Gimp - Perl extension for writing Gimp Extensions/Plug-ins/Load & Save-Handlers
This is mostly a reference manual. For a quick intro, look at Fu.
Well, scheme (which is used by script-fu), is IMnsHO the crappiest language ever (well, the crappiest language that one actually can use, so it's not _that_ bad). Scheme has the worst of all languages, no data types, but still using variables. Look at haskell (http://www.haskell.org) to see how functional is done right.
Since I was unable to write a haskell interface (and perl is the traditional scripting language), I wrote a Perl interface instead. Not too bad a decision I believe...
use Gimp; Other modules of interest: use Gimp::Fu; # easy scripting environment use Gimp::PDL; # interface to the Perl Data Language these have their own manpage.
If you don't specify any import tags, Gimp assumes :consts which is usually what you want.
Import useful constants, like RGB, RUN_NONINTERACTIVE... as well as all libgimp and pdb functions automagically into the caller's namespace. BEWARE! This will overwrite your AUTOLOAD function, if you have one!
Import PARAM_* constants (PARAM_INT32, PARAM_STRING etc.) only.
All constants from gimpenums.h (BG_IMAGE_FILL, RUN_NONINTERACTIVE, NORMAL_MODE, PARAM_INT32 etc.).
The default (unless '' is specified) is gimp_main main :auto.
gimp_main main :auto
You should first read the Gimp::Fu manpage and then come back. This manpage is mainly intended for reference purposes.
Also, Dov Grobgeld has written an excellent tutorial for Gimp-Perl. You can find it at http://imagic.weizmann.ac.il/~dov/gimp/perl-tut.html
I think you already know what this is about: writing Gimp plug-ins/extensions/scripts/file-handlers/standalone-scripts, just about everything you can imagine in perl. If you are missing functionality (look into TODO first), please feel free contact the author...
Some hilights:
Networked plug-ins and plug-ins using the libgimp interfaces (i.e. to be started from within The Gimp) look almost the same (if you use the Gimp::Fu interface, there will be no visible differences at all), you can easily create hybrid (networked & libgimp) scripts as well.
Use either a plain pdb (scheme-like) interface or nice object-oriented syntax, i.e. "gimp_layer_new(600,300,RGB)" is the same as "new Image(600,300,RGB)"
Gimp::Fu will start The Gimp for you, if it cannot connect to an existing gimp process.
You can optionally overwrite the pixel-data functions by versions using piddles (see PDL)
noteworthy limitations (subject to be changed):
callback procedures do not poass return values to The Gimp.
All plug-ins (and extensions etc.) _must_ contain a call to Gimp::main. The return code should be immediately handed out to exit:
Gimp::main
C<exit main;> # Gimp::main is exported by default.
Before the call to Gimp::main, no other PDB function must be called.
In a Gimp::Fu-script, you should call Gimp::Fu::main instead:
Gimp::Fu::main
C<exit main;> # Gimp::Fu::main is exported by default as well.
This is similar to Gtk, Tk or similar modules, where you have to call the main eventloop.
If you use the plain Gimp module (as opposed to Gimp::Fu), your program should only call one function: gimp_main. Everything else is going to be called from The Gimp at a later stage. For this to work, you should define certain call-backs in the same module you called Gimp::main:
gimp_main
the standard libgimp callback functions. run() is missing, because this module will directly call the function you registered with gimp_install_procedure. Some only make sense for extensions, some only for normal plug-ins.
run
gimp_install_procedure
The callback for a registered function (gimp_install_procedure and friends). The arguments from The Gimp are passed as normal arguments (with the exception of arrays being passed without a preceding count).
The return values from <installed_procedure>() are checked against the specification, with the exception that a single undef is treated like no arguments. you can return less, but not more results than specified.
undef
If you die within the callback, the error will be reported to The Gimp (as soon as The Gimp implements such a functionality) as an execution error.
die
this is called when the plug-in is not started directly from within the Gimp, but instead from the Net-Server (the perl network server extension you hopefully have installed and started ;)
There are two different flavours of gimp-functions. Functions from the PDB (the Procedural DataBase), and functions from libgimp (the C-language interface library).
You can get a listing and description of every PDB function by starting the DB Browser extension in the Gimp-Xtns menu (but remember that DB Browser is buggy and displays "_" (underscores) as "-" (dashes), so you can't see the difference between gimp_quit and gimp-quit. As a rule of thumb, Script-Fu registers scripts with dashes, and everything else uses underscores).
libgimp functions can't be traced (and won't be traceable in the foreseeable future).
