated by a team of wikibooks admins, the complete list of which is available on the user page of the bot. If you would like to not receive this newletter anymore, please remove your name from the list at Active wikibookians.

The work you do at Wikibooks is greatly appreciated. However there are plenty of other opportunities for you to get involved and help us to create a thriving Wikibooks community. We are sure that there are things we can do to help you and your understanding of Wikibooks and similarly there are certainly things you could do to help Wikibooks become a better place.

We would like to ask all wikibookians to add the Bulletin Board to your watchlists. The Bulletin Board is a fast and easy way for wikibookians to communicate important news and events to the entire community. If you have important news to share with the community, you can feel free to add your own entry to that page.

If you have general questions or comments about Wikibooks, you are welcome to post a message on The Staff Lounge, a free discussion area. Your input would also be welcomed in the Votes for Deletion and Requests for Adminship discussion pages. These pages are all active discussion areas that help to shape the Wikibooks community as a whole.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that the Wikibooks community is much larger and more diverse then the people who work in a single book, or on a single bookshelf. Hopefully, together we can all make Wikibooks a better place, and a more valuable educational resource.

The Staff 04:16, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

Page for deletion?
Radiation Oncology:NHL - Spotted this one marked and it is mostly yours - ok? -- Herby talk thyme 12:50, 3 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Okay to delete Brim 13:38, 3 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Fine - preferred to ask given your input - regards -- Herby talk thyme 15:32, 3 April 2007 (UTC)

Thanx! Will try to post more stuff whenever I find something that needs to be filled in.

mammography
A wiki has been created at mammography.wikia.com. A group has been created at http://groups.google.com/group/mammographytoday/. The purpose of this wiki and this group is to provide a place for mammography professionals, and others interested to collaborate in the advancement of mammography as a tool in breast disease detection, especially breast cancer. I would like to add a sub-page to the radiology section on mammography, but am unsure where it should be put. The intent of the page would be to give individuals a place to build content in this subject area, in order to improve the clinical applications of this technique (breast imaging) and advance it. The overall goal of the group, the wiki, and the book would be to build a collaborative community for the study of, use of, and research in mammography. I am requesting that the authors in the radiology category create this page in order to maintain the hierarchy of information content as they see fit. I would like to see this page then opened for content editing. Please post any comments to the google group. Thank you swgeek54

Title blacklist for vagina
Your request has been completed. Thanks QU TalkQu 14:37, 29 February 2012 (UTC)

Share your experience and feedback as a Wikimedian in this global survey
Hello! The Wikimedia Foundation is asking for your feedback in a survey. We want to know how well we are supporting your work on and off wiki, and how we can change or improve things in the future. The opinions you share will directly affect the current and future work of the Wikimedia Foundation. You have been randomly selected to take this survey as we would like to hear from your Wikimedia community. To say thank you for your time, we are giving away 20 Wikimedia T-shirts to randomly selected people who take the survey. The survey is available in various languages and will take between 20 and 40 minutes.

Take the survey now!

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Thank you! --EGalvez (WMF) (talk) 21:27, 13 January 2017 (UTC)

title: User talk:Brim


text:
User:Bawolff

Hi I'm Bawolff. I'm most active at mw:user:Bawolff and n:user:Bawolff.

title: User:Bawolff


text:
Cookbook:Spanakopita

| Greek Cuisine

Spanakopita is a Greek spinach pie.

Ingredients

 * 900 g (2 lbs) fresh spinach or 580 g (20 oz) frozen, thawed, and drained spinach
 * 1 large onion, finely chopped
 * ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
 * 1 cup chopped scallions
 * ½ cup minced fresh parsley
 * 1 tbsp minced fresh dill
 * ¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
 * 1 tbsp lemon juice
 * ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
 * ¾ cup small curd cottage cheese
 * ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
 * 4 eggs, beaten
 * 12–20 sheets phyllo pastry
 * ⅔ cup clarified butter
 * ¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
 * ½ tsp salt (or to taste)

Procedure

 * 1) Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
 * 2) Wash the spinach, remove large stems, and chop. Place in a steamer over boiling water and steam for 2 minutes, or until wilted and reduced in volume. Drain, pressing out any liquid with the back of a spoon.
 * 3) Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook over medium heat until slightly tender. Add scallions and cook until limp. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley, dill, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
 * 4) Add the cheeses, spinach, and lemon juice to the skillet. Mix. Add eggs and mix again gently.
 * 5) Brush a 9x12-inch baking dish with some of the butter. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough across the bottom of the dish, covering the entire surface and letting the edges fold upward against the sides. Brush with butter, and place another sheet on top. Continue layering the phyllo (brushing each sheet) until the bottom of the dish is covered with about 8 sheets.
 * 6) Place half of the spinach filling on top of the phyllo, smoothing out with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.
 * 7) Cover the filling with 5–8 phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with butter. Place remaining spinach filling on top and smooth as above.
 * 8) Cover with 5–8 phyllo sheets, brushing with butter as above. Roll up all overhanging phyllo sheets and crumble any broken sheet bits on top. Drizzle any remaining clarified butter over top.
 * 9) Place the spanakopita in the oven on a medium rack. Bake for 45 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * You can double or triple this recipe and make 2 huge baking dishes. This is just as fabulous as a leftover.
 * Instead of phyllo pastry, you can use pizza dough purchased from the supermarket dairy section as a quick and delicious alternative.

