README


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Cairo - Multi-platform 2D graphics library
http://cairographics.org

Compiling
---------
See the INSTALL document for build instructions.

Description
-----------
Cairo is a vector graphics library with cross-device output
support. Currently supported output targets include the X Window
System and in-memory image buffers. PostScript and PDF file output is
planned. Cairo is designed to produce identical output on all output
media while taking advantage of display hardware acceleration when
available (eg. through the X Render Extension).

Cairo provides a stateful user-level API with capabilities similar to
the PDF 1.4 imaging model. Cairo provides operations including
stroking and filling Bezier cubic splines, transforming and
compositing translucent images, and antialiased text rendering.

Cairo was once named Xr, (or Xr/Xc), so if you came looking for that
software, you've found it.

Dependencies
------------
Cairo currently requires the following supporting libraries:

	libpixman
	Xft2
	fontconfig
	freetype2

Documentation
-------------
There's not much documentation yet apart from the cairo.h header
file. We'll be correcting that shortly.

In the meantime, the cairo-demo module in CVS provides a few example
programs using cairo. These may be helpful to a programmer just
beginning with cairo. Also, familiarity with the PostScript imaging
model will help in understanding cairo.

History
-------
Cairo was originally developed by Carl Worth <cworth@isi.edu> and
Keith Packard <keithp@keithp.com>. Many thanks are due to Lyle Ramshaw
without whose patient help our ignorance would be much more apparent.

Mailing List
------------
If you have trouble with cairo or you have some ideas for how it could be
improved, please feel free to send a message to cairo@cairographics.org

Cairo is still under active development and all discussion happens on
that list. So if you want to lurk or, (even better), take part in the
development, take a look. Subscription information and archives are
available:

	http://cairographics.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/cairo