                            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).
     __________________________________________________________________

Table of contents

     * Document roadmap by theme
          + What should I read if I'm a new user?
          + GPL Ghostscript and commerical 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:

   Deprecated.htm
   Devices.htm
       Helpers.htm
   Ps2epsi.htm
       Ps2pdf.htm
   Ps2ps2.htm
   Readme.htm
   Unix-lpr.htm
   Use.htm

          + For both users and developers:

   Changes.htm
   Commprod.htm
   Fonts.htm
   Hershey.htm
       History*.htm
   Install.htm
   Language.htm
   Make.htm
       News.htm
   Psfiles.htm
   COPYING

          + Primarily for developers:

   API.htm
   C-style.htm
   DLL.htm
   Develop.htm
   Drivers.htm
       Issues.htm
   Lib.htm
   Projects.htm
       Ps-style.htm
   Release.htm
   Source.htm
   Xfonts.htm
     __________________________________________________________________

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
     * more detailed information about how to use Ghostscript under Unix
       with lpr as a filter for printing
     * for information about known problems or to report a new one, please
       visit bugs.ghostscript.com but remember that free versions of
       Ghostscript come with with NO WARRANTY and NO SUPPORT

  GPL and commercial Ghostscript

   GPL Ghostscript, Artifex Ghostscript and AFPL Ghostscript are different
   releases.
     * additional information about GPL Ghostscript releases that is not
       relevant to commercial versions.

   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
     __________________________________________________________________

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.
     __________________________________________________________________

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 GPL Ghostscript 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
     __________________________________________________________________

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
     __________________________________________________________________

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 GPL 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/
     __________________________________________________________________

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.

   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 GNU General 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

   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.

   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.

   COPYING
          The GNU General Public License, which states the conditions for
          using and redistributing GPL 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.

   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.
     __________________________________________________________________

   Copyright © 2000-2006 Artifex Software, Inc. 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 that license. Refer to licensing information at
   http://www.artifex.com/ or contact Artifex Software, Inc., 7 Mt. Lassen
   Drive - Suite A-134, San Rafael, CA 94903, U.S.A., +1(415)492-9861, for
   further information.

   Ghostscript version 8.71, 10 February 2010