title: Cookbook:Spanakopita


text:
User:Duk

w:User:Duk

title: User:Duk


text:
Cookbook:Cuisine of Greece

| European cuisines

 * Baklava
 * Chicken and Spaghetti
 * Fish with Rosemary and Garlic Sauce
 * Galaktoboúreko
 * Greek salad
 * Greek Moussaka
 * Hummus
 * Pastitsio (Pasta Casserole)
 * Spanakopita
 * Tzatziki
 * Saganaki (Pan Fried White Brined Cheese)

Livre de cuisine/Recettes de cuisine grecque

title: Cookbook:Cuisine of Greece


text:
Talk:How to Write an Essay/DBQ

I believe you have Thesis and Topic Sentence switched.

You should include that it is important on DBQs to include outside information, the graders are looking for more then coughing up what the documents said.

Start with a STRONG Thesis. A strong thesis equals a good essay.

title: Talk:How to Write an Essay/DBQ


text:
Java Programming/Methods

Methods are how we communicate with objects. When we invoke or call a method we are asking the object to carry out a task. We can say methods implement the behaviour of objects. For each method we need to give a name, we need to define its input parameters and we need to define its return type. We also need to set its visibility (private, protected or public). If the method throws a checked exception, that needs to be declared as well. It is called a method definition. The syntax of method definition is: We can declare that the method does not return anything using the Java keyword. For example:

When the method returns nothing, the keyword at the end of the method is optional. When the execution flow reaches the keyword, the method execution is stopped and the execution flow returns to the caller method. The keyword can be used anywhere in the method as long as there is a way to execute the instructions below:

In the code section 3.68, the keyword at line 5 is well placed because the instructions below can be reached when   is negative or equal to 0. However, the keyword at line 8 is badly placed because the instructions below can't be reached.

Question 3.9: Consider the following code:

The code above will return a compiler error. Why?

The method is supposed to return a but when   is negative or equal to 0, it returns nothing.

Parameter passing
We can pass any primitive data types or reference data type to a method.

Primitive type parameter
The primitive types are passed in by value. It means that as soon as the primitive type is passed in, there is no more link between the value inside the method and the source variable:

As you can see in code section 3.70, the  method has not modified the value of.

Reference type parameter
The object references are passed by value. It means that:
 * There is no more link between the reference inside the method and the source reference,
 * The source object itself and the object itself inside the method are still the same.

You must understand the difference between the reference of an object and the object itself. An object reference is the link between a variable name and an instance of object:

An object reference is a pointer, an address to the object instance.

The object itself is the value of its attributes inside the object instance:

Take a look at the example above:

The name has changed because the method has changed the object itself and not the reference. Now take a look at the other example:

The name has not changed because the method has changed the reference and not the object itself. The behavior is the same as if the method was in-lined and the parameters were assigned to new variable names:

Variable argument list
Java SE 5.0 added syntactic support for methods with variable argument list, which simplifies the typesafe usage of methods requiring a variable number of arguments. Less formally, these parameters are called varargs. The type of a variable parameter must be followed with, and Java will box all the arguments into an array:

When calling the method, a programmer can simply separate the points by commas, without having to explicitly create an array of  objects. Within the method, the points can be referenced as,  , etc. If no points are passed, the array has a length of zero.

A method can have both normal parameters and a variable parameter but the variable parameter must always be the last parameter. For instance, if the programmer is required to use a minimum number of parameters, those parameters can be specified before the variable argument:

Return parameter
A method may return a value (which can be a primitive type or an object reference). If the method does not return a value we use the Java keyword.

However, a method can return only one value so what if you want to return more than one value from a method? You can pass in an object reference to the method, and let the method modify the object properties so the modified values can be considered as an output value from the method. You can also create an Object array inside the method, assign the return values and return the array to the caller. However, this gives a problem if you want to mix primitive data types and object references as the output values from the method.

There is a better approach, define a special return object with the needed return values. Create that object inside the method, assign the values and return the reference to this object. This special object is "bound" to this method and used only for returning values, so do not use a public class. The best way is to use a nested class, see example below:

In the above example the  method returns an object reference that contains both values of the name and the age. See below how you may use that object:

Question 3.10: Consider the following code:

The code above will return a compiler error. Why?

The method is supposed to return a but at line 4, it returns , which is a String.

Special method, the constructor
The constructor is a special method called automatically when an object is created with the keyword. Constructor does not have a return value and its name is the same as the class name. Each class must have a constructor. If we do not define one, the compiler will create a default so called empty constructor automatically.

Static methods
A static method is a method that can be called without an object instance. It can be called on the class directly. For example, the  method of the   class is a static method:

The static keyword makes attributes instance-agnostic. This means that you cannot reference a static attribute of a single object (because such a specific object attribute doesn't exist). Instead, only one instance of a static attribute exists, whether there is one object in the JVM or one hundred. Here is an example of using a static attribute in a static method:

You can notice that when you use,   is a static attribute of the   class. A static attribute is related to a class, not to any object instance. This is how Java achieves one universal output stream that we can use to print output. Here is a more complex use case:

Question 3.11: Visit the Oracle JavaDoc of the class.

How many static fields does this class have?

4.
 * and
 * and
 * and

 * To learn how to overload and override a method, see Overloading Methods and Constructors.

title: Java Programming/Methods


text:
Japanese/Dialects/Yokohama

Yokohama-ben may have started out in Yokohama but it is now spoken broadly across the southern Kanto area from the Shounan beaches south of Kamakura all the way up to Shibuya in south-western Tokyo. It is especially noticeable in young people between the ages of 10 and 25 or so.

Characteristics

1) The use of "jan" as a sentence terminating particle, spoken with a rising tone. It is used like the English sentence terminating particles "right?", "isn't it?" It can also be spoken with a dropping tone, and the feeling is that the speaker is determined but still wants agreement.

2) The use of "saa.." between phrases and clauses as a kind of verbal equivalent of a comma.

3) Particularly with females, the use of highly raised and elongated tone on the continuative "te" particle on non-terminal verbs. E.g., Achi itte*, kare to hanishite*, sokode saa... moto no kareshi ga kitte saa....

title: Japanese/Dialects/Yokohama


text:
Wikibooks:Book of the month/April 2005

The book of the month for April is US History.

US History covers the history of the United States of America from the pre-Columbian era to today, including 9/11, the Gulf wars, and terrorism. The chapters of the book follow the timeline from the early colonial period through the American revolution, the progressive era and the world wars, and an appendix covers all presidents, from George Washington to George Bush. The textbook is based on the College Entrance Examination Board test in Advanced Placement, United States History.

Vote for May - Book of the month

title: Wikibooks:Book of the month/April 2005


text:
User:Humble Guy~enwikibooks

Hey everyone,

I'm The Humble Guy. :-)

For starters. I just wanna help out. Particularly in Wikiversity. When completed, it may become the most important wiki project ever made converging all the other wikis together and providing resources for Wikiversity. It is so important that I believe Wikiversity should have its own independent domain name. I have suggestions in my talk page so check it out.

Oh ya, I'm into Eco and Biz. Currently I'm trying to set up a league for the Schools of Social Sciences. A league may help in building some structure in the schools before any "classes" may actually take place. Wikiversity is understaffed you know. Pls. help if you can. Cheers!

Gosh, I'm sorry I've got to go now, I guess for good. I have a job now, and I believe its for the long term. Too bad I was not able to build the School of Economics into what I wanted it to be. We lacked the books and the manpower. I hope at least I made a good enough start. I would just appeal to everyone, that as soon the books are made, please build WikiU. Thanks all!

title: User:Humble Guy~enwikibooks


text:
User talk:Humble Guy~enwikibooks

yes....

Suggestions
Hope the bosses read bout this...

 * 1. Darn upgrade Wiki to a revolutionary new version.
 * 2. There should be 3 kinds of login's with varying levels...
 * Faculty (Instructors, Professors, Chair, Dean)
 * Student (based on merit and the courses finished)
 * Builders (Writers, Contributors, Admins)

The Faculty teach and the students learn based on what the Builders write and do ( basically all the stuff that wikipedians do). Faculty may be a builder, but a student can not be a builder, though students can write on a few designated pages for homework.

 * 3. Make a wikiversity.org, independent of Wikibooks.
 * 4. Check out real on-line universities as a guide.

Hey there! My name is Amish and I'm over at the SLES and you have some cool ideas above. I have this terrible feeling some of the "bosses" have sort of given up on the Wikiversity idea. Who knows. I think you've got a great idea with the logins. ~Amish

Hey. Thanks. We just have to keep on pushing. People will only come back if there will be lots of activity. And when there is activity, wikiversity can be sustained. Problem is, how do we invite more contributors? Like by the thousands. Also, do you know any admins? bosses? They should know that wikiversity is on life support! Some thing should be done! Oh ya, I borrowed your idea of making course titles, I hope you don't mind.... Humble Guy

I agree. We just have to keep at it. I don't know any of the admin folks and the ones I've left notes for have never responded or said anything back to me, so I wonder if perhaps they don't care. No problem with the course titles. What school are you working on? Good luck! ~Amish

I'm at the School of Economics, I have little support though.... .... Humble Guy

I think if we can get some college clubs to add stuff we might be able to get alot more contributions. College students have nothing better to do. They have professional clubs for just about every engineering subject I know of. We gotta get some of them invovled.

 * Yes, more volunteers would be great. :-) --Humble Guy 16:48, 27 May 2005 (UTC)

I started a fragment in the Accounting section. If I could just figure out a little of the formatting, I could add more.

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Humble Guy. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Humble Guy~enwikibooks that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 23:13, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 05:02, 19 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Humble Guy~enwikibooks


text:
GENtle/Find

The Find dialog in ../DNA/ and amino acid sequence can be invoked via Ctrl-F or Edit/Search. It displays can find a string in
 * the current sequence
 * a feature name
 * a feature description

In DNA sequence display, it also look in
 * the reverse sequence
 * the translated amino acid sequence(s)
 * restriction enzyme names

The search is commenced automatically after changing the search string, if it is three or more characters long. For shorter search queries, the Search button has to be clicked.

Single-clicking on a search result will select and display the result in the sequence. A double click will exit the dialog, and open the sequence editor for features, or the enzyme management dialog for restriction enzymes.

title: GENtle/Find


text:
GENtle/Web interface

The GENtle web interface lets you access DNA and amino acid sequences from NCBI, as well as publications listed at PubMed. The interface also covers BLAST searches.

NCBI
Chosing Nucleotide or Protein, entering a sequence name/keywords, and hitting Search/ENTER will show the NCBI search results for that query. More results (if any) can be browsed with >>.

Double-clicking an entry will download and open the (annotated) sequence.

PubMed
The PubMed option gives new entry fields for author(s) (written "Lastname Initials", separated by ","), and date limitations (years), as well as a result sort option.

Double-clicking an entry will open a web browser window with the respective PubMed abstract page.

BLAST
Running a BLAST search for a DNA or amino acid sequence will open a new tab in the web interface, showing a countdown for the time the BLAST results are expected to arrive. Once loaded, the results are displayed as simple alignments.

Double-clicking an entry will open the found sequence.

title: GENtle/Web interface


text:
Ada Programming/Libraries/GNAT.Sockets

Example
;             ;  ;             ;  ;   Ada.Streams.Stream_Element_Count; Vcv Client : Socket_Type; Address : Sock_Addr_Type; Channel : Stream_Access; Send  : String := (1 => ASCII.CR, 2 => ASCII.LF,                         3 => ASCII.CR, 4 => ASCII.LF); Offset : Ada.Streams.Stream_Element_Count; Data  : Ada.Streams.Stream_Element_Array (1 .. 256); GNAT.Sockets.Initialize; -- initialize a specific package Create_Socket (Client); Address.Addr := Inet_Addr("203.66.88.89"); Address.Port := 80; Connect_Socket (Client, Address); Channel := Stream (Client); String'Write (Channel, "GET / HTTP/1.1" & Send); Ada.Streams.Read (Channel.All, Data, Offset); Offset = 0; I 1 .. Offset Ada.Text_IO.Put (Character'Val (Data (I))); ;    ;  Vcv;

Wikibook

 * Ada Programming/Libraries/GNAT

|GNAT.Sockets

title: Ada Programming/Libraries/GNAT.Sockets


text:
General Anatomy

Welcome to the General Anatomy wikitext on Wikibooks! This wikitext aims to provide the reader with a general overview of Human Anatomy. If you feel something is missing or incomplete within this wikibook, please feel free to edit the page in question.

Contents

 * /Ailments of the Nervous system/
 * /Cardiovascular System/
 * /Regulation of Blood Pressure/
 * /Tetralogy of Fallot/
 * /Digestive System/
 * /Endocrine System/
 * /Heart /
 * /Integumentary System/
 * /Lymphatic System/
 * /Muscular System/
 * /Nervous System/
 * /Reproductive System/
 * /Respiratory System/
 * /Sensory System/
 * /Skeletal System/
 * /Urinary System/

title: General Anatomy


text:
Systems Theory/Decision Structure

Decisions
What is a decision? Merriam- Webster’s dictionary defines a word as a noun, with meaning “a position arrived at after consideration.”

Mallach, defines a decision as a reasoned choice among alternatives. Examples of this are:
 * Where to advertise a new product,
 * What stock to buy,
 * What movie to see,
 * Where to go for dinner.

Some other authors define the term in similar manner, but with more obvious mathematical approach to definition (Zvi Covaliu, 2001, A Fair Isaak White Paper). For Covaliu, a decision, refers to a point in time when the decision maker has to choose one alternative, out of a domain of available alternatives, that could be discrete or continuous, simple or combined. An alternative can be a combination of values to be chosen at the decision point for a number of decision variables.

Different Decisions
What separates one decision from another is the difference in the information set available to the decision maker before each decision is made. The information set corresponding to a decision is the set of all observations available to the decision maker prior to making that decision.

Hammond, Kenney and Raiffa equate the decision with, what they call, “smart choice.” According to them, every “smart choice” can be broken down to eight elements:

 * Problem
 * Objectives
 * Alternatives
 * Consequences
 * Trade-Offs
 * Uncertainty
 * Risk Tolerance
 * Linked Decisions

First five of these elements are applicable to virtually any decision. Last three- uncertainty, risk tolerance and linked decisions- help clarify decisions in volatile or evolving environments. Some decisions won’t involve these elements, but many most important decisions will.

Mallach, on the other hand defines decision elements in different terms. For him, the decision comprises of three elements:

 * Decision Statement- What are we trying to decide?
 * Alternative- What are the options?
 * Decision Criteria- How are we going to judge the merits of each alternative?

Further, the decision can be classified in three types, based on the type of structure or nature of the task:

 * Structured Problems
 * Routine and repetitive with standard solution
 * Well defined decision making procedure
 * Given a well-defined set of input, a well defined set of output is defined
 * Semi-structured Problems
 * Has some structured aspect
 * Some of the inputs or outputs or procedures are not well defined
 * Unstructured Problems
 * All phases of decision making process are unstructured

Simon, on the other hand, classifies decisions into two categories:
 * Programmed decisions, and
 * Non-programmed decisions.

The programmed decision is repetitive and routine. The non-programmed decisions are novel, unstructured, and call for intelligent adaptive and problem oriented action when solving the problem. Simon states that the traditional techniques for these non-programmed decisions are judgment, creativity, and intuition.

C.I. Barnard categorizes decisions into logical and non-logical. Logical decision making involves conscious thinking and reasoning, and the process is expressible in words or other symbols. Non-logical decision making is not capable of being expressed in words, or as reasoning, and is made known only by the action itself.

The decisions are made in order to solve a particular problem. According to Duncker (1945) solving a problem means continuous narrowing of the range of options through modifications of representations. This repetitive process may continue until there may be only one alternative left to consider. Hence, it is not so strange to see “decision-making” and “problem solving” used interchangeably in common language and discussion. As stated in the paragraph above, decision has to be reached; it has to be made through a deliberate process of decision-making. As such, once the term is used, certain action is expected on behalf of the agent that makes a decision (decision-maker). According to Simon, the decision-making process consists of three main stages:

 * 1) Intelligence: Fact finding, problem and opportunity sensing, analysis, and exploration.
 * 2) Design: Formulation of solutions, generation of alternatives, modeling and simulation.
 * 3) Choice: Goal maximization, alternative selection, decision making, and implementation.

Other authors also consider the implementation to be integral element of the decision-making process, building upon Simon’s observations.

For Hammond et al, in order to make the right decision, one must:

 * 1) work on the right decision problem
 * 2) specify the objectives
 * 3) create imaginative alternatives
 * 4) understand the consequences
 * 5) grapple with trade-offs
 * 6) clarify the uncertainties
 * 7) think hard about risk tolerance
 * 8) consider linked decisions

Decision making can be divided into 3 types: strategic, management control and operations control. Within each of these levels, decision making can be classified as either structured or unstructured, closely paralleling the Simon’s classification of the decision (i.e. structured decision making uses programmed decisions).

Decisions are difficult. There are four key areas that determine the relative difficulty of a decision:
 * Structure – in general, the more structure, the less information required
 * Cognitive limitations – the human mind is limited to handling 5 to 9 distinct pieces of information
 * Uncertainty – the amount is based on how complete and accuracy of the information
 * Alternatives and multiple objectives – the selection of one alternative may impede the progress towards a different goal

There are two traditional models of decision making: Simon famously discussed limits on decision making. According to him, there are two limits: Influenced by these limitations, decision makers are often forced to make decisions that are just good enough. This is what Simon referred to as “satisficing.”
 * 1) The rational man model is associated with economics. The rational decision-maker systematically searches for the decision that will maximize results. Goal is to optimize or maximize.
 * Know the goals, know the goal that optimizes.
 * Know all the alternative courses of action.
 * Know the relation of courses of action to goals, this is you can predict consequences of actions, i.e. can predict outcomes of actions.
 * 1) Alternative model called the administrative model associated with Herbert Simon. Simon says the rational man model is prescriptive or normative, the way it is supposed to be, rather than the way it is.
 * 1) Bounded rationality: decision-maker receives imperfect information about goals and courses of action and relation of means to ends. Decision-making is then based on these restrictions.
 * 2) Bounded discretion: constraints on optimizing, prior commitments, moral and ethical standards, laws, and social standards.

title: Systems Theory/Decision Structure


text:
Talk:Systems Theory/Decision Structure

What is a decision? Merriam- Webster’s dictionary defines a word as a noun, with meaning “a position arrived at after consideration.”

Mallach, defines a decision as a reasoned choice among alternatives. Examples of this are: •	Where to advertise a new product, •	What stock to buy, •	What movie to see, •	Where to go for dinner.

J. F. Yates defines the term in his book “Decision management: How to Assure Better Decisions in Your Company “ in a following way: A decision is a commitment to an action that is intended to yield satisfying states of affairs for particular parties, called the beneficiaries of that action.

