Overview of Ghostscript
This document is a roadmap to the Ghostscript documentation. After
looking through it, if you want to install Ghostscript and not only
use it, we recommend you read how to install Ghostscript, and how to
compile Ghostscript from source code (which is necessary before
installing it on Unix and VMS systems).
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Table of contents
* Document roadmap by theme
+ What should I read if I'm a new user?
+ AFPL Ghostscript and GPL Ghostscript
+ Before building Ghostscript
+ What should I read if I'm not a new user?
+ What if I'm a developer?
+ What if I'm writing documentation?
* Presence on the World Wide Web
+ Ghostscript's home pages
+ Adobe PostScript, Encapsulated PostScript, and PDF reference
documentation
+ Other material on the WWW
* Which document contains what?
+ Primarily for users:
Bug-form.htm
Bug-info.htm
Deprecated.htm
Devices.htm
Helpers.htm
Humor.htm
Ps2epsi.htm
Ps2pdf.htm
Ps2ps2.htm
Readme.htm
Unix-lpr.htm
Use.htm
+ For both users and developers:
Changes.htm
Commprod.htm
Copying.htm
Fonts.htm
Hershey.htm
History*.htm
Install.htm
Language.htm
Make.htm
News.htm
Psfiles.htm
Public.htm
+ Primarily for developers:
API.htm
C-style.htm
DLL.htm
Develop.htm
Drivers.htm
Htmstyle.htm
Issues.htm
Lib.htm
Maintain.htm
Projects.htm
Ps-style.htm
Release.htm
Source.htm
Testing.htm
Xfonts.htm
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Document roadmap by theme
What should I read if I'm a new user?
* how to use Ghostscript. This includes both a quickstart
introduction to the commandline version and more extensive
reference material.
* detailed information about specific devices that Ghostscript can
use for output
* information about reporting problems--but remember that
Ghostscript comes with NO WARRANTY and NO SUPPORT
* more detailed information about how to use Ghostscript under Unix
with lpr as a filter for printing
AFPL Ghostscript and GPL Ghostscript
AFPL Ghostscript and GPL Ghostscript are different releases. If you
have AFPL Ghostscript, not the GPL Ghostscript releases, you should
read (or at least skim through):
* additional information about AFPL Ghostscript releases that is not
relevant to GPL Ghostscript releases.
If you run into any questions, or if you are going to be using
Ghostscript extensively, you should at least skim, and probably
eventually read:
* about the fonts distributed with Ghostscript, including how to add
or replace fonts
* a description of the Ghostscript language, and its differences
from the documented PostScript language
* about the postscript files distributed with Ghostscript (other
than fonts)
Before building Ghostscript
If you are going to compile Ghostscript from source, rather than just
use an executable you got from somewhere, you may want to read:
* how to build Ghostscript and install it
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What should I read if I'm not a new user?
If you have already used Ghostscript, when you receive a new release
you should begin by reading this file, then
* News.htm, for incompatible changes and new features in the current
release;
* if you wish, Changes.htm, for a detailed list of changes in the
current release;
* if you wish, History#.htm (currently History8.htm), for changes in
other releases.
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What if I'm a developer?
If you are going to do any development on or with Ghostscript at all,
you should at least look at
* the roadmap documentation for Ghostscript's source files and
architecture
If you are going to write a new driver for Ghostscript, you should
read
* the guide to the Ghostscript source code
* the interface between Ghostscript and device drivers
* about the external font interface between Ghostscript and
platform-supplied fonts
If you are considering distributing Ghostscript (either AFPL or GPL
versions) in conjunction with a commercial product, you should read
the license carefully, and you should also read
* additional clarification of the circumstances under which
Ghostscript can be distributed with a commercial product
If you intend to use Ghostscript in the form of a dynamic link library
(DLL) under OS/2 or Microsoft Windows or in the form of shared object
under Linux, read
* documentation on Ghostscript Interpreter API
If you want to use Ghostscript as part of another program--as a
callable PostScript language interpreter--and not as a DLL or as a
self-contained executable application, you should begin by reading
* the source file imain.h, the documented API for Ghostscript not as
a DLL
or if you are going to use only the Ghostscript graphics library,
* about the structure of the Ghostscript library and its interfaces
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What if I'm writing documentation?
