README

GD/SVG version 0.24
===================

GD::SVG seamlessly enables the scalable vector graphics (SVG) output
from scripts written using GD.  It accomplishes this by translating GD
functions into SVG functions.

IMPORTANT NOTES

1. In addition to GD::SVG, Ronan Oger has created a similar module
(SVG::GD). In principle these modules perform a similar function but
go about it in slightly different ways.  Ronan and I are now
concurrently developing these modules which may be merged in the
future. In particular, Ronan's module ultimately aims to tap into the
raster editing abilities of GD.  GD::SVG focuses primarily on
generating SVG-output from scripts written with GD - focusing on
generating images de novo from stacks of data.

2. See the internal documentation on important notes on how to use
GD::SVG.

QUICKSTART USAGE GUIDE

To enable SVG output, you must change several elements of your
script. This includes the use statement and direct calls to the
classes that GD implements.

In short:
    
    # use GD;
    use GD::SVG;
  
    # my $image = GD::Image->new($width,$height);
    my $image = GD::SVG::Image->new($width,$height);
   
    ...

    print $image->svg();

See the full documentation for examples on enabling dynamic selection
of image output.

INSTALLATION

To install this module type the following:

   perl Makefile.PL
   make
   make test
   sudo make install

You may need to be root (or sudo) to executre the make install
command.

DEPENDENCIES

This module requires these other modules and libraries:

  GD, SVG

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Lincoln Stein, creator of GD and my postdoctoral mentor, desires
special credit. Ronan Oger, creator of the SVG module and co-creator
of a similar GD-wrapper, has been very helpful with discussions about
interfacing GD to SVG.

Patches: srezic (color comparisons), jettero (fixed linecaps).

COPYRIGHT AND LICENCE

Copyright (C) 2003-2008 Todd Harris (harris@cshl.edu) and the Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratory

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the same terms as Perl itself.