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<book id="index">
<bookinfo>
<title>GObject Reference Manual</title>
<releaseinfo>for GLib &version;</releaseinfo>
</bookinfo>
<preface>
<title>Introduction</title>
<para>
Most modern programming languages come with their own native object
systems and additional fundamental algorithmic language constructs.
Just as GLib serves as an implementation of such fundamental
types and algorithms (linked lists, hash tables and so forth), the
GLib Object System provides the required implementations of a
flexible extensible and intentionally easy to map (into other
languages) object oriented framework for C.
The substantial elements that are provided can be summarized as:
<variablelist>
<varlistentry><term></term><listitem><para>
* A generic type system to register arbitrary single-inherited
flat and deep derived types as well as interfaces for
structured types.
It takes care of creation, initialization and memