The content of this chapter is expected to be relevant when using a HTML browser in order to consult the content of an eAIP in HTML format. In particular, it is assumed that the conversion files and style sheets provided by EUROCONTROL have been used for the production of the HTML format.
Very likely, most users will consult the content of an eAIP through the use of a HTML browser. Occasionally, they might be interested to print parts of the AIP and will use the PDF format for this purpose.
Paper and screen are two different presentation media. Just a simple comparison:
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an A4 paper, which is the typical AIP format, printed with a 300 dpi printer has a width of some 2400 pixels;
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a typical computer screen has 1024 pixels, which is half of the paper size. For the text to remain readable, the length of a text line has to be reduced at least by one third.
On the other side, the concept of fixed length pages does not apply to the screen. It is much more natural to group the information in chapters, per subject.
In conclusion, presenting the information on screen has different constraints from presenting the same information on paper. XML and HTML are Web technologies, developed specifically with the aim to make information available on computer screens. The on-screen (HTML) presentation part of the eAIP Specification was validated with a group of real users, in the form of a Usability Study.
The eAIP in HTML format does not have a particular start page. It is likely that the default entry provided by the eAIP producer will point to the GEN 0.1 section. However, directly accessing the HTML file which corresponds to any other eAIP section will provide access to the same functionality.
The faster way to navigate through the eIAP is by using the table of contents. This is available from the "Menu" available on the top right side of the screen.
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Menu : Click on the word "Menu" to open or close the eAIP menu, which floats at the top right corner of the browser window, on all eAIP pages.
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Open Table of Contents (ToC): The user has the choice to use either a "fixed" or "detached" table of contents.
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fixed : the table of contents will be displayed in a browser frame, located on the left side of the screen
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detached : this command opens a small new browser window (the "ToC window"), from which you can "navigate" throughout the eAIP; the advantage is that the full width of the screen remains available for displaying the selected eAIP content
In both modes, the functionality offered through the table of contents is identical:
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click on a "+" or "-" sign to show or hide a sub-level of section titles;
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click on a title to navigate to the relevant section in the eAIP window (in "detached" mode, this will bring the eAIP window to the front);
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click on the "AMDT" tab page in order to get access to the list of changes included in the current issue;
As opposed to a paper AIP, the concept of page replacements is not applicable to the eAIP. The AMDT page contains links towards every change included into the current issue.
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click on the "SUPs" tab page in order to access the currently published AIP Supplements
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click on the "AICs" tab page in order to get access to the currently published Aeronautical Information Circulars.
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eAIP download (XML, HTML, PDF) : the user will get access to a summary page from where it is possible to download eAIP files, for each available format.
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Printable version (PDF) : the user will get access directly to the PDF version of the section currently open in HTML, so that he can print it (the result should be identical to the corresponding pages of the paper AIP).
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Languages : allows the user to switch to another language, if available.
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Show Amendments : toggles the display of Amendments; this menu item is ticked (√) when Amendments are displayed (see below for more information).
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Help/About : the content of this chapter will be displayed.
When the "Show Amendments" menu item is ticked (
), the differences between the current version and the previous version of the open eAIP section (the page currently open in the browser) are displayed. By "current version", it is meant the eAIP version which is open, and whose effective date is indicated in the window title. This is not necessarily the currently effective AIP.
How to read Amendments:
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First make sure that "Show Amendments" is ticked (
);
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Inserted text blocks have their background in a light shade of pink or blue;
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Deleted text blocks have their background in a darker shade of pink or blue and are struck-through;
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Pink shades denote AIRAC Amendments, while blue shades mark non-AIRAC ones;
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Note that there could very well be no change at all to the particular section your are reading, even if "Show Amendments" is ticked;
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Put the mouse pointer over changed text and its effective date will be displayed.
The recommendation of the EUROCONTROL eAIP Project is for all eAIP graphics to be made available in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format. The SVG format offers perfect quality for display and printing, possibilities to zoom and pan, to search for text, etc. File sizes are typically smaller than for an equivalent graphic in raster format. In addition, it is possible to add "script functions" into the SVG file, which opens the way for an endless number of enhancements. For example, it is possible to show the differences between the current and the previous version of a chart.
How to use an SVG chart:
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You need to install a "plugin" on your browser, for example the Adobe SVG Viewer (see Adobe's downloads page);
Note : only the functionality specific to the Adobe SVG Viewer 3.0 plug-in will be described further down; at the time of the writing, it was the most common SVG viewer and the only one which has been tested within the eAIP Project .
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Zoom in : press the "Control" key and click with the left (normal) mouse button; alternatively, drag the mouse (i.e. press normal mouse button, move mouse and then release button) to define a zooming rectangle;
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Pan : press the "Alt" key and drag the mouse
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Additional, standard SVG commands are available on a right-mouse click menu (zoom in, zoom out, search text, etc.)
Other navigation and browsing features may be available, such as "Hint" text for abbreviations and location indicators, internal links, content of remarks included by reference, etc. Some of these are presented as part of the eAIP Specimen chapter.