
                            Overview of Ghostscript

   If this is your first contact with Ghostscript, before continuing here
   you should read the documentation for new users, where you'll find
     * what Ghostscript does (PostScript and PDF previewing, conversion,
       and printing);
     * its licensing terms (free for ordinary use);
     * what platforms it runs on (every platform you're likely to be
       interested in);
     * where to find some useful programs that enhance Ghostscript (like
       user-friendly previewers for Unix, VMS, MS Windows, DOS, and
       Macintosh); and
     * what to do if you need help.

   The rest of this document is a roadmap to the Ghostscript
   documentation. After looking through it, if you want to install
   Ghostscript and not only use it, we recommend you read how to install
   Ghostscript, and how to compile Ghostscript from source code (which is
   necessary before installing it on Unix and VMS systems).
     _________________________________________________________________

Table of contents

     * Document roadmap by theme
          + What should I read if I'm a new user?
          + AFPL Ghostscript and GNU Ghostscript
          + Before building Ghostscript
          + What should I read if I'm not a new user?
          + What if I'm a developer?
          + What if I'm writing documentation?
     * Presence on the World Wide Web
          + Ghostscript's home pages
          + Adobe PostScript, Encapsulated PostScript, and PDF reference
            documentation
          + Other material on the WWW
     * Which document contains what?
          + Primarily for users:

   Bug-form.htm
   Bug-info.htm
   Devices.htm
   Helpers.htm
       Humor.htm
   New-user.htm
   Ps2epsi.htm
   Ps2pdf.htm
       Readme.htm
   Unix-lpr.htm
   Use.htm

          + For both users and developers:

   Changes.htm
   Commprod.htm
   Copying.htm
   Current.htm
   Fonts.htm
       Hershey.htm
   History*.htm
   Install.htm
   Language.htm
   Make.htm
       News.htm
   Psfiles.htm
   Public.htm
   Tester.htm

          + Primarily for developers:

   API.htm
   C-style.htm
   DLL.htm
   Develop.htm
   Drivers.htm
       Htmstyle.htm
   Issues.htm
   Lib.htm
   Maintain.htm
   Projects.htm
       Ps-style.htm
   Release.htm
   Source.htm
   Xfonts.htm
     _________________________________________________________________

Document roadmap by theme

  What should I read if I'm a new user?

   A new user of Ghostscript should begin by reading the material
   specifically for new users, then as many of these documents as seem
   useful:
     * how to install Ghostscript
     * how to use Ghostscript; some of this information information also
       found in gs.1, the Unix "man" page for Ghostscript.
     * the catalogs at the beginning of devs.mak and contrib.mak, which
       list all the devices for which Ghostscript is able to produce
       output (although if you got Ghostscript in binary form, it will
       only include some of these devices)
     * detailed information about some specific devices that Ghostscript
       knows about
     * more detailed information about how to use Ghostscript under Unix
       with lpr as a filter for non-PostScript printers
     * information about reporting problems--but remember that
       Ghostscript comes with NO WARRANTY and NO SUPPORT

  AFPL Ghostscript and GNU Ghostscript

   AFPL Ghostscript and GNU Ghostscript are different releases. If you
   have AFPL Ghostscript, not the GNU Ghostscript releases distributed by
   the Free Software Foundation, you should read (or at least skim
   through):
     * additional information about AFPL Ghostscript releases that is not
       relevant to GNU Ghostscript releases.

   If you run into any questions, or if you are going to be using
   Ghostscript extensively, you should at least skim, and probably
   eventually read:
     * about the fonts distributed with Ghostscript, including how to add
       or replace fonts
     * a description of the Ghostscript language, and its differences
       from the documented PostScript language
     * about the postscript files distributed with Ghostscript (other
       than fonts)

  Before building Ghostscript

   If you are going to compile Ghostscript, rather than just use an
   executable you got from somewhere, you should read:
     * how to build Ghostscript and install it
     _________________________________________________________________

What should I read if I'm not a new user?

   If you have already used Ghostscript, when you receive a new release
   you should begin by reading this file, then
     * News.htm, for incompatible changes and new features in the current
       release;
     * Current.htm, for known problems in the current release;
     * if you wish, Changes.htm, for a detailed list of changes in the
       current release;
     * if you wish, History#.htm (currently History7.htm), for changes in
       other releases.
     _________________________________________________________________

What if I'm a developer?

   If you are going to do any development on or with Ghostscript at all,
   you should at least look at
     * the roadmap documentation for Ghostscript's source files and
       architecture

   If you are going to write a new driver for Ghostscript, you should
   read
     * the guide to the Ghostscript source code
     * the interface between Ghostscript and device drivers
     * about the external font interface between Ghostscript and
       platform-supplied fonts (but read about drivers in general first)

   If you are considering distributing Ghostscript (either AFPL or GNU
   versions) in conjunction with a commercial product, you should read
   the license carefully, and you should also read
     * additional clarification of the circumstances under which
       Ghostscript can be distributed with a commercial product

   If you intend to use Ghostscript in the form of a dynamic link library
   (DLL) under OS/2 or Microsoft Windows or in the form of shared object
   under Linux, read
     * documentation on Ghostscript Interpreter API

   If you want to use Ghostscript as part of another program--as a
   callable PostScript language interpreter--and not as a DLL or as a
   self-contained executable application, you should begin by reading
     * the source file imain.h, the documented API for Ghostscript not as
       a DLL

   or if you are going to use only the Ghostscript graphics library,
     * about the structure of the Ghostscript library and its interfaces
     _________________________________________________________________

What if I'm writing documentation?

   If you are editing or adding to Ghostscript's existing documentation
   in HTML format, or writing a new document, you should read
     * the coding and style guidelines for Ghostscript's HTML-based
       documentation.
     _________________________________________________________________

Presence on the World Wide Web

  Ghostscript's home page

   Ghostscript has a home page on the World Wide Web with helpful
   information such as the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) and a list of
   known problems and workarounds for the current AFPL Ghostscript
   release (in the "Obtaining" file for that release):

     http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/

   More material about Ghostscript can be found at

     http://www.ghostscript.com/

  Adobe PostScript, Encapsulated PostScript, and PDF reference documentation

   Adobe makes a wealth of technical documentation available over the
   Web, including the PostScript Language Reference Manual (Third
   Edition); the Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) Format Specification
   version 3, including Encapsulated PostScript Interchange (EPSI)
   format; the PDF 1.3 specification; and the pdfmark, transparency and
   Acrobat Distiller parameters documentation. Some of these documents
   are also available at Adobe's ftp site, but not necessarily under the
   same filenames.

  Other material on the WWW

   Much other material about Ghostscript is available on the World Wide
   Web, both as web pages and as archived Usenet and mailing list
   discussions. Use the well-known search engines to find such material.

   There is a good manual for Ghostscript available in PDF form, in
   English and German (and soon in Japanese), at:

     http://www.pdflib.com/gsmanual

   There is a translation of the Ghostscript 'man' pages into Czech at:

     http://www.volny.cz/rebus/ghostscript/
     _________________________________________________________________

Which document contains what?

   Here is the list in alphabetic order of Ghostscript documentation,
   with explanations of the contents.

   API.htm
          On MS-Windows and OS/2, Ghostscript is compiled as a dynamic
          link library (DLL). On Linux, Ghostscript can be compiled as a
          shared object. This describes how to use it. For developers.

   Bug-form.htm
          A form to fill out and email to report a problem with AFPL
          Ghostscript--but remember that Ghostscript comes with NO
          WARRANTY and NO SUPPORT. Please read the instructions before
          reporting a bug.

   Bug-info.htm
          Information about how to report problems with AFPL
          Ghostscript--but remember that Ghostscript comes with NO
          WARRANTY and NO SUPPORT. Please read this before reporting a
          problem.

   C-style.htm
          Guidelines and style for C coding, which you should follow if,
          for example, you write a new driver or add or change something
          in Ghostscript. For developers.

   Changes.htm
          A detailed list of all code changes in the current release or
          pre-release, generated mechanically from the CVS logs. For
          developers.

   Commprod.htm
          The conditions under which Ghostscript may be distributed in a
          commercial context. See also the Aladdin Free Public License.

   Copying.htm
          A reminder that AFPL Ghostscript is governed NOT by the Free
          Software Foundation's GNU General Public License but by the
          Aladdin Free Public License.

   Current.htm
          Information specifically about the current release of
          Ghostscript. See also the latest news of changes.

   DLL.htm
          On OS/2, MS Windows-16 and MS Windows-32 platforms, Ghostscript
          is compiled as a dynamic link library (DLL). This describes how
          to use it. For developers. This DLL interface is obsolete. Use
          API.htm instead.

   Develop.htm
          Code orientation for developers. Contains a detailed breakdown
          of the source files by functional group, and overviews of the
          major architectural features and services.

   Devices.htm
          Detailed information about some specific devices for which
          Ghostscript can produce output. Run "gs -h" to see which
          devices a particular version of Ghostscript is built to use.

