docs/readme.txt

   1 wxWindows 2.1.13
   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 Please see changes.txt for details.
  25
  26 Platforms supported
  27 -------------------
  28
  29 wxWindows 2 currently supports the following platforms:
  30
  31 - Windows 3.1, Windows 95/98, Windows NT
  32 - Most Unix variants with Motif/Lesstif
  33 - Most Unix variants with GTK+
  34 - Mac (not covered here: please see the wxWindows web site
  35   for details)
  36
  37 Most popular C++ compilers are supported; see the install.txt
  38 file for each platform (available via docs/html/index.htm) for details.
  39
  40 Files
  41 -----
  42
  43 The distribution is available in a number of formats.
  44 The most convenient is the platform-specific distribution,
  45 but the zip set forms a more complete distribution, for example if
  46 you wish to take part in wxWindows development. Also, add-ons
  47 such as OGL may only be available in zip form.
  48
  49 Zip set
  50 -------
  51
  52 Depending on what you downloaded, you may have one or more of
  53 these ports. You may unarchive any or all of the ports into
  54 the same directory hierarchy. The zip archive set comprises the
  55 following, where x is the minor version and y the release number:
  56
  57 wx2_x_y_gen.zip            Generic source code and samples (required)
  58 wx2_x_y_msw.zip            Windows-specific source code
  59 wx2_x_y_mot.zip            Motif-specific source code
  60 wx2_x_y_gtk.zip            GTK-specific source code
  61 wx2_x_y_stubs.zip          Stubs ('empty port') source. Needs
  62                            wx2_x_y_gen.zip/tgz.
  63 wx2_x_y_doc.zip            Documentation source code (not required)
  64 wx2_x_y_hlp.zip            WinHelp documentation
  65 wx2_x_y_pdf.zip            Acrobat PDF documentation
  66 wx2_x_y_htm.zip            HTML documentation
  67 wx2_x_y_vc.zip             MS VC++ 5/6 project files
  68 wx2_x_y_bc.zip             Borland C++ 5 project files
  69 wx2_x_y_cw.zip             Metrowerks CodeWarrior 4.1 project files
  70 jpeg.zip                   Optional JPEG library
  71 tiff.zip                   Optional TIFF library
  72 ogl3.zip                   Optional Object Graphics Library
  73 glcanvas.zip               Optional wxGLCanvas class (Motif, GTK, MSW)
  74 tex2rtf2.zip               Tex2RTF documentation tool
  75
  76 wxWindows for GTK distribution
  77 ------------------------------
  78
  79 wxGTK-2.x.y.tgz            wxGTK source distribution. You will
  80                            need the HTML and/or PDF documentation
  81                            from the zip set (above).
  82
  83 wxWindows for Motif distribution
  84 --------------------------------
  85
  86 wxMotif-2.x.y.tgz          wxMotif source distribution. You will
  87                            need the HTML and/or PDF documentation
  88    -- OR --                from the zip set (above).
  89
  90 wx2_x_y_gen.zip
  91 wx2_x_y_mot.zip
  92 jpeg.zip
  93
  94 wxWindows for Windows distribution
  95 ----------------------------------
  96
  97 As well as the core source, the Windows setup contains:
  98
  99 - Windows Help versions of the documentation (docs/winhelp);
 100 - wxGLCanvas (OpenGL integration, in utils/glcanvas);
 101 - OGL 3 (Object Graphics Library, in utils/ogl);
 102 - wxTreeLayout (for tree drawing, in utils/wxtree);
 103 - a Dialog Editor binary;
 104 - the JPEG library.
 105
 106 setup.exe               Setup file (Windows 95/98, NT)
 107 setup.*                 Other setup files
 108
 109 Installation
 110 ------------
 111
 112 wxWindows 2 needs to be compiled before you can test out
 113 the samples or write your own applications.
 114 For installation information, please see the install.txt file
 115 in the individual directories:
 116
 117   docs/msw
 118   docs/gtk
 119   docs/motif
 120
 121 Licence information
 122 -------------------
 123
 124 For licensing information, please see the files:
 125
 126   docs/preamble.txt
 127   docs/licence.txt
 128   docs/licendoc.txt
 129   docs/gpl.txt
 130   docs/lgpl.txt
 131
 132 Although this may seem complex, it is there to allow authors of
 133 proprietary/commercial applications to use wxWindows in
 134 addition to those writing GPL'ed applications. In summary,
 135 the licence is LGPL plus a clause allowing unrestricted
 136 distribution of application binaries. To answer a FAQ, you
 137 don't have to distribute any source if you wish to write
 138 commercial applications using wxWindows.
 139
 140 However, if you distribute wxGTK or wxMotif (with Lesstif) version
 141 of your application, don't forget that it is linked against
 142 GTK+ (or Lesstif) which is covered by LGPL *without* exception
 143 notice. Under Linux systems your app is probably linked
 144 against LGPL glibc as well. Please read carefuly LGPL, section 6.
 145 which describes conditions for distribution of closed source applications
 146 linked against LGPL library. Basically you should link dynamicaly and
 147 include source code of LGPL libraries with your product (unless it is
 148 already present in user's system - like glibc usually is).
 149
 150 If compiled with --enable-odbc (Unix only), wxWindows library will
 151 contain iODBC library which is covered by LGPL.
 152
 153 Documentation
 154 -------------
 155
 156 See docs/bugs.txt for a bug list: this file is new and will initially
 157   be edited by hand, later generated from a web-based bug database.
 158
 159 See docs/html/index.htm for an HTML index of the major documents.
 160
 161 See docs/changes.txt for a detailed history of changes to wxWindows 2
 162   (not up-to-date).
 163
 164 The Windows help files are located in docs/winhelp.
 165 The PDF help files are located in docs/pdf.
 166
 167 Further information
 168 -------------------
 169
 170 The wxWindows Web site is located at:
 171
 172   http://www.wxwindows.org
 173
 174 The wxGTK Web site (with further wxGTK-specific files and
 175 information) is located at:
 176
 177   http://www.freiburg.linux.de/~wxxt
 178
 179 The main wxWindows ftp site is at:
 180
 181   ftp://www.remstar.com/pub/wxwin
 182
 183 A wxWindows CD-ROM with the latest distribution plus an HTML
 184 front-end and hundreds of MB of compilers, utilities and other
 185 material may be ordered from the CD-ROM page (see the wxWindows
 186 web site) or contact Julian Smart <julian.smart@ukonline.co.uk>.
 187
 188 Good luck!
 189
 190 The wxWindows Team, February 2000
 191