03 November 1997

GIF_TEXT: A Graphical Text Generator

GIF_TEXT ver 1.2 is an OS/2 program that converts text strings into.GIF images.
Using one of the several included "alphabyte"  or "complete" fonts,
it's easy to make attractive banners, headers, and other messages.

GIF_TEXT can be invoked in several ways:
  *  as a CGI-BIN script running on an OS/2 web server 
  *  as an "addon" for the SRE-Filter web server
  *  as a stand-alone program

Some of GIF_TEXT's features include:
  * dynamically generate time and date using one of several REXX formats.
    --  you can use GIF_TEXT as a graphical digital-clock for your web pages.
  * backgrounds can be added to your message
  * addition of new "alphabytes" is easy -- and with a little bit
    of effort, you can even use true-type fonts.
  * messages can be sized to specific height and width
  * character specific scaling 
  * color slides, color gradients, or foreground images can be used to 
    color the text; with probability and original-color-value based 
    transformation rules.
  * using included HTML FORM documents, it's easy to create images 
    -- including "buttons with text" 
  * a FORM based HTML front-end is included
  * when used with SRE-Filter, a "download pieces as they become available"
    mode can be used to speed up percieved throughput

For the latest version of GIF_TEXT: visit http://rpbcam.econ.ag.gov/srefilter
For questions: contact Daniel Hellerstein, danielh@econ.ag.gov

For installation and usage instructions: see GIF_TEXT.DOC. 
Upgraders should note that GIF_TEXT ver 1.2 uses a new version of 
RXGDUTIL -- you may have to reboot your server.

Please read the disclaimer regarding use rights, and regarding the
question of the UniSys patent on LZW compression.

-------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer

  Copyright 1996,1997 by Daniel Hellerstein. Permission to use this program
  for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that
  the author's name not be used in advertising or publicity
  pertaining to distribution of the software without specific written
  prior permision.


    THIS SOFTWARE PACKAGE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT EXPRESS
    OR IMPLIED WARRANTY.
    THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE PACKAGE,
    INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS.
    IN NO  EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR (Daniel Hellerstein) OR ANY PERSON OR
    INSTITUTION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PRODUCT BE LIABLE FOR ANY
    SPECIAL,INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER
    RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION
    OF CONTRACT,NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR
    IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE PACKAGE.


   GIF_TEXT and associated files were developed on the personal time of 
   Daniel Hellerstein, and are not supported, approved, or in any way an 
   official product of my employer (USDA/ERS).

   GIF_TEXT uses the RXGDUTIL libraray, and adaptation of the GD libraries.
   Please read the "legal stuff" (below) pertaining to RXGDUTIL.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
   It is an open question as to the need for royalty payments to UniSys for
   use of LZW compression in .GIF files.  Accordingly, it is the responsibility 
   of the user of this software (that is, of the RXGDUTIL package) to ascertain
   whether or not this is concern is relevant to their uses.

-------------------------------
Legal Stuff pertaining to RXGDUTIL -- extracted from the RXGDUTIL distribution
package. Note that GD is the product from which RXGDUTIL is derived.

gd 1.2 is copyright 1994, 1995, Quest Protein Database Center,
Cold Spring Harbor Labs. Permission granted to copy and distribute
this work provided that this notice remains intact. Credit
for the library must be given to the Quest Protein Database Center,
Cold Spring Harbor Labs, in all derived works. This does not
affect your ownership of the derived work itself, and the intent
is to assure proper credit for Quest, not to interfere with your
use of gd. If you have questions, ask. ("Derived works"
includes all programs that utilize the library. Credit must
be given in user-visible documentation.)

If you wish to release modifications to gd,
please clear them first by sending email to
boutell@boutell.com; if this is not done, any modified version of the gd
library must be clearly labeled as such.

The Quest Protein Database Center is funded under Grant P41-RR02188 by
the National Institutes of Health.

Written by http://sunsite.unc.edu/boutell/index.html  Thomas Boutell 2/94-7/95

The GIF compression code is based on that found in the pbmplus
utilities, which in turn is based on GIFENCOD by David Rowley. See the
notice below:


/*
** Based on GIFENCOD by David Rowley <mgardi@watdscu.waterloo.edu>.A
** Lempel-Zim compression based on "compress".
**
** Modified by Marcel Wijkstra <wijkstra@fwi.uva.nl>
**
** Copyright (C) 1989 by Jef Poskanzer.
**
** Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its
** documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided
** that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that
** copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting
** documentation.  This software is provided "as is" without express or
** implied warranty.
**
** The Graphics Interchange Format(c) is the Copyright property of
** CompuServe Incorporated.  GIF(sm) is a Service Mark property of
** CompuServe Incorporated.
*/


The GIF decompression is based on that found in the pbmplus
utilities, which in turn is based on GIFDECOD by David Koblas. See the
notice below:

/* +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ */
/* | Copyright 1990, 1991, 1993, David Koblas.  (koblas@netcom.com)    | */
/* |   Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software   | */
/* |   and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby | */
/* |   granted, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all | */
/* |   copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission  | */
/* |   notice appear in supporting documentation.  This software is    | */
/* |   provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.           | */
/* +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ */


And don't forget that Andrew J. Wysocki (Andy) wrote the RXGDUTIL.C
module and should get all credit where credit is due. September 1995



