========
LouisXML
========

Introduction
============

Welcome to louisxml, a set of python bindings for liblouisxml. These bindings
intend to provide you with complete access of the liblouisxml API from python.
The bindings try and follow the liblouisxml API as closely as possible only
making alterations where it makes it simpler in python.

License
=======

LouisXML is copyright (C) 2009 Michael Whapples and is made available under
the artistic 2.0 license. The full text of the license can be found in the
file LICENSE.

Installation
============

You have a few options for installing LouisXML, installing a precompiled
version or compiling from source.

-------------------------------------
Installing precompiled binary package
-------------------------------------

Prerequesites
-------------

To install you will need a version of `python <http://www.python.org>`_.
Should you be using python 2.5 or below then you will need to also install
`PyICU <http://pyicu.osafoundation.org>`_. If you use python 2.6 or above then
you will not need PyICU, python alone will be enough.

Retrieving and installing LouisXML
----------------------------------

For any official precompiled binary releases of LouisXML you should look on
the `python package index <http://pypi.python.org/pypi/louisxml>`_.
Select the binary package for your system if one exists and install it as you
would install any python binary package of that sort. For windows this
should be as simple as running the file you download and following the on-screen instructions.

If you use Linux or another unix system then you should also check your
distribution's package system.

----------------------
Installing from source
----------------------

Prerequesites
-------------

LouisXML is written using cython, but to save you the hastle of installing
the C code has been provided. You will only need `cython 
<http://www.cython.org>`_ if you intend to modify the original source.

Also you will need `python <http://www.python.org>`_ and if using python
2.5 or earlier you will also need `PyICU <http://pyicu.osafoundation.org>`_.
Please remember that some systems such as Debian linux package header
files in a separate package so you will also need the python development
package in those cases.

Retrieving source and installing
--------------------------------

Retrieve the source package from the `python package index 
<http://pypi.python.org/pypi/louisxml>`_. Decompress the archive and change
to the directory created and run the command ``python setup.py install``.
If you do decide to alter the source code, we have also provided the file
setup_cython.py which will also run cython (NOTE: make sure you have cython
installed if running this file).

Providing feedback
==================

Feedback would be welcome on these bindings, so if you have any then
please report it to mwhapples@users.berlios.de.

