
This is Magick++, the object-oriented C++ API to the ImageMagick
image-processing library.

Magick++ supports an object model which is inspired by PerlMagick.
Magick++ executes faster than PerlMagick since it is accessed from a
compiled language rather than from a scripting language. This makes it more
suitable for Web CGI programs which must start-up and execute quickly.
Images support implicit reference counting so that copy constructors and
assignment incur almost no cost. The cost of actually copying an image (if
necessary) is done just before modification and this copy is managed
automatically by Magick++. De-referenced copies are automatically deleted.
The image objects support value (rather than pointer)  semantics so it is
trivial to support multiple generations of an image in memory at one time.

Magick++ provides integrated support for STL. This support allows Magick++
to be used with the Standard Template Library (STL) so that the powerful
containers available (e.g. deque, vector, list, and map)  can be used to
write programs similar to those possible with PERL & PerlMagick.
STL-compatable template versions of ImageMagick's list-style operations are
provided so that operations may be performed on multiple images stored in
STL containers.

Please be aware that until Magick++ reaches version 1.0, some minor changes
may be expected to implemented APIs based on operational experience.

                                Documentation

Detailed documentation are provided for all Magick++ classes, class methods,
and template functions which comprise the API.

                             Obtaining Magick++

You may download Magick++ source packages from this page, retrieve the
latest sources via anonymous CVS, or use the copy of Magick++ which is
co-packaged as a subdirectory of the ImageMagick source releases.

Magick++ Source Packages

[ These packages are retrieved from ftp.simplesystems.org. ]

   * Version 5.2.3 (compatible with ImageMagick 5.2.3)
        o Magick++-5.2.3.tar.gz (gzip'ed tar format, 496K)
        o Magick++-5.2.3.zip (PK-ZIP format, 536K)
   * Version 0.9.5 (compatible with ImageMagick 5.2.2)
        o Magick++-0.9.5.tar.gz (gzip'ed tar format, 496K)
        o Magick++-0.9.5.zip (PK-ZIP format, 536K)
   * Version 0.9.4 (compatible with ImageMagick 5.2.1)
        o Magick++-0.9.4.tar.gz (gzip'ed tar format, 488K)
        o Magick++-0.9.4.zip (PK-ZIP format, 536K)
   * Version 0.9.3 (compatible with ImageMagick 5.2.0)
        o Magick++-0.9.3.tar.gz (gzip'ed tar format, 488K)
        o Magick++-0.9.3.zip (PK-ZIP format, 536K)
   * Version 0.9.2 (compatible with ImageMagick 5.1.0 and 5.1.1)
        o Magick++-0.9.2.tar.gz (gzip'ed tar format, 456K)
        o Magick++-0.9.2.zip (PK-ZIP format, 496K)
   * Version 0.8.9 (compatible with ImageMagick 4.2.9)
        o Magick++-0.8.9.tar.gz (gzip'ed tar format, 472K)
        o Magick++-0.8.9.zip (PK-ZIP format, 504K)

CVS Source Access

Magick++ sources may be retrieved via remote CVS. Remote CVS is valuable for
developers and for those who must maintain the most current sources.  Check
out files from the CVS server (into subdirectory "Magick++") by performing
these steps:

 cvs -d ':pserver:anonymous@cvs.simplesystems.org:/cvsroot' login

Provide the password "anonymous" to the " CVS password:" prompt, and then
execute

 cvs -d ':pserver:anonymous@cvs.simplesystems.org:/cvsroot' co Magick++

to check out the Magick++ files.  You may also set your CVSROOT environment
variable to ':pserver:anonymous@cvs.simplesystems.org:/cvsroot' prior to
executing the commands in order to avoid specifying the -d option.

                                Installation

Once you have the sources available, follow these detailed installation
instructions for UNIX and Windows.

                               Reporting Bugs

Please report any bugs via the Magick++ Bug Tracking System. Questions
regarding usage should be directed to Bob Friesenhahn
<bfriesen@simple.dallas.tx.us>.


                              Related Packages

Users who are interested in displaying their images at video game rates on a
wide number of platforms and graphic environments (e.g. Windows, X11, BeOS,
and Linux/CGI) may want to try PtcMagick, which provides a simple interface
between Magick++ and OpenPTC.
