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GIMP Extensions

A computer application is generally a stand-alone program, whose source code contains everything necessary for full functionality. In this common case, adding additional features to the application requires that the original source code be modified, recompiled, and finally redistributed to its users. This process of introducing new features is highly prone to programmer error, often resulting in a host of new problems, sometimes even with pre-existing features. A superior method for extending the functionality of an application is through extension modules: independent applications which implement additional features and then make them available to the main application.

The GIMP and its extensions communicate by invoking commands from a database of procedures. Procedures are pieces of functionality provided by GIMP, its plug-ins, and its extensions. Procedures take as input a list of arguments, execute based on the values of those arguments, and finally return a list of values. There are procedures for every piece of internal functionality in the GIMP as well as for every plug-in written to date. In total, there are over 275 procedures stored in GIMP's ``procedural database''. The following are examples of procedures called by the simple script from Appendix A:


next up previous
Next: Script-Fu Logos Up: Script-Fu: Graphic Art for Previous: Example Scripts

Spencer Kimball
Wed May 28 22:14:48 PDT 1997