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+README.Cairo.txt - 2010-10-25 - Cairo rendering support for FLTK
+----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+
+ CONTENTS
+==========
+
+ 1   INTRODUCTION
+ 2   CAIRO SUPPORT FOR FLTK 1.3
+   2.1   Configuration
+   2.2   Currently supported features
+   2.3   Future considerations 
+ 3   DOCUMENT HISTORY
+
+
+
+ iINTRODUCTION
+===============
+
+Cairo is a software library used to provide a vector graphics-based, 
+device-independent API for software developers. It is designed to provide 
+primitives for 2-dimensional drawing across a number of different 
+wbackends. Cairo is designed to use hardware acceleration when available.
+
+
+ CAIRO SUPPORT FOR FLTK 1.3
+=============================
+
+It is now possible to integrate cairo rendering in your fltk application
+more easily and transparently.
+In 1.3, we provide minimum support for Cairo,
+In particular, no "total" cairo rendering layer support is achieved,
+as in fltk2.
+
+
+ Configuration
+---------------
+
+All the changes are *inactive*  as long as the new configuration
+option --enable-cairo is not added to the configure command.
+For non configure based platforms/ide, the HAVE_CAIRO preprocess var.
+has to be defined.
+All configure based build files has now this feature integrated,
+also vc2005 build files have 2 new build modes "Release Cairo" and 
+"Debug Cairo".
+Others IDE's will be updated progressively.
+
+
+ Currently supported features
+------------------------------
+
+- Adding a new Fl_Cairo_Window class permitting transparent and easy
+integration of a Cairo draw callback without the need to achieve subclassing.
+
+- Adding a Fl::cairo_make_current(Fl_Window*) function only providing
+transparently a cairo context to your custom Fl_Window derived class.
+This function is intended to be used in your overloaded draw() method.
+
+- Adding an optional cairo autolink context mode support (disabled by default)
+  which permits complete & automatic synchronization of OS dependent graphical 
+  context and cairo contexts, thus furthering a valid cairo context anytime, 
+  in any current window. 
+  This feature should be only necessary in the following cases:
+  -  Intensive and almost systematic use of cairo contexts in an fltk application
+  -  Creation of a new cairo based scheme for fltk ...
+  -  Other uses of cairo necessiting the flk internals instrumentation 
+     to automatically making possible the use of a cairo context 
+     in any fltk window.
+
+- A new cairo demo that is available in the test subdirectory and has been
+   used as a testcase durings the multiplatform tests.
+
+For more details, please have a look to the doxygen documentation,
+in the Modules section.
+
+
+ Future considerations
+-----------------------
+
+From Bill:
+First there is the HAVE_CAIRO configuration option. This indicates that
+any cairo calls are available. In this case you get something like this:
+
+// static variable holding the last cairo context fltk set:
+cairo_t* Fl::cr;
+
+// Make cr draw in this window. This hides the ugly platform-dependent
+// part of getting cairo going:
+void Fl::cairo_make_current(Fl_Window*)
+
+*** POST 1.3 potential cairo use:
+// Set cr to something you made yourself. This lets you reuse functions
+// that use cr, and also tells fltk that cr is not one of it's own and
+// thus cannot be destroyed or reused for a different window:
+void Fl::cairo_make_current(cairo_t*)
+
+Second there is the USE_CAIRO configuration option. This means that all
+drawing is done using Cairo. In this case when a widget draw() method is
+called, it is exactly as though cairo_make_current(window) has been done.
+*** 
+
+Note that it should be possible to compile so HAVE_CAIRO works even if
+USE_CAIRO does not, and so that turning on USE_CAIRO does not break any
+programs written for HAVE_CAIRO.
+
+
+ DOCUMENT HISTORY
+==================
+
+Dec 20 2010 - matt: restructured document