readme

flash swf file player

LICENSE
--------

This software is copyright 2001 E-Publishing Group Inc.  Permission is granted
to use the code and/or make changes to the code provided that the original
copyright and author attribution is included in each file. 

The license does not make any warranty of liability, merchantability, or
fitness for any specific purpose.

Please contact the author <[e-mail]> if you have any questions
about the license or the software.


BUILDING
--------

Build the java library and the native library, running make in the java 
directory (the current directory) and "native" directory respectively.

The java build will produce a jswf.jar file which can be included in your
classpath.  The native directory creates a libjswf.so file.  This can be
placed anywhere (I typically put it in the same installation directory as
my jar files).


USING IT
--------

To compile or run against this library should do the following (csh):

   setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH ${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}:<directory-with-.so-files>

   java or javac -classpath <old-path>:<jar dir>/jswf.jar


Make sure you also include libming.so in the directory with your libjswf.so.
Alternatively, add the ming library to your LD_LIBRARY_PATH.


NOTES
-----

The Java class heirarchy and methods closely mirror the PHP and python
interfaces. I've added some additional convenience functions and new
functionality.

Also, have separated the implementation from the interface definition.  This
makes browsing the API easier and also allows for other implementations.
Methods that result SWF objects will return SWF interfaces rather than the 
explicit objects.  For example:

	SWFMovie movie = new SWFMovie();
	...
	SWFDisplayItemI item = movie.add (shape);
	item.moveTo (23,30);

The add method returns SWFDisplayItemI rather than SWFDisplayItem.  No big
deal.  Just be aware that interfaces (identified with an "I" suffix) are
used most of the time.


EXTENDED API
------------

If you are interested in more advanced functionality, we have a not-yet 
publicly available high-level API built on top of this.  Currently includes
the following:

  - supports wide variety of image formats (ming only supports jpeg and dbl)
  - timeline & animation classes
  - text and object align to arbitrary paths (and path animation)
  - movie (mpeg, qt, avi, etc) to flash (in progress)
  - others

Please contact me if you would like more information about this.


CONTACT
-------

Jonathan Shore <[e-mail]>