How to charge a car battery

[obi_waynne]

What is the best method to charge a car battery? I have loads of questions and although I have some ideas I wondered if it would make the basis for an interesting discussion.

Is it best to charge on the car or off the car?
Is a slow charge better than a fast charge?
How long should a car battery be charged for?
Is ventilations still required and do they still have an explosion risk or do modern batteries get round these issues now?

 

[Loz]

When I fitted the correct battery to my 5 I discovered that it can't be jumped started and it needs a specific charger, also they recommend that it's charged continuously for three days once a year!