drawing module

Overview

the Drawing API is an API module that allows developers to define vector graphics in a structured array format (resembling the Forms API). It was aimed at bringing SVG display closer to developers, taking over the rendering part so that graphics can be created more easily.

Description

The end of the SoC has far passed. I kept working on the drawing project, committed several fixes, and wrote a few example modules. during and before FrOSCon and DrupalCon brainstormed with others about where you could use the the graphic displays.

This is probably the final update for the Drawing module. I am going to an astronomical camp tomorrow, where I will have hardly any internet access.

Documentation for the Drawing API (without the graphing part, because that is very flexible right now): http://drupal.org/node/161562

The half of the Summer of Code period seems to have passed so quickly as a Cray XT4 prints out "hello world". This not only means these machines are very fast, but also that I enjoyed much of the time i spent working on my project. Lets have a quick overview what has been done so far, and what is to be done in the second term.

Its not time for the next weekly progress report yet, but in the past days finally i managed to progress far enough to have a development snapshot release, so I wanted to inform those interested in the project.

The unfortunate consequence of Google's SoC is that most people have exams during the project period, and this greatly effects the progress. I had two big exams, of the material of 2-3 years of stuff. I failed one, and in order to stay at uni i had to pass the second. That is done, now the update.

After last week's update I started to plan and code the proposed API following the scheme of the Forms API. This will provide developers with a very familiar way to construct graphic objects using the already known FAPI-like array structure. Right now the drawing_get_canvas is being worked on, this function is the core of the rendering, and is responsible to collect the objects, placing them on the drawing canvas.

I am right now planning the drawing API. Since you, developers are the ones who will primarily use this API, I decided to do this outlining publicly. If you have any comments, ideas of how you would find it easier to use later on, please share it, and if its well founded, i will do my best to incorporate it into the module.

Drawing API in shape of the Forms API

Almost a week passed. Time flies. I just recently recovered from the shock, when I went to the local Western Union office to fetch my payment, where for the first time in my life I had to spell 'Google' to the lady behind the glass, and here we are, already almost end of the first week...

Even my new keyboard arrived as well as the Pro Drupal book, so there is no obstacle (except for some silly exams) in my way to code for you.

Having applied to the Drawing SVG project for the GSoC I started to outline my plans, which I would like to share here, to ask for your feedback on it. I will edit this document as the discussion progresses.

I think the logical setup is two-leveled: we want a general drawing module, and specific "tools" to use the models, primitives defined in the drawing module. This basic module has to be very well designed, because potentially many developers will want to use it. From here on I will use tool as referring to different drawing APIs, such as SVG.

What should be in this drawing.module?