---
title: 'API Reference and Overview'
linkTitle: 'API Reference and Overview'

weight: 5
---

Skia documentation is actively under development.

Some key classes are:

- [SkAutoCanvasRestore](https://api.skia.org/classSkAutoCanvasRestore.html#details) -
  Canvas save stack manager
- [SkBitmap](https://api.skia.org/classSkBitmap.html#details) - two-dimensional
  raster pixel array
- [SkBlendMode](https://api.skia.org/SkBlendMode_8h.html) - pixel color
  arithmetic
- [SkCanvas](https://api.skia.org/classSkCanvas.html#details) - drawing context
- [SkColor](https://api.skia.org/SkColor_8h.html) - color encoding using integer
  numbers
- [SkFont](https://api.skia.org/classSkFont.html#details) - text style and
  typeface
- [SkImage](https://api.skia.org/classSkImage.html#details) - two dimensional
  array of pixels to draw
- [SkImageInfo](https://api.skia.org/structSkImageInfo.html#details) - pixel
  dimensions and characteristics
- [SkIPoint](https://api.skia.org/structSkIPoint.html#details) - two integer
  coordinates
- [SkIRect](https://api.skia.org/structSkIRect.html#details) - integer rectangle
- [SkMatrix](https://api.skia.org/classSkMatrix.html#details) - 3x3
  transformation matrix
- [SkPaint](https://api.skia.org/classSkPaint.html#details) - color, stroke,
  font, effects
- [SkPath](https://api.skia.org/classSkPath.html#details) - sequence of
  connected lines and curves
- [SkPicture](https://api.skia.org/classSkPicture.html#details) - sequence of
  drawing commands
- [SkPixmap](https://api.skia.org/classSkPixmap.html#details) - pixel map: image
  info and pixel address
- [SkPoint](https://api.skia.org/structSkPoint.html#details) - two floating
  point coordinates
- [SkRRect](https://api.skia.org/classSkRRect.html#details) - floating point
  rounded rectangle
- [SkRect](https://api.skia.org/structSkRect.html#details) - floating point
  rectangle
- [SkRegion](https://api.skia.org/classSkRegion.html#details) - compressed
  clipping mask
- [SkSurface](https://api.skia.org/classSkSurface.html#details) - drawing
  destination
- [SkTextBlob](https://api.skia.org/classSkTextBlob.html#details) - runs of
  glyphs
- [SkTextBlobBuilder](https://api.skia.org/classSkTextBlobBuilder.html#details) -
  constructor for runs of glyphs

All public APIs are indexed by Doxygen.

- [Skia Doxygen](https://api.skia.org)

## Overview

Skia is organized around the `SkCanvas` object. It is the host for the "draw"
calls: `drawRect`, `drawPath`, `drawText`, etc. Each of these has two
components: the primitive being drawn (`SkRect`, `SkPath`, etc.) and color/style
attributes (`SkPaint`).

<!--?prettify lang=cc?-->

    canvas->drawRect(rect, paint);

The paint holds much of the state describing how the rectangle (in this case) is
drawn: what color it is, if it is filled or stroked, how it should blend with
what was previously drawn.

The canvas holds relatively little state. It points to the actual pixels being
drawn, and it maintains a stack of matrices and clips. Thus in the above call,
the canvas' current matrix may transform the coordinates of the rectangle
(translation, rotation, skewing, perspective), and the canvas' current clip may
restrict where on the canvas the rectangle will be drawn, but all other
stylistic attributes of the drawing are controlled by the paint.

Using the SkCanvas API:

1.  [SkCanvas Overview](/docs/user/api/skcanvas_overview) - the drawing context
2.  [SkPaint Overview](/docs/user/api/skpaint_overview) - color, stroke, font,
    effects
3.  [SkCanvas Creation](/docs/user/api/skcanvas_creation)