Some other authors define the term with more obvious mathematical approach to this issue (Zvi Covaliu, 2001, A Fair Isaac White Paper). For Covaliu, a decision refers to a point in time when the decision maker has to choose one alternative, out of a domain of available alternatives that could be discrete or continuous, simple or combined. An alternative can be a combination of values to be chosen at the decision point for a number of decision variables.

What separates one decision from another is the difference in the information set available to the decision maker before each decision is made. The information set corresponding to a decision is the set of all observations available to the decision maker prior to making that decision.

Further, the decision can be classified in three types, based on the type of structure or nature of the task:

1.	Structured Problems •	Routine and repetitive with standard solution •	Well defined decision making procedure •	Given a well-defined set of input, a well defined set of output is defined

2.	Semi-structured Problems •	Has some structured aspect •	Some of the inputs or outputs or procedures are not well defined

3.	Unstructured Problems •	All phases of decision making process are unstructured

Simon, on the other hand, classifies decisions into two categories: •	Programmed decisions, and •	Non-programmed decisions.

The programmed decision is repetitive and routine. The non-programmed decisions are novel, unstructured, and call for intelligent adaptive and problem oriented action when solving the problem. Simon states that the traditional techniques for these non-programmed decisions are judgment, creativity, and intuition.

C.I. Barnard categorizes decisions into logical and non-logical. Logical decision making involves conscious thinking and reasoning, and the process is expressible in words or other symbols. Non-logical decision making is not capable of being expressed in words, or as reasoning, and is made known only by the action itself.

There are four types of decisions according to F. Yeats:

•	Type 1: choice decisions. In choice decisions, the decider is faced with two or more discrete, specified alternatives and must choose a subset from that pool, perhaps just one of those options. A site example: “So does the new plant go to Amsterdam or to Bonn?” When most people think about what qualifies as a decision, choices are what come to mind immediately.

•	Type 2: accept/reject decisions. In accept/reject decisions, the decider is presented with one option only and must either take it or leave it. An investment illustration: “Should we replace the Number 5 press?” A proposal example: “Does this acquisition of Leung Services make sense for us?” Accept/reject decisions are a special case of choice decisions in that the decider actually has two options, taking the offered alternative or refusing to do so.

•	Type 3: evaluation decisions. In evaluation decisions, the decider must commit to a course of action based on an assessment of the worth of some entity, that is, on an evaluation. A bidding example: “Should we, as our analysis says, submit a quote of $35 million on that highway rehabilitation project?” A performance appraisal illustration: “Should I give Marie an 8 out of 10 this year?”

•	Type 4: construction decisions. In construction decisions, the decider must use available resources to try to assemble the ideal alternative, subject to particular constraints. A budgeting illustration: “Our total available funds come to $50 million. The proposed budget for sales is $7 million, for manufacturing $22 million, [and so on]. Is this the budget we should approve?” A negotiations example: “Here’s where we are. . . . Have we finally come up with a package that both sides can live with?”

Decisions are difficult. There are four key areas that determine the relative difficulty of a decision: •	Structure – in general, the more structure, the less information required •	Cognitive limitations – the human mind is limited to handling 5 to 9 distinct pieces of information •	Uncertainty – the amount is based on how complete and accuracy of the information •	Alternatives and multiple objectives – the selection of one alternative may impede the progress towards a different goal

Hammond, Kenney and Raiffa equate the decision with, what they call, “smart choice.” According to them, every “smart choice” can be broken down to eight elements:

1.	Problem 2.	Objectives 3.	Alternatives 4.	Consequences 5.	Trade-Offs 6.	Uncertainty 7.	Risk Tolerance 8.	Linked Decisions

First five of these elements are applicable to virtually any decision. Last three- uncertainty, risk tolerance and linked decisions- help clarify decisions in volatile or evolving environments. Some decisions won’t involve these elements, but many most important decisions will.

Mallach, on the other hand defines decision elements in different terms. For him, the decision comprises of three elements:

1.	Decision Statement- What are we trying to decide? 2.	Alternative- What are the options? 3.	Decision Criteria- How are we going to judge the merits of each alternative?

There some other explanations of the term” decision structure.” In the graphics below, taken from course presentation of Peter Waiganjo Wagacha from the Institute of Computer Science on University of Nairobi, which has been adapted from Dr. Stan Kurkovsky based on the course text: Decision Support Systems and Intelligent System, decision structure is explained in terms of collaborative and non-collaborative decisions.

The decisions are made in order to solve a particular problem. According to Duncker (1945) solving a problem means continuous narrowing of the range of options through modifications of representations. This repetitive process may continue until there may be only one alternative left to consider. Hence, it is not so strange to see “decision-making” and “problem solving” used interchangeably in common language and discussion. As stated in the paragraph above, decision has to be reached; it has to be made through a deliberate process of decision-making. As such, once the term is used, certain action is expected on behalf of the agent that makes a decision (decision-maker). According to Simon, the decision-making process consists of three main stages:

1. Intelligence:  Fact finding, problem and opportunity sensing, analysis, and exploration. 2. Design:  Formulation of solutions, generation of alternatives, modeling and simulation. 3. Choice:  Goal maximization, alternative selection, decision making, and implementation.