If you are editing or adding to Ghostscript's existing documentation
in HTML format, or writing a new document, you should read
* the coding and style guidelines for Ghostscript's HTML-based
documentation.
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Presence on the World Wide Web
Ghostscript's home page
Ghostscript has a home page on the World Wide Web with helpful
information such as the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) and a list of
known problems and workarounds for the current AFPL Ghostscript
release (in the "Obtaining" file for that release):
http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/
More material about Ghostscript can be found at
http://www.ghostscript.com/
Adobe PostScript, Encapsulated PostScript, and PDF reference documentation
Adobe makes a wealth of technical documentation available over the
Web, including the PostScript Language Reference Manual (Third
Edition); the Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) Format Specification
version 3, including Encapsulated PostScript Interchange (EPSI)
format; the PDF Reference manuals. The Acrobat SDK contains pdfmark
and Acrobat Distiller parameters documentation. Some of these
documents are also available at Adobe's ftp site, but not necessarily
under the same filenames.
Other material on the WWW
Much other material about Ghostscript is available on the World Wide
Web, both as web pages and as archived Usenet and mailing list
discussions. Use the well-known search engines to find such material.
There is a translation of the Ghostscript 'man' pages into Czech at:
http://www.volny.cz/rebus/ghostscript/
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Which document contains what?
Here is the list in alphabetic order of Ghostscript documentation,
with explanations of the contents.
API.htm
On MS-Windows and OS/2, Ghostscript is compiled as a dynamic
link library (DLL). On Linux, Ghostscript can be compiled as a
shared object. This describes how to use it. For developers.
Bug-form.htm
A form to fill out and email to report a problem with AFPL
Ghostscript--but remember that Ghostscript comes with NO
WARRANTY and NO SUPPORT. Please read the instructions before
reporting a bug.
Bug-info.htm
Information about how to report problems with AFPL
Ghostscript--but remember that Ghostscript comes with NO
WARRANTY and NO SUPPORT. Please read this before reporting a
problem.
C-style.htm
Guidelines and style for C coding, which you should follow if,
for example, you write a new driver or add or change something
in Ghostscript. For developers.
Changes.htm
A detailed list of all code changes in the current release or
pre-release, generated mechanically from the CVS logs. For
developers.
Commprod.htm
The conditions under which Ghostscript may be distributed in a
commercial context. See also the Aladdin Free Public License.
Copying.htm
A reminder that AFPL Ghostscript is governed NOT by the Free
Software Foundation's GNU General Public License but by the
Aladdin Free Public License.
DLL.htm
On OS/2, MS Windows-16 and MS Windows-32 platforms, Ghostscript
is compiled as a dynamic link library (DLL). This describes how
to use it. For developers. This DLL interface is obsolete. Use
API.htm instead.
Develop.htm
Code orientation for developers. Contains a detailed breakdown
of the source files by functional group, and overviews of the
major architectural features and services.
Deprecated.htm
Documention for deprecated devices and features. Features
described here will be removed in future versions of
Ghostscript.
Devices.htm
Detailed information about some specific devices for which
Ghostscript can produce output. Run "gs -h" to see which
devices a particular version of Ghostscript is built to use.
Drivers.htm
Describes the interface between Ghostscript and device drivers.
If you do this, you should also read and use the C style and
coding guidelines. Necessary to develop a new driver. For
developers.
Fonts.htm
All about fonts freely available for Ghostscript, and how to
add and use new fonts. Also describes how to use Ghostscript
fonts as X Windows fonts. For both users and developers.
Helpers.htm
A note of thanks to people who have helped in the development
of Ghostscript.
Hershey.htm
Part 1 of the five-part original Usenet distribution of the
free Hershey fonts, giving the terms of use and describing
their encoding.
