v2.18.0

Highlights

• Leak detector: new OpenImageRefs() and AssertNoLeaks(t) API for tracking unclosed ImageRef instances (#525)
• Split ImageRef: decomposed the 2607-line god object into 8 focused files by concern — zero API changes, same public surface (#525)
• WebP shrink-on-load support via scale parameter (#516)
• Animated AVIF (avis) detection support (#513)
• Fix memory leaks in vipsGetPoint and vipsImageGetAsString (#510)
• Fix segfault during animated WebP export in test suite
• Replace panics with errors in startupIfNeeded and test helpers (#522, #523)
• Update minimum libvips from 8.10 to 8.14 (#518)
• Fix C code bugs in set_image_delay and label (#512)
• Remove incorrect defers that would free internal vips pointers (#511)
• Update dependencies to fix known vulnerabilities
• Simplify CI workflow, align Go version with go.mod (#519)

Breaking

• Removed vips/pipeline package — it was a thin wrapper over ImageRef methods covering ~40 of 139 methods, creating a dual-surface problem. Use ImageRef methods directly.
• Minimum libvips version bumped from 8.10 to 8.14