Other authors also consider the implementation to be integral element of the decision-making process, building upon Simon’s observations.

Decision making can be divided into 3 types: strategic, management control and operations control. Within each of these levels, decision making can be classified as either structured or unstructured, closely paralleling the Simon’s classification of the decision (i.e. structured decision making uses programmed decisions).

There are two traditional models of decision making: 1.	The rational man model is associated with economics. The rational decision-maker systematically searches for the decision that will maximize results. Goal is to optimize or maximize. •	Know the goals, know the goal that optimizes. •	Know all the alternative courses of action. •	Know the relation of courses of action to goals, this is you can predict consequences of actions, i.e. can predict outcomes of actions. 2.	Alternative model called the administrative model associated with Herbert Simon. Simon says the rational man model is prescriptive or normative, the way it is supposed to be, rather than the way it is.

Simon famously discussed limits on decision making. According to him, there are two limits: 1. Bounded rationality: decision-maker receives imperfect information about goals and courses of action and relation of means to ends. Decision-making is then based on these restrictions. 2. Bounded discretion: constraints on optimizing, prior commitments, moral and ethical standards, laws, and social standards.

Influenced by these limitations, decision makers are often forced to make decisions that are just good enough. This is what Simon referred to as “satisficing.”

In order to make the “right” decision, Hammond et al propose that one must:

1.	work on the right decision problem 2.	specify the objectives 3.	create imaginative alternatives 4.	understand the consequences 5.	grapple with trade-offs 6.	clarify the uncertainties 7.	think hard about risk tolerance 8.	consider linked decisions.

In summary, decision structure consists of following elements:

title: Talk:Systems Theory/Decision Structure


text:
Wikibooks talk:Biology bookshelf

Big selective merger proposal.
I'm of the opinion that we need to merge a lot of the disparate biological knowledge around wikibooks into the book General Biology. This is a controversial merge (and I know it!) and that's exactly why I'm posting this here. If you have any objections, write them now or forever hold your peace. Let me clarify what I think must be done. This is not an immediate issue - it does not need to be done now or anything. This is pie-in-the-sky. Just a plan we should probably fully implement at some point in time.

The plan
I am going to be merging all the basic biological knowledge of books that aim to roughly teach a college's first semester course of Biology. Some synonyms for the basic course of biology offered in a college: "Biology A, Biology I, Biological Principles, Intro to Biology" etc... These are the books I will be merging much of their non-exclusive biological knowledge into General Biology:

 * 1) AP Biology
 * 2) A-level Biology

Both the AP-test and the AQA Biology level 1 test aim to test for similar biological knowledge - that which is taught in the first semester course of biology. These tests have different parts of the knowledge they focus on, and I agree that aid on the tests' focus should be maintained in their respective books, but there is no need to try to cover first semester biology in three separate books.

Why and How
Both of those topics share and rely on very much the same materials covered in the General Biology textbook. There are certain aspects of the subject that cannot and should not be covered in a General Biology book (such as what the AP test is most likely to test on), and that information should remain in those books. However, the general biological knowledge - such as how cells divide and the different organelles - should be kept, for now, in one place.

We should consolidate knowledge that is choppily spread out. Know If we do we will have one high-quality version of information in a single, referential place rather than a few disparate, okay stubs about the subject. An example of a book that does not need consolidation is Biology, Answering the Big Questions of Life. The information in that stands on its own legs as high quality, and is well fit to its specific purpose - we may see fit to copy information from that book, but there is no need to remove the writing from there, as the writing is doing fine there. However, here is an example of a lack of information that would benefit from just linking to the general biology textbook and emphasizing the most important points to learn. - Monk talk 05:14, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

Discussion
Please comment on this proposal below. Voting ("for"/"against") is welcomed.

Full bio textbook
I believe the the wiki community should invest the time to create a full-fledge Biology textbook (similar to that of the US History). In other words, it should be a simplified version of what we have now. Many parts of biology are not listed in the links and I think we could simplify the navigation if we have one book to encompass everything. If someone knows a lot about a specific topic, then go right ahead and write a wikibook about it and add a link to it at the bottom of one of the biology book's chapters. 207.191.200.118 00:10, 2 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * We have: General Biology. Steinsky 13:40, 10 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Locked
Why is this locked for Unregistered users, It seems like they might be those most likely to recommend a book be made.Dolive35 18:30, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

title: Wikibooks talk:Biology bookshelf


text:
AP Biology

This is a Wikibooks textbook—feel free to edit it, update it, correct it, and otherwise increase its teaching potential.