History*.htm
The history of changes in all Ghostscript releases:
History8.htm for Ghostscript versions 8.n
History7.htm for Ghostscript versions 7.n
History6.htm for Ghostscript versions 6.n
History5.htm for Ghostscript versions 5.n
History4.htm for Ghostscript versions 4.n
History3.htm for Ghostscript versions 3.n
History2.htm for Ghostscript versions 2.n
History1.htm for Ghostscript versions 1.n
Htmstyle.htm
The guidelines and style for HTML coding of Ghostscript's
documentation, which you should follow if, for example, you
change existing HTML documentation or write new documents. For
writers and editors.
Humor.htm
Another Ghostscript interpreter.
Install.htm
How to install Ghostscript. See also how to build it.
Issues.htm
A list of outstanding open issues in Ghostscript. These include
known limitations, minor bugs, performance issues, differences
from Adobe implementations, and others.
Language.htm
The relationship between the Ghostscript interpreter and the
PostScript language as defined by Adobe.
Lib.htm
A description of the Ghostscript library, a set of procedures
to implement the graphics and filtering capabilities that are
primitive operations in the PostScript language and in Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF). For developers.
Maintain.htm
Assorted Ghostscript maintenance procedures. For developers.
Make.htm
How to build Ghostscript executables from the source code. See
also how to install it. It's not necessary to be a highly
experienced developer to build or install Ghostscript, but some
experience is needed.
News.htm
A brief description of the latest release or pre-release of
Ghostscript, and a list of any incompatible changes in it.
Changes in older releases are described in the history files
"History*.htm", which are usually installed in the
documentation directory. Run "gs -h" to see where that is.
Projects.htm
A list of Ghostscript development projects with which we would
like help.
Ps-style.htm
The guidelines and style for postscript coding in Ghostscript.
Some of Ghostscript is implemented in the postscript language
itself, and various utilities and examples are distributed with
it. You should follow these guidelines if you're extending or
modifying those files. For developers.
Ps2epsi.htm
Detailed information on how to use Ghostscript through ps2epsi
to convert PostScript to Adobe Encapsulated PostScript
Interchange (EPSI) format.
Ps2pdf.htm
Detailed information on how to use Ghostscript through ps2pdf
to convert PostScript to Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).
Ps2ps2.htm
Detailed information on how to use Ghostscript through ps2ps2
to convert Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) or Adobe
Postscript Level 3 into Adobe Postscript Level 2.
Psfiles.htm
A description of the PostScript files (other than font files)
distributed with Ghostscript, including initialization
routines, utility programs, and sample printable files.
Public.htm
The Aladdin Free Public License, which states the conditions
for using and redistributing AFPL Ghostscript.
Readme.htm
This document.
Release.htm
A description of how to prepare and test a Ghostscript release.
Of interest only to developers who want to create new
Ghostscript versions for distribution.
Source.htm
A guide to the Ghostscript source code, for development and
debugging.
Testing.htm
Documentation for using the test scripts located in the
toolbin/tests directory, and conventions for writing new
testing scripts.
Unix-lpr.htm
How to set up Ghostscript as a Unix lpr filter.
Use.htm
Detailed instructions on how to use Ghostscript, including such
matters as designating an output device; choosing a default
paper size; how Ghostscript finds files, including font files;
how it uses environment variables; notes on specific platforms,
including the X Window System; and command-line options.
Xfonts.htm
Ghostscript's external font interface to a host platform's
font-rendering mechanism, for developers.
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Copyright �1996-2002 artofcode LLC. All rights reserved.
This software is provided AS-IS with no warranty, either express or
implied. This software is distributed under license and may not be
copied, modified or distributed except as expressly authorized under
the terms of the license contained in the file LICENSE in this
distribution. For more information about licensing, please refer to
http://www.ghostscript.com/licensing/. For information on commercial
licensing, go to http://www.artifex.com/licensing/ or contact Artifex
Software, Inc., 101 Lucas Valley Road #110, San Rafael, CA 94903,
U.S.A., +1(415)492-9861.
Ghostscript version 8.53, 20 October 2005
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