libdfui v4.0 README
===================

$Id: README,v 1.3 2005/03/21 03:26:57 cpressey Exp $

What is libdfui?
----------------

libdfui is a LIBrary for DragonFly User Interfaces.  It provides a highly
abstract user interaction interface with which an application program
(termed the backend) can communicate with a user via a concreate user
interface terminal program (termed the frontend.)  The frontend and the
backend can communicate over several kinds of transport layers (TCP
and Named Pipes.)  The protocol is abstract enough so that the
frontend can occupy nearly any medium (GUI, addressable text console,
teletype, voice synthesis/recognition, etc) with little to no `fudging'
of the semantics (i.e. the structure and nature of the information that
the backend wishes to present and/or acquire.)

What is the current state of the project?
-----------------------------------------

EXPERIMENTAL.  libdfui's application programming interface may change at
any time.  If you use libdfui in a project, be prepared to chase API changes.
libdfui 4.0 is not expected to be backwards-compatible with previous
versions.  While many functions may be the same, some have changed.

How do I build and install libdfui?
-----------------------------------

On a BSD-based system, go into the libdfui source directory and type:

	make

Once built, it can be installed by typing (as root):

	make install

Directions may differ for other systems.

An alternative method is to build libdfui using the ports system and
install it using the package system.

How do I use libdfui from a program?
------------------------------------

libdfui requires libaura, but is not statically linked with it, so any
consumers of libdfui will also need to link to libaura.

You can give gcc the following sort of command line flags to tell it to
link your program with libdfui:

	gcc foo.c -o foo -L/usr/local/lib -laura -ldfui

See the libdfui source code for the list of available functions and what
they do.