Editing Slide rule (section)

=== Components ===
[[File:slide rule cursor.jpg|thumb|Cursor on a slide rule]]

Most slide rules consist of three parts:
* Frame or base{{snd}} two strips of the same length held parallel to form a frame.
* Slide{{snd}} a center strip that can move lengthwise relative to the frame.
* Cursor, runner or glass{{snd}} an exterior sliding piece with a hairline for accurately reading and aligning numbers. 

Some slide rules ("duplex" models) have scales on both sides of the rule and slide strip, others on one side of the outer strips and both sides of the slide strip (which can usually be pulled out, flipped over and reinserted for convenience), still others on one side only ("simplex" rules). A sliding [[Wikt:cursor|cursor]] with a vertical alignment line is used to find corresponding points on scales that are not adjacent to each other or, in duplex models, are on the other side of the rule. The cursor can also record an intermediate result on any of the scales.