docs/readme.txt

   1 wxWindows 2.1.12
   2 ----------------
   3
   4 Welcome to wxWindows 2, a sophisticated cross-platform C++
   5 framework for writing advanced GUI applications using (where
   6 possible) the native controls.
   7
   8 In addition to common and advanced GUI facilities such as frames, scrolling
   9 windows, toolbars, tree controls, icons, device contexts, printing,
  10 splitter windows and so on, there are wrappers for common file operations,
  11 and facilities for writing TCP/IP applications, thread handling, and more.
  12 Where certain features are not available on a platform, such as MDI and
  13 tree controls on Unix, they are emulated.
  14
  15 A detailed 1100-page reference manual is supplied in HTML, PDF and
  16 Windows Help form: see the docs hierarchy.
  17
  18 For a quick start, point your Web browser at docs/html/index.htm for a list of
  19 important documents and samples.
  20
  21 Changes in this release
  22 -----------------------
  23
  24 These are some of the major improvements:
  25
  26 wxWindows 2.1.12
  27 ================
  28
  29 - New wxDateTime class to replace millenium-uncompliant wxTime
  30   and wxDate classes.
  31 - New wxCalendarCtrl class and sample.
  32 - New wxCmdLineParser class.
  33 - Further bug fixes.
  34 - TIFF support added to wxImage.
  35
  36 wxWindows 2.1.11
  37 ================
  38
  39 - Numerous bug fixes and consistency improvements.
  40 - Further samples.
  41 - Factoring out of some code into base classes, for easier
  42   maintenance.
  43 - Ability to compile library in console (non-GUI) mode.
  44 - Integration of wxHTML widget and help controller into
  45   wxWindows. wxHTML allows HTML viewing and printing (wxGTK
  46   and wxMSW, partial support in wxMotif).
  47 - New classes wxChrono, wxDialUpManager, wxFontEnumerator,
  48   wxWizard, wxStaticLine, etc.
  49 - wxShowTip for showing 'startup tips' to the user.
  50 - wxSocket and wxThread classes rewritten.
  51 - New, consistent drag and drop API (not wxMotif).
  52 - Better-looking dialogs in wxGTK; native message box used
  53   in wxMotif.
  54 - wxSizers reimplemented and used to specify window layout
  55   for some generic dialogs.
  56 - New, more sophisticated wxGrid class (in beta). The old grid
  57   class can still be used.
  58 - Text alignment options in wxStaticText.
  59 - wxImage class extended to read PCX and GIF files.
  60 - Documentation improvements.
  61 - Revised configure system for wxGTK and wxMotif; tmake-based
  62   system for generating wxMSW makefiles.
  63 - Installer for Windows as alternative to zip archives.
  64
  65 Platforms supported
  66 -------------------
  67
  68 wxWindows 2 currently supports the following platforms:
  69
  70 - Windows 3.1, Windows 95/98, Windows NT
  71 - Most Unix variants with Motif/Lesstif
  72 - Most Unix variants with GTK+
  73 - Mac (not covered here: please see the wxWindows web site
  74   for details)
  75
  76 Most popular C++ compilers are supported; see the release notes
  77 (available via docs/html/index.htm) for details.
  78
  79 Files
  80 -----
  81
  82 The distribution is available in a number of formats.
  83 The most convenient is the platform-specific distribution,
  84 but the zip set forms a more complete distribution, for example if
  85 you wish to take part in wxWindows development. Also, add-ons
  86 such as OGL may only be available in zip form.
  87
  88 Zip set
  89 -------
  90
  91 Depending on what you downloaded, you may have one or more of
  92 these ports. You may unarchive any or all of the ports into
  93 the same directory hierarchy. The zip archive set comprises the
  94 following, where x is the minor version and y the release number:
  95
  96 wx2_x_y_gen.zip            Generic source code and samples (required)
  97 wx2_x_y_msw.zip            Windows-specific source code
  98 wx2_x_y_mot.zip            Motif-specific source code
  99 wx2_x_y_gtk.zip            GTK-specific source code
 100 wx2_x_y_stubs.zip          Stubs ('empty port') source. Needs
 101                            wx2_x_y_gen.zip/tgz.