To call pdb functions (or equivalent libgimp functions), just treat them like normal perl (this requires the use of the :auto import tag, but see below for another possibility!):
:auto
gimp_palette_set_foreground([20,5,7]); gimp_palette_set_background("cornsilk");
If you don't use the :auto import tag, you can call all Gimp functions using OO-Syntax:
Gimp->gimp_palette_set_foreground([20,5,7]); Gimp->palette_set_background("cornsilk"); Palette->set_foreground('#1230f0');
As you can see, you can also drop part of the name prefixes with this syntax, so its actually shorter to write.
"But how do I call functions containing dashes?". Well, get your favourite perl book and learn perl! Anyway, newer perls understand a nice syntax (see also the description for gimp_call_procedure):
gimp_call_procedure
"plug-in-the-egg"->(RUN_INTERACTIVE,$image,$drawable);
Very old perls may need:
&{"plug-in-the-egg"}(RUN_INTERACTIVE,$image,$drawable);
(unfortunately. the plug-in in this example is actually called "plug_in_the_egg" *sigh*)
In this section, you can find descriptions of special functions, functions having different calling conventions/semantics than I would expect (I cannot speak for you), or just plain interesting functions.
Should be called immediately when perl is initialized. Arguments are not yet supported. Initializations can later be done in the init function.
Mostly same as gimp_install_procedure. The parameters and return values for the functions are specified as an array ref containing either integers or array-refs with three elements, [PARAM_TYPE, \"NAME\", \"DESCRIPTION\"].
Initializes a progress bar. In networked modules this is a no-op.
Updates the progress bar. No-op in networked modules.
With these functions you can access the raw pixel data of drawables. They are documented in Pixel, to keep this manual page short.
This function is actually used to implement the fancy stuff. Its your basic interface to the PDB. Every function call is eventually done through his function, i.e.:
gimp_image_new(args...);
is replaced by
gimp_call_procedure "gimp_image_new",args...;
at runtime.
These functions return what you would expect: an array of images, layers or channels. The reason why this is documented is that the usual way to return PARAM_INT32ARRAY's would be to return a reference to an array of integers, rather than blessed objects.
PARAM_INT32ARRAY
Use the given rgb database instead of the default one. The format is the same as the one used by the X11 Consortiums rgb database (you might have a copy in /usr/lib/X11/rgb.txt). You can view the default database with perldoc -m Gimp, at the end of the file.
perldoc -m Gimp
In this manual, only the plain syntax (that lesser languages like C use) is described. Actually, the recommended way to write gimp scripts is to use the fancy OO-like syntax you are used to in perl (version 5 at least ;). As a fact, OO-syntax saves soooo much typing as well. See OO for details.
No, I can't tell you how to cure immune deficiencies (which might well be uncurable, as AIDS virii might be able to survive in brain cells, among other unreachable (for medication) parts of your body), but I can tell you how Gimp can help you debugging your scripts:
Tracking down bugs in gimp scripts is difficult: no sensible error messages. If anything goes wrong, you only get an execution failure. Switch on tracing to see which parameters are used to call pdb functions.
This function is never exported, so you have to qualify it when calling. (not yet implemented for networked modules).
tracemask is any number of the following flags or'ed together.
nothing is printed.
all pdb calls (and only pdb calls!) are printed with arguments and return values.
the parameter types are printed additionally.
the parameter names are printed.
the parameter descriptions.
all of the above.
write trace into $tracevar instead of printing it to STDERR. $tracevar only contains the last command traces, i.e. it's cleared on every PDB invocation invocation.
write trace to FILEHANDLE instead of STDERR.
Gimp supports different data types like colors, regions, strings. In perl, these are represented as:
normal perl scalars. Anything except STRING will be mapped to a perl-double.
array refs containing scalars of the same type, i.e. [1, 2, 3, 4]. Gimp implicitly swallows or generates a preceeding integer argument because the preceding argument usually (this is a de-facto standard) contains the number of elements.
on input, either an array ref with 3 elements (i.e. [233,40,40]), a X11-like string ("#rrggbb") or a colour name ("papayawhip") (see set_rgb_db).
These will be mapped to corresponding objects (IMAGE => Gimp::Image). In trace output you will see small integers (the image/layer/etc..-ID)
Not yet supported (and might never be).
Marc Lehmann <pcg@goof.com>
perl(1), gimp(1), OO, Data, Pixel, PDL, UI, Net and Lib.
2 POD Errors
The following errors were encountered while parsing the POD:
=cut found outside a pod block. Skipping to next block.
You forgot a '=back' before '=head1'
To install Gimp, copy and paste the appropriate command in to your terminal.
cpanm
cpanm Gimp
CPAN shell
perl -MCPAN -e shell install Gimp
For more information on module installation, please visit the detailed CPAN module installation guide.