README
1This is Magick++, the object-oriented C++ API to the ImageMagick
2image-processing library, the most comprehensive open-source image processing
3solution available. Read the release notes for Magick++.
4
5Magick++ supports an object model which is inspired by PerlMagick. Magick++
6executes faster than PerlMagick since it is accessed from a compiled language
7rather than from a scripting language. This makes it more suitable for Web CGI
8programs which must start-up and execute quickly. Images support implicit
9reference counting so that copy constructors and assignment incur almost no
10cost. The cost of actually copying an image (if necessary) is done just before
11modification and this copy is managed automatically by Magick++. De-referenced
12copies are automatically deleted. The image objects support value (rather than
13pointer) semantics so it is trivial to support multiple generations of an
14image in memory at one time.
15
16Magick++ provides integrated support for the Standard Template Library (STL) so
17that the powerful containers available (e.g. deque, vector, list, and map) can
18be used to write programs similar to those possible with PERL & PerlMagick.
19STL-compatable template versions of ImageMagick's list-style operations are
20provided so that operations may be performed on multiple images stored in STL
21containers.
22
23Documentation
24
25Detailed documentation are provided for all Magick++ classes, class methods,
26and template functions which comprise the API.
27
28Obtaining Magick++
29
30Magick++ is included as part of ImageMagick source releases and may be
31retrieved via ftp or Subversion.
32
33Installation
34
35Once you have the sources available, follow these detailed installation
36instructions for UNIX and Windows.
37
38Usage
39
40A helper script named Magick++-config is installed under Unix which assists
41with recalling compilation options required to compile and link programs which
42use Magick++. For example, the following command will compile and link the
43source file example.cpp to produce the executable example (notice that quotes
44are backward quotes):
45
46 c++ `Magick++-config --cxxflags --cppflags --ldflags --libs` \
47 -o example example.cpp
48
49Windows users may get started by manually editing a project file for one of the
50Magick++ demo programs.
51
52Reporting Bugs
53
54Please report any bugs via the Magick++ Bug Tracking System at
55https://imagemagick.org/discourse-server/.
56