README

                                  ParaGUI

                       Crossplatform widgetset for SDL
		          Version 1.1.6 - UNSTABLE


http://www.paragui.org


This library is a high-level crossplatform application framework and GUI
library. It is completely based on the Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL).
It can be compiled on various platforms (Linux, Win32, BeOS, MacOS, ...)
ParaGUI is targeted on crossplatform multimedia applications and
embedded devices operating on framebuffer displays.


Highlights of the library:

  * published under LGPL 

  * straight forward C++ class-design (see the API documentation) 

  * XML configuration of the new style engine 
  
  * XML widget layout loader
  
  * transparent useage of compressed file archives (with PhysicsFS)

  * asynchronous messagehandling (messageposts between objects) 

  * multithreaded 

  * support for non-modal overlapping widgets
    (windows inside of ParaGUI)

  * highly customizable widgets
    (background gradients, background images, transparency, colors, fonts) 

  * many standard widgets already implemented
    (buttons, labels, scrollbars, progressbars, windows ...) 

  * create your own widgets
    (subclass an existing widget) 

  * Python support

  * you can help us to make the library even better

  * signal / slot mechanism


This library is distributed under GNU LGPL version 2, which can be
found in the file "COPYING". 

To learn more about ParaGUI checkout the homepage, see the API
documentation and subscribe to the mailing list.

Here some rules that are a *must follow* for all contributors:


1. code in C++ - if there are standard C++ mechanisms that implement
   something (a list, a container, a buffer, a string etc.) then they 
   MUST be used unless some other interfaced code requires other techniques. 
   After all it's a C++ project

2. major changes that may break the functionality of ParaGUI and 
   the applications must be discussed on the devel list and _planned_
   before comitting them. The author of such changes should take every care 
   to implement the changes so that after commit the library is functional 
   in all its basic functionality.

3. If some changes require long-term development _and_ they break the
   functionality of the library, the developer should request for a 
   development branch of the current tree.


Have fun 


Alexander Pipelka
pipelka@teleweb.at