This chapter will provide an overview of the Xic program, setup and initialization information, and information for basic use. Detailed information on the various commands, features, and modes will be found in the following chapters. Information on file formats and other rather technical topics can be found in the appendices. New users should read this chapter and the first two sections of the following chapter thoroughly, and read the sections in the remaining chapters describing the commands referred to in the usage sections in chapter 2. The on-line help contains most of the information presented in this manual, in a cross-referenced format. Users will likely make extensive use of the help system. The information provided in the help system is generally more up-to-date than can be provided in the manual, and should be considered to be correct if there is ever a conflict.
Whiteley Research is more than happy to assist users by answering questions and providing information. The ``WR'' button in the Xic interface brings up a mail client which can be used to send questions to Whiteley Research, which will be answered as soon as possible. However, in order for this service to operate efficiently, it is requested that users make an effort to answer questions by reading the provided documentation before contacting Whiteley Research.
In this manual, text which is provided in typewriter font represents verbatim input to or output from the program. Text enclosed in square brackets ( [text] ) is optional in the given context, as in optional command arguments, whereas other text should be provided as indicated. Text which is italicized should be replaced with the necessary input, as described in the accompanying text.