The idea for IChingOnline.net is very simple:

What if you would not need to carry the Book-of-Changes and three Chinese coins with you, but that you just could ask any question any time, at work, with friends or relatives, in an internet café or a hotel, as long as there is a computer with internet connection nearby?

Of course we found several sites that promised this feature, but it never came anywhere near what we were looking for.
You can see for yourself; in DMOZ, the open directory project, all Online I Ching sites are gathered together (including this site IChingOnline).
If we found a site where we could ask a question online, and if we managed at all to understand the often difficult instructions how to get on with the procedure, we saw all kinds of things wrong.
For example, a popular Brasilian site (the I Ching is widespread in Brasil) with a smashing Flash movie for throwing the coins online:
When we analysed the Flash code, it appeared that any Hexagram would always consist of an equal amount of heads and tails.
For the six throws of three coins, there were nine heads and nine tails, mixed together randomly; an entirely wrong algorithm, and limiting the number of possible readings to just a handful.
(Try to compose Hexagram 1 or 2 this way.)

Yet, there do exist some very elegant programs you can run on your computer, but you do not always have your own laptop with you.

Actually, we had such a program ourselves, the "I Ching Empower Tool" by Roger Norton and David Miller, a beautiful and very user-friendly desktop program.
Until July 6^th 2009, this program was available at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/ homepages/empowertools/, but on that date the Compuserve OurWorld was shut down permanently.
The site was not supported since 1995 and many links did not work anymore.
When we used the freeware version of the program we found a little problem with the algorithm for throwing the coins, because we got far too few changing lines.
(It was not the yarrow stalks method either.)
We never tried the registered edition.

We gratefully used the texts in this program as an initial base for IChingOnline.net, because they are the best interpretations of the ancient texts of the Book-of-Changes that we know.
Later we added the original texts.
The classic translation from Chinese was in German, by Richard Wilhelm in 1923.

Since Version 2.0 (see below) the complete Richard Wilhelm Translation, rendered into English by Cary F. Baynes in 1950, is available at this site as well.

When we decided to develop our online webprogram, we had in mind to make it as user-friendly as possible.
The different aspects of the answer; Present, Changing Lines, Future and the separate Trigrams that make up the Cast Hexagram, can be read in tabs.
Special attention was given to the Changing Lines, because if there are two or more, still only one applies, and the program decides which one, according to a set of rules, explained in the Instruction.

When you have any suggestions, please contact us at .

Version 2.4 (December 13^th 2009), has some extra features when you read an original Richard Wilhelm text.
Instead of one new window that opens for the Richard Wilhelm page, three different cascading windows will open, resp. for the Cast Hexagram-, Changing Lines- and Transformed Hexagram pages.
This has been done for (Windows) Safari and Chrome users, as in these browsers, if the same window is opened the second time, it will not be on top of the last window, but remain hidden in the background.
Furthermore, the question you filled in before throwing the coins (if you did) is repeated on the Richard Wilhelm page, so that you can tell to what question is the answer.
In addition, the Cast- and Transformed Hexagram page will show you whether it is the Cast- or Transformed Hexagram as an answer to your question, because now you can have both pages open.

Version 2.3 (December 6^th 2009), is a technical upgrade, in preparation to added functionality in the near future.
Apparently, the site hardly changed, at least visibly, but in fact the engine to throw the coins, visualize casting them six times, and display the answer in different tabs, has been rewritten completely.
This was done as necessary preliminary work for intended new features that will be added to IChingOnline.net.

In version 2.2 (January 8^th 2009), a major improvement was made to the Site search.
Since then, a proper Site search is made possible, by allowing Google to index the Richard Wilhelm text-pages.
If you want to read a Richard Wilhelm text again for a particular hexagram or changing line, use theSite search-button on the left of the page.
For example: type in hexagram 38 line 3, leave the radio-button checked for IChingOnline, and click theSite search-button to find the page with the Richard Wilhelm text for hexagram 38 and the third line changing.
Or use any headword you remember, if you have forgotten the hexagram number.

A slight improvement to the great leap of version 2.0 was made with version 2.1 (July 23^rd 2008).
At the bottom of the Trigram tab now is a Custom search button.
Pressing this generates a Google custom search for the literal question you typed in.
For this button to appear, you must have typed at least some valid characters.
The Custom Search Result page is not the same as when you had put the question to a normal Google search page, because the result is customised for people like you; interested in Eastern studies and I Ching.
Use it for getting inspiration, the results can be amazing!

Since July 19^th 2008 we have I Ching Online Version 2.0, with the complete original Richard Wilhelm translation integrated in the tabs for the Cast Hexagram, the Changing Lines and the Transformed Hexagram.
If applicable, at the bottom of the tab appears a Read original text button.
By pressing this button you can read the original Richard Wilhelm translation for your answer as well.

Since January 12^th 2008 we have I Ching Online Version 1.3, with a new feature for throwing the coins, which is described in detail on the instruction-page.
Before then you could only cast the coins virtually.

Nothing wrong with virtual coins, but if you insist on using your own real metal ones, you can do so now, by pushing the Throw coins by hand button, and fill in the result of your cast by flipping the coins on the screen.
The coins turn around when you click them.
When done, the Read button works as ever.
The new feature comes in very handy as well, when you want to read back a former reading.
When you remember the pattern of lines, you can fill them in later, and see the answer again.

Of course, the old Throw coins virtually button still works the same.

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