   Drivers.htm
          Describes the interface between Ghostscript and device drivers.
          If you do this, you should also read and use the C style and
          coding guidelines. Necessary to develop a new driver. For
          developers.

   Fonts.htm
          All about fonts freely available for Ghostscript, and how to
          add and use new fonts. Also describes how to use Ghostscript
          fonts as X Windows fonts. For both users and developers.

   Helpers.htm
          A note of thanks to people who have helped in the development
          of Ghostscript.

   Hershey.htm
          Part 1 of the five-part original Usenet distribution of the
          free Hershey fonts, giving the terms of use and describing
          their encoding.

   History*.htm
          The history of changes in all Ghostscript releases:

     History7.htm for Ghostscript versions 7.n
     History6.htm for Ghostscript versions 6.n
     History5.htm for Ghostscript versions 5.n
     History4.htm for Ghostscript versions 4.n
     History3.htm for Ghostscript versions 3.n
     History2.htm for Ghostscript versions 2.n
     History1.htm for Ghostscript versions 1.n

   Htmstyle.htm
          The guidelines and style for HTML coding of Ghostscript's
          documentation, which you should follow if, for example, you
          change existing HTML documentation or write new documents. For
          writers and editors.

   Humor.htm
          Another Ghostscript interpreter.

   Install.htm
          How to install Ghostscript. See also how to build it.

   Issues.htm
          A list of outstanding open issues in Ghostscript. These include
          known limitations, minor bugs, performance issues, differences
          from Adobe implementations, and others.

   Language.htm
          The relationship between the Ghostscript interpreter and the
          PostScript language as defined by Adobe.

   Lib.htm
          A description of the Ghostscript library, a set of procedures
          to implement the graphics and filtering capabilities that are
          primitive operations in the PostScript language and in Adobe
          Portable Document Format (PDF). For developers.

   Maintain.htm
          Assorted Ghostscript maintenance procedures. For developers.

   Make.htm
          How to build Ghostscript executables from the source code. See
          also how to install it. It's not necessary to be a highly
          experienced developer to build or install Ghostscript, but some
          experience is needed.

   New-user.htm
          Essential information for new users of Ghostscript.

   News.htm
          A brief description of the latest release or pre-release of
          Ghostscript, and a list of any incompatible changes in it.
          Changes in older releases are described in the history files
          "History*.htm", which are usually installed in the
          documentation directory. Run "gs -h" to see where that is.

   Projects.htm
          A list of Ghostscript development projects with which we would
          like help.

   Ps-style.htm
          The guidelines and style for postscript coding in Ghostscript.
          Some of Ghostscript is implemented in the postscript language
          itself, and various utilities and examples are distributed with
          it. You should follow these guidelines if you're extending or
          modifying those files. For developers.

   Ps2epsi.htm
          Detailed information on how to use Ghostscript through ps2epsi
          to convert PostScript to Adobe Encapsulated PostScript
          Interchange (EPSI) format.

   Ps2pdf.htm
          Detailed information on how to use Ghostscript through ps2pdf
          to convert PostScript to Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).

   Psfiles.htm
          A description of the PostScript files (other than font files)
          distributed with Ghostscript, including initialization
          routines, utility programs, and sample printable files.

   Public.htm
          The Aladdin Free Public License, which states the conditions
          for using and redistributing AFPL Ghostscript.

   Readme.htm
          This document.

   Release.htm
          A description of how to prepare and test a Ghostscript release.
          Of interest only to developers who want to create new
          Ghostscript versions for distribution.

   Source.htm
          A guide to the Ghostscript source code, for development and
          debugging.

   Tester.htm
          A short questionnaire to fill out if you would like to be
          notified of new tester / beta releases.

   Unix-lpr.htm
          How to set up Ghostscript as a Unix lpr filter.

   Use.htm
          Detailed instructions on how to use Ghostscript, including such
          matters as designating an output device; choosing a default
          paper size; how Ghostscript finds files, including font files;
          how it uses environment variables; notes on specific platforms,
          including the X Window System; and command-line options.

   Xfonts.htm
          Ghostscript's external font interface to a host platform's
          font-rendering mechanism, for developers.
     _________________________________________________________________

   Copyright © 1996, 2000 Aladdin Enterprises. All rights reserved.

   This file is part of AFPL Ghostscript. See the Aladdin Free Public
   License (the "License") for full details of the terms of using,
   copying, modifying, and redistributing AFPL Ghostscript.

   Ghostscript version 7.04, 30 January 2002