 102 wx2_x_y_doc.zip            Documentation source code (not required)
 103 wx2_x_y_hlp.zip            WinHelp documentation
 104 wx2_x_y_pdf.zip            Acrobat PDF documentation
 105 wx2_x_y_htm.zip            HTML documentation
 106 wx2_x_y_vc.zip             MS VC++ 5/6 project files
 107 wx2_x_y_bc.zip             Borland C++ 5 project files
 108 wx2_x_y_cw.zip             Metrowerks CodeWarrior 4.1 project files
 109 jpeg.zip                   Optional JPEG library
 110 tiff.zip                   Optional TIFF library
 111 ogl3.zip                   Optional Object Graphics Library
 112 glcanvas.zip               Optional wxGLCanvas class (Motif, GTK, MSW)
 113 tex2rtf2.zip               Tex2RTF documentation tool
 114
 115 wxWindows for GTK distribution
 116 ------------------------------
 117
 118 wxGTK-2.x.y.tgz            wxGTK source distribution. You will
 119                            need the HTML and/or PDF documentation
 120                            from the zip set (above).
 121
 122 wxWindows for Motif distribution
 123 --------------------------------
 124
 125 wxMotif-2.x.y.tgz          wxMotif source distribution. You will
 126                            need the HTML and/or PDF documentation
 127    -- OR --                from the zip set (above).
 128
 129 wx2_x_y_gen.zip
 130 wx2_x_y_mot.zip
 131 jpeg.zip
 132
 133 wxWindows for Windows distribution
 134 ----------------------------------
 135
 136 As well as the core source, the Windows setup contains:
 137
 138 - Windows Help versions of the documentation (docs/winhelp);
 139 - wxGLCanvas (OpenGL integration, in utils/glcanvas);
 140 - OGL 3 (Object Graphics Library, in utils/ogl);
 141 - wxTreeLayout (for tree drawing, in utils/wxtree);
 142 - a Dialog Editor binary;
 143 - the JPEG library.
 144
 145 setup.exe               Setup file (Windows 95/98, NT)
 146 setup.*                 Other setup files
 147
 148 Installation
 149 ------------
 150
 151 wxWindows 2 needs to be compiled before you can test out
 152 the samples or write your own applications.
 153 For installation information, please see the install.txt file
 154 in the individual directories:
 155
 156   docs/msw
 157   docs/gtk
 158   docs/motif
 159
 160 Licence information
 161 -------------------
 162
 163 For licensing information, please see the files:
 164
 165   docs/preamble.txt
 166   docs/licence.txt
 167   docs/licendoc.txt
 168   docs/gpl.txt
 169   docs/lgpl.txt
 170
 171 Although this may seem complex, it is there to allow authors of
 172 proprietary/commercial applications to use wxWindows in
 173 addition to those writing GPL'ed applications. In summary,
 174 the licence is LGPL plus a clause allowing unrestricted
 175 distribution of application binaries. To answer a FAQ, you
 176 don't have to distribute any source if you wish to write
 177 commercial applications using wxWindows.
 178
 179 However, if you distribute wxGTK or wxMotif (with Lesstif) version
 180 of your application, don't forget that it is linked against
 181 GTK+ (or Lesstif) which is covered by LGPL *without* exception
 182 notice. Under Linux systems your app is probably linked
 183 against LGPL glibc as well. Please read carefuly LGPL, section 6.
 184 which describes conditions for distribution of closed source applications
 185 linked against LGPL library. Basically you should link dynamicaly and
 186 include source code of LGPL libraries with your product (unless it is
 187 already present in user's system - like glibc usually is).
 188
 189 If compiled with --enable-odbc (Unix only), wxWindows library will
 190 contain iODBC library which is covered by LGPL.
 191
 192
 193 Documentation
 194 -------------
 195
 196 See docs/release.txt for some notes about the current release.
 197
 198 See docs/bugs.txt for a bug list: this file is new and will initially
 199   be edited by hand, later generated from a web-based bug database.
 200
 201 See docs/html/index.htm for an HTML index of the major documents.
 202
 203 See docs/changes.txt for a detailed history of changes to wxWindows 2
 204   (not up-to-date).
 205
 206 The Windows help files are located in docs/winhelp.
 207 The PDF help files are located in docs/pdf.
 208
 209 Further information
 210 -------------------
 211
 212 The wxWindows Web site is located at:
 213
 214   http://www.wxwindows.org
 215
 216 The wxGTK Web site (with further wxGTK-specific files and
 217 information) is located at:
 218
 219   http://www.freiburg.linux.de/~wxxt
 220
 221 The main wxWindows ftp site is at:
 222
 223   ftp://www.remstar.com/pub/wxwin
 224
 225 A wxWindows CD-ROM with the latest distribution plus an HTML
 226 front-end and hundreds of MB of compilers, utilities and other
 227 material may be ordered from the CD-ROM page (see the wxWindows
 228 web site) or contact Julian Smart <julian.smart@ukonline.co.uk>.
 229
 230 Good luck!
 231
 232 The wxWindows Team, Janurary 2000
 233