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JSP Workarounds

This page describes workarounds for specific features that are available in The Geometer's Sketchpad but are not directly available in JavaSketchpad (JSP). For some of the workarounds, we provide a Sketchpad document containing tools that implement the workaround. You may need to configure your Web browser to download Sketchpad documents correctly.

Arcs and Arc Angles

JSP DR5 does not support arcs, arc sectors, arc segments, or arc angle measurements directly. You can create arcs by constructing appropriate loci and calculate arc angle and arc length measurements using techniques that rely on angle measurements. The workaround sketch contains the custom tools listed below.

Constructing Arcs:

  • Arc on Circle (select the circle and two points)
  • Arc on Circle (select the center and two points)
  • Arc through 3 Points (select the three points)

Measuring Arc Angles:

  • Arc Angle (select a circle and two points)
  • Arc Angle (select a circle and three points)
  • Arc Angle (select the three points that define the arc, as in the Arc through 3 Points construction)

Measuring Arc Length:

  • Arc Length (select a circle and two points)
  • Arc Length (select a circle and three points)
  • Arc Length (select the three points that define the arc, as in the Arc through 3 Points construction)

Angle Conversions:

  • Angle 2pi (select three points to measure the angle in both radians and degrees)
  • Convert to Degrees (select an angle measurement in radians to convert it to degrees)

Browser Compatibility

Java applets are designed to run on any browser that supports Java. However, some inconsistencies do occur between browsers. We offer a few hints for making your applets as browser- and platform-compatible as possible.

  • Avoid quotations in files names. Internet Explorer 5.2 for Mac will open the page and load the HTML, but will fail to load the applet or to display any error message.
  • Some older browsers and older versions of browsers may not support Java archive (.jar) files, in which all the required Java files are in a single archive. If you encounter this problem, you will need to update your browser and/or your version of Java. [This problem is very rare; all modern browsers have supported .jar files for many years.]

More Workarounds

You may find more workaround advice from our JSP Authoring Links page.