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<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?><!-- -*- indent-tabs-mode: nil -*- -->
<appendix id="apx-modules">
<title>Quick Module Overview</title>
<para>This appendix provides a quick overview of the libraries included
in the GNOME desktop and developer platform. Libraries are listed by
module with a brief description and a link for more information in this
document, where possible.</para>
<section id="apx-modules-platform">
<title>Platform Modules</title>
<para>Modules in the GNOME developer platform make strict guarantees
about API and ABI stability. Applications developed against platform
modules can be assured of running unmodified for the duration of the
GNOME 2 lifecycle.</para>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term>GConf</term>
<listitem><para>GConf provides the daemon and libraries for storing
and retrieving configuration data. GConf is discussed in <xref
linkend="gconf"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>ORBit</term>
<listitem><para>ORBit is a fast and lightweight CORBA server. GNOME's
component architecture, Bonobo, is built on top of CORBA. CORBA is
discussed in <xref linkend="bonobo-corba"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>atk</term>
<listitem><para>ATK provides the set of accessibility interfaces that
are implemented by other toolkits and applications. Using the ATK
interfaces, accessibility tools have full access to view and control
running applications. ATK is discussed in <xref linkend="a11y"/>.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>gail</term>
<listitem><para>GAIL provides an implementation of the ATK interfaces for
GTK+ and GNOME libraries, allowing accessibility tools to interact with
applications written using these libraries. Accessibility is discussed
in <xref linkend="a11y"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>gio</term>
<listitem><para>A part of GLib, the GIO library provides a high-level
API for accessing files and folders. Together with the GVFS library,
it provides a file system abstraction that allows transparent access
to local and remote files. GIO is discussed in
<xref linkend="gio"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>glib</term>
<listitem><para>GLib provides the core application building blocks for
libraries and applications written in C. It provides the core object
system used in GNOME, the main loop implementation, and a large set of
utility functions for strings and common data structures.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>gnome-vfs</term>
<listitem><para>GnomeVFS is a deprecated library for accessing files and
folders. It is superseded by GIO and GVFS. Newly written code should
use GIO instead.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>gtk+</term>
<listitem><para>GTK+ is the primary library used to construct user
interfaces in GNOME applications. It provides user interface controls
and signal callbacks to control user interfaces. GTK+ is discussed in
<xref linkend="gtk"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>gvfs</term>
<listitem><para>GVFS provides a backend implementation for GIO, allowing
access to numerous protocols with the GIO API. Developers do not access
GVFS directly. Instead, applications written with GIO will automatically
use GVFS on systems where it is enabled.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libIDL</term>
<listitem><para>libIDL is a library for parsing Interface Definition
Language (IDL) files, which are necessary for CORBA interfaces. libIDL
is used by GNOME's CORBA implementation, ORBit. CORBA is discussed in
<xref linkend="bonobo-corba"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libart_lgpl</term>
<listitem><para>libart is a graphics library which can render vector
paths. It is used by the GnomeCanvas widget.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libbonobo</term>
<listitem><para>Bonobo is a framework for creating reusable components
for use in GNOME applications, built on top of CORBA. Bonobo is
discussed in <xref linkend="bonobo-corba"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libbonoboui</term>
<listitem><para>The Bonobo UI library provides a number of user interface
controls using the Bonobo component framework. Bonobo is discussed in
<xref linkend="bonobo-corba"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libglade</term>
<listitem><para>Libglade is a library for constructing user interfaces
dynamically from XML descriptions. Libglade allow programmers to
construct their user interfaces using a graphical interface builder
application, and then import those interface definitions. Libglade
is discussed in <xref linkend="libglade"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libgnome</term>
<listitem><para>The libgnome library provides a number of useful routines
for building modern applications, including session management, activation
of files and URIs, and displaying help.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libgnomecanvas</term>
<listitem><para>The GnomeCanvas widget provides a flexible widget for
creating iteractive structrued graphics.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libgnomeui</term>
<listitem><para>The libgnomeui library provides additional widgets for
applications. Many of the widgets from libgnomeui have already been
ported to GTK+.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libxml2</term>
<listitem><para>The libxml2 library provides a number of APIs for working
with XML in a standards-compliant manner. The libxml2 library is
discussed in <xref linkend="libxml2"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libxslt</term>
<listitem><para>The libxslt library provides a fast and complete