Current Stage of Development (see talk page for following details)
 * 1) Discussion of structure and basic articles
 * 2) Defining a standard style

The 12 AP (Advanced Placement) National Labs

 * 1. Diffusion and Osmosis
 * 2. Enzyme Catalysis
 * 3. Mitosis and Meiosis
 * 4. Plant Pigments and Photosynthesis
 * 5. Cell Respiration
 * 6. Molecular Biology
 * 7. Genetics of Organisms
 * 8. Population Genetics and Evolution
 * 9. Transpiration
 * 10. Physiology of the Circulatory System
 * 11. Animal Behavior
 * 12. Dissolved Oxygen and Aquatic Primary Productivity

Study Guide

 * 1. Preface - - Welcome message, background about the test, and helpful hints

Part I: The Origin of Living Things
 * 2. The Science of Biology - - Introduction to science and biology
 * 3. The Nature of Molecules - - Subatomic particles, compounds, and more!
 * 4. The Chemical Building Blocks of Life - - From organic macromolecules to chemical structure

Part II: Biology of the Cell
 * 5. Cell Structure - - Organelles and their function
 * 6. Membranes - - Phospholipid bilayer and how molecules cross it
 * 7. Cell-Cell Interactions -

Part III: Energetics
 * 8. Energy and Metabolism - - Heterotroph, autotrophs, ATP, and aerobic respiration!
 * 9. Photosynthesis -

Part IV: Reproduction and Heredity
 * 10. How Cells Divide -
 * 11. Sexual Reproduction and Meiosis -
 * 12. Patterns of Inheritance -

Part V: Molecular Genetics
 * 13. DNA -
 * 14. Genes and How They Work -
 * 15. Control of Gene Expression -
 * 16. Altering the Genetic Message -

Part VI: Evolution
 * 17. Evolution -

Part VII: Ecology
 * 18. Population Ecology -
 * 19. Community Ecology -
 * 20. Dynamics of Ecosystems -

Part VIII: Organismal Biology
 * 21. Taxonomy -
 * 22. Plants -
 * 23. Animal Structures and Functions -
 * 24. Animal Behavior -

Official AP Website Link
 * A collegeboard.com website with information related to the AP Biology course.

title: AP Biology


text:
AP Biology/Preface

Welcome!
This textbook is based on the College Entrance Examination Board test in Advanced Placement Biology. This seems to be the best reference to build a textbook on, since it is a standard on the subject and covers what most Biology students study in high school and college. Overall, however, the content and structure may in time vary from all other books. Besides the regular Wikibook rules governing unbiased writing, the only other guideline should be that everything should be kept divided into logical chapters. Everything else is left pretty much to the individual authors that elect to join the project. Enjoy!

AP Course Description (view the .pdf)

There are already Biology Wikibooks. This is a Wikibook geared towards high school students preparing for the College Board's AP Examination. It assumes readers have a general background to biology, as students planning to take the exam are generally enrolled in an AP Biology course, and the AP curriculum is a second-year biology course.

Other Wikibooks: Biology, FHSST Biology - just the framework

"How long should it take to study this Wikibook?"
Good question. We'll let you know when we finish.

The AP Biology Test
The AP Biology Test is a three hour exam. It consists of 100 multiple-choice question (60% of the grade), and four free response questions (40% of the grade). Eighty minutes are alloted for the multiple-choice section and 100 minutes (including a 10 minute reading period) for writing the four essays. The contents of the exam are approximately as follows:
 * Molecules and Cells, 25%
 * Heredity and Evolution, 25%
 * Organisms and Populations, 50%

Essay I pertains to "Molecules and Cells". Essay II tests knowledge of "Heredity and Evolution". Essays III and IV examine students knowledge of "Organisms and Populations". One of the four essays deals strictly with one of the 12 AP national labs.

The multiple-choice section awards one point for a correct answer, zero points for answers left blank, and subtracts 1/4 of a point for wrong answers as a means to deter random guessing.

The exam is based so that the average student will score at 50% of the maximum.

Hints for the Free Response Section

Study the 12 labs and memorize the keywords associated with each lab, trying to get at least a generalized picture of what the lab is about. Those that grade the essays do not evaluate organization, length, or style. They do look for keywords and concepts, assigning points based on a rubric with a list of keywords and concepts associated with the question. During the 10 minute planning period, it is prudent to jot down keywords on the green outline you'll be given so you won't forget and exclude them from the essay.

Hints for the Multiple-Choice Section

The key to cracking the multiple-choice section of the test is P.O.E.

P.O.E. = Process Of Elimination

There are five choices for each question, and a small penalty for guessing. When you've eliminated two answers, guess. If you cannot eliminate two answers, leave the question blank and come back later if you have time. You are allowed to mark in your examination booklet, and physically crossing off wrong answers, circling correct ones, and circling numbers that you wish to re-examine is a good idea. Some students will skip a question, fill in the wrong oval for the next, and must waste time trying to redetermine where the mistake was made. Marking in your examine booklet will prevent this headache.

Good Luck!

title: AP Biology/Preface