README

= Prawn: Fast, Nimble PDF Generation For Ruby

Prawn is a PDF writing library for Ruby designed to be tiny, fast, and nimble,
just like the majestic sea creature.

Development on this library was initially made possible thanks to 
the many people who donated to the Ruby Mendicant project: 
http://rubymendicant.wikidot.com 

The project is currently maintained by Gregory Brown, with lots of help from
the community.

== Quick Start

Getting started with Prawn can be as simple as:

 require 'prawn'
 pdf = Prawn::Document.new
 pdf.text("Prawn Rocks")
 pdf.render_file('prawn.pdf')

But prawn can do a lot more:

===Any page size you can think of

 Prawn::Document.new('A0')

...gives you an _really_ big page.

 Prawn::Document.new(:page_size   => [11.32, 8.49],
                     :page_layout => :portrait)

...giving you a postage stamp.

{Learn more}[link:classes/Prawn/Document.html]

===Multiple Font Handling with UTF-8 Support

 pdf.text("Prawn Rocks")
 pdf.font("/myfont.ttf")
 pdf.text("Prawn still rocks in a different font")

...allowing you to use any font you want.

{Learn more}[link:classes/Prawn/Font.html]

===Drawing graphics directly into the page

Simple shapes:

 pdf.stroke do
   pdf.circle_at [100,100], :radius => 25
   pdf.rectangle [300,300], 100, 200
 end

(note, you need to stroke the path to put "ink" there)

{Learn more}[link:classes/Prawn/Graphics.html]

===Embedding JPEG and PNG Images Natively

Reading an image directly from a file:

 prawn_logo = "#{Prawn::BASEDIR}/data/images/prawn_logo.png"
 pdf.image prawn_logo, :at => [50,450], :width => 450

Or reading it from an IO stream:

 require "open-uri"
 pdf.image open("http://prawn.majesticseacreature.com/media/prawn_logo.png")

{Learn more}[link:classes/Prawn/Images.html]

===Measurement Conversion Tools for Your Sanity

Prawn deals exclusively in PDF points... which work out to about 2.83464567mm... 
don't try and do it in your head, instead, let Prawn help you:

 require "prawn/measurement_extensions"

 Prawn::Document.generate(:page_layout => :portrait, 
                     :left_margin => 10.mm,    # different
                     :right_margin => 1.cm,    # units
                     :top_margin => 0.1.dm,    # work
                     :bottom_margin => 0.01.m, # well 
                     :page_size => 'A4') do
   text "Prawn Rocks"
 end

{Learn more}[link:classes/Prawn/Measurements.html]

== Resources

=== Website:

http://prawn.majesticseacreature.com

=== Examples:

http://github.com/sandal/prawn/tree/stable/examples

For tables and grid based layout:

http://github.com/sandal/prawn-layout/tree/stable/examples

For inline styling and advanced formatting:

http://github.com/sandal/prawn-format/tree/stable/examples

For encryption, password protection, and permissions:

http://github.com/madriska/prawn-security/tree/stable/examples

(or gem unpack prawn-core, prawn-format, prawn-security and prawn-layout if you want to run them locally)

=== Bug Tracker / Wiki:

http://github.com/sandal/prawn/issues
http://github.com/sandal/prawn-layout/issues
http://github.com/sandal/prawn-format/issues
http://github.com/madriska/prawn-security/issues

=== Source Code:

http://github.com/sandal/prawn
http://github.com/sandal/prawn-layout
http://github.com/sandal/prawn-format
http://github.com/madriska/prawn-security

=== Mailing List:

http://groups.google.com/group/prawn-ruby

=== IRC:

Find us in #prawn on irc.freenode.net
  Gregory Brown: <sandal>
  James Healy: <yob>               
  
== Notes to Developers: 

See HACKING file for details on getting set up with a local build.