New functions/features introduced in arydshln (v1.4)

[How to "make"]

  % tex arydshln.ins	# you'll have arydshln.sty and arydshln-man.tex

# to have user's manual  
  % latex arydshln-man
  % makeindex -s gind.ist -o arydshln-man.ind arydshln-man.idx
  % latex arydshln-man

# to have implementation document
  % latex arydshln.dtx
  % makeindex -s gind.ist -o arydshln.ind arydshln.idx
  % makeindex -s gglo.ist -o arydshln.gls arydshln.glo
  % latex arydshln.dtx

[Features]

  + (hopefully:-) Compatible with "array" package.  Note that
    "arydshln" should be loaded AFTER "array".  That is;

	\usepackage{array}
	\usepackage{arydshln}

    is correct but reversing them will cause severe error.

  + \firsthdashline and \lasthdashline which are counterparts of
    \firsthline and \lasthline defined in "array".

  + \ADLnullwide makes vertical (dashed) lines as if they have zero
    width, as the LaTeX standard implementation does.  \ADLsomewide
    gives vertical lines real width (\arrayrulewidth) as "array"
    package does.  If you use "array", default is \ADLsomewide, while
    \ADLnullwide otherwise.

  + \ADLinactivate inactivate the capability of drawing dashed-lines
    although `:', `;', \hdashline, and \cdashline are still accepted
    but simulated by `|', \hline and \cline.
    
    Since "arydshln" makes array/tabular environment processed much
    slower even they don't have dashed-lines, put this command in the
    preamble of your draft version document will save processing time.
    Even in the final version, you may do it and activate the function
    only when it is necessary by \ADLactivate.  For example;

	\documentclass{article}
	\usepackage{array}
	\usepackage{arydshln}
	\ADLinactivate
	\begin{document}
	... text with array/tabular having solid lines only ...

	\begin{ADLactivate}
	\begin{tabular}{cc:c} ... \hdashline ... \end{tabular}
	\end{ADLactivate}

	... text with array/tabular having solid lines only ...
	\end{document}

    If you are bored in typing the lengthy command/environment name,
    you can simply say \begin{Array/Tabular}...\end{Array/Tabular} to
    have array/tabular with dashed lines.  However, these environments 
    could be defined by other package or by yourself because their
    name is too natural.  If they are defined BEFORE \usepackage{arydshln}, 
    you'll have a warning message without redefinition.  In order to
    define them AFTER \usepackage safely, you may do \ADLnoshorthand
    just after \usepackage{arydshln}.

    My small performance evaluation with a tabular having many lines
    shows the effectiveness of \ADLinactivate as follows.

	array				0.33 sec
	arydshline+\Inactivate...	0.59 sec
	arydshline (solid only)		3.02 sec
	arydshline (dashed)		3.48 sec

  + As far as I believe, TeX has a bug in a core mechanism to draw
    dash-lines.  As an imperfect solution to cope with the bug,
    \ADLdrawing mode is introduced.  See arydshln-man for details.

  + A bug, which will be revealed in in-text array/tabular with [b]
    option, is fixed.

[Known problems]

  + As earlier version does not allow the sequence of `@' and `|',
    `:', `;', new version cannot cope with the sequence of `!'
    (introduced by "array") and characters for vertical lines.

  + Since only the package is tested with a few test cases, I believe
    it has a few (hopefully:-) bugs.