Help in axiom

Hi there,

I'm sorry to keep harping on about this same issue, but I do find it a real
sticking point.  When I attempt to learn a new software system (such as a
new CAS) I spend a lot of time in the help pages, looking at examples,
seeing how things are done; reading online tutorials and introductions.  I
find help in Axiom very hard to access.  To use HyperDoc, and to enjoy the
benefits of decent typesetting in TeXmacs, it seems I need two instances of
axiom running.  And there is no functions/commands help available from the
command line (such as there is with Maxima, Maple, Mathematica, MuPAD etc).

And even in HyperDoc, there are very few examples.  For instance, I was
trying to find the defining polynomial of a finite field.  I discovered that
there is a command definingPolynomial, but I couldn't find any examples on
its use, nor a comprehensive help page about it.  There are some simple
examples in HyperDoc (calculus, graphics, linear algebra etc), which is
incredibly helpful, but there doesn't seem to be this level of help
available for ALL commands, as I believe there should be.

>From my limited understanding, it would seem that Axiom is superb for the
development  and implementation of mathematical algorthms (such as Martin
Rubey's Guess package), but that it would go even further, and have greater
reach in the mathematical community, with more comprehensive, and more
easily accessible help.

Please don't take my comments as overly critical; I am speaking from a
beginner's perspective.  But sometimes it's hard for experts to see things
through a beginner's, or learner's eyes.

cheers,
Alasdair

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