diff --git a/language/basic-syntax.xml b/language/basic-syntax.xml
index 4d60049243..cb280594ad 100644
--- a/language/basic-syntax.xml
+++ b/language/basic-syntax.xml
@@ -1,12 +1,63 @@
   <chapter id="language.basic-syntax">
    <title>Basic syntax</title>
 
+   <!--
+   
+    NOTE:                             Last modified: 2001-05-16 13:00 GMT
+    
+    the language part is currently under heavy revision. Please do not
+    not make any heavy (i.e. structural) modifications to this part 
+    for a moment. 
+    
+    You'd also better not start any translation yet.
+    
+    Comments are always welcome at phpdoc@lists.php.net
+    
+    Progress:
+    
+     intro : DOESN'T EXIST - yet?
+             new chapter, with some introductionary remarks?
+             Will be discussed on the ML soon.
+     basic-syntax: 
+             FISISHED
+             except maybe moving the 'advanced escaping'
+             to a better place?
+             TODO: 
+              - nada
+     types : Being revised. Added all new types
+             Boolean and Integer are more or less finished.
+             The rest isn't.
+             TODO: 
+              - why is $foo[bar] bad syntax?
+              - what's the difference between unset($bla) and
+                $bla = NULL (it is different!)
+              - $obj->{expr} syntax
+              - (unset) cast?????
+              - $bla = unset <== should've been nuked, don't mention it
+              - $str{offset} syntax, rather than $str[offset]
+              - read notes and apply when any of them are useful
+              - remove notes which have been included here.
+              - ...
+     the rest: Not yet started with.
+             TODO: 
+              - ?
+   
+   -->
+   
    <sect1 id="language.basic-syntax.phpmode">
     <title>Escaping from HTML</title>
   
     <para>
-     There are four ways of escaping from HTML and entering "PHP code
-     mode":</para>
+     When PHP starts to handle file, it will just output the text
+     it encouters. So if you have a HTML-file, and you change its
+     extension to .php, your file will keep working.
+    </para>
+
+    <para>
+     If you want to insert php-statements at some point in your
+     file, you'll need to indicate so to php, by entering "PHP mode"
+     in either of the following ways:
+    </para>
 
     <para>
      <example>
@@ -53,7 +104,35 @@
 
     <para>
      The closing tag for the block will include the immediately
-     trailing newline if one is present.</para></sect1>
+     trailing newline if one is present.
+    </para>
+    
+    <para> <!-- TODO: find a better place for this para -->
+     PHP allows you to use structures like this:
+     <example><title>Advanced escaping</title>
+     <programlisting role="php">
+&lt;?php
+
+if ( boolean-expression )
+{
+    ?&gt;
+&lt;strong&gt;This is true.&lt;/strong&gt;
+    &lt;?php
+}
+else
+{
+    ?&gt;
+&lt;strong&gt;This is false.&lt;/strong&gt;
+    &lt;?php
+}
+     </programlisting></example>
+     
+     This works as expected, because PHP handles text within ?&gt; and
+     &lt;?php as an <function>echo</function> statement.
+     <!-- without the parsing if vars, that is (hopefully?) obvious -->
+    </para>
+
+   </sect1>
 
    <sect1 id="language.basic-syntax.instruction-separation">
     <title>Instruction separation</title>