implementation of XSLT, a language for transforming XML. The libxslt
library is discussed in <xref linkend="libxslt"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>pango</term>
<listitem><para>Pango is the core textand font handling library used
in GNOME applications. It has extensive support for the different
writing systems used throughout the world. Pango is discussed in
<xref linkend="pango"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</section>
<section id="apx-modules-desktop">
<title>Desktop Modules</title>
<para>Modules in the GNOME desktop are not required to make the same
API and ABI stability guarantees as modules in the platform, although
attempts are made to keep them relatively stable. Often, modules are
introduced in the desktop release to mature, and are moved into the
platform once they've stabilized.</para>
<variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term>eel</term>
<listitem><para>The eel library provides a number of additional widgets
primarily for use inside <application>Nautilus</application>, the GNOME
file manager. Many of the widgets in eel have since been provided in
GTK+.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>evolution-data-server</term>
<listitem><para>Evolution Data Server provides a unified location for
address book and calendar information, allowing multiple applications
to share the same data. Evolution Data Server is discussed in
<xref linkend="address-book-calendar"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>gnome-panel</term>
<listitem><para>In addition to the actual panel, the gnome-panel package
provides the libraries used to construct panel applets to run on the
user's panel. Panel applets are discussed in <xref
linkend="panel-applets"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>gnome-keyring</term>
<listitem><para>The GNOME keyring manager provides a modern and secure
means of storing users' passwords and other sensitive data. Keys are
encrypted and can only be accessed by explicit user permission. The
keyring manager is discussed in <xref linkend="keyring"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>gstreamer</term>
<listitem><para>GStreamer is the powerful multimedia used throughout GNOME
to play, create, and manipulate sound and video. GStreamer is discussed
in <xref linkend="multimedia"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>gtkhtml</term>
<listitem><para>The gtkhtml library provides a lightweight HTML renderer
with full support for rich text editing. It is used inside the
<application>Evolution</application> mailer to allow users to compose
and read HTML email.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>gtksourceview</term>
<listitem><para>The gtksourceview library provides an extension of the
GtkTextView widget with support for automatic syntax highlighting and
other functions that are useful for source code editors. It is used in
the <application>gedit</application> text editor.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libgail-gnome</term>
<listitem><para>GAIL provides an implementation of the ATK interfaces for
GTK+ and GNOME libraries, allowing accessibility tools to interact with
applications written using these libraries. Accessibility is discussed
in <xref linkend="a11y"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libgnomeprint</term>
<listitem><para>The libgnomeprint library provides an implementation of
the PostScript imaging model and can be used to create high-quality
print renderings. The GNOME print framework is discussed in <xref
linkend="gnomeprint"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libgnomeprintui</term>
<listitem><para>The libgnomeprintui library provides a standart print
dialog, a print preview dialog, and various other controls required for
printing. The GNOME print framework is discussed in <xref
linkend="gnomeprint"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libgtop</term>
<listitem><para>The libgtop library provides a portable API for obtaining
information about running processes. It is used in the <application>System
Monitor</application> applicatio.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>librsvg</term>
<listitem><para>The librsvg library provides an implementation of
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). It is used throughout the desktop
to render resolution-independent vector graphics.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libsoup</term>
<listitem><para>The libsoup library provides an implementation of the Simple
Object Access Protocol (SOAP), as well as an HTTP implementation. SOAP can
be used to build web services into applications. The libsoup library is
discussed in <xref linkend="libsoup"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libwnck</term>
<listitem><para>The libwnck library provides a means of controlling any
EWMH-compliant window manager, including <application>Metacity</application>,
the GNOME default window manager. The libwnck library is discussed in
<xref linkend="window-manager"/>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>libxklavier</term>
<listitem><para>The libxklavier library provides a high-level API for
accessing and setting keyboard layouts. It is used in the
<application>Keyboard Preferences</application> to allow users to set
their keyboard layout and options.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>vte</term>
<listitem><para>VTE is a terminal emulator widget for use in GTK+
applications. It provides a consistent API and uses Pango for text
drawing, allowing it to display all internationalized text. VTE
is used in GNOME's <application>Terminal</application> application.</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</section>
</appendix>
|
