Shift-compactness in almost analytic submetrizable baire groups and spaces

We survey the harmonious interplay between the concepts of normed group, almost completeness, shift-compactness, and certain refinement topologies of a metrizable topology (the 'ground topology'), characterized by the existence of a weak base consisting of analytic sets in the ground topology. This leads to a generalized Gandy-Harrington Theorem. The property of shiftcompactness leads to simplifications and unifications, e.g. to the Effros Open Mapping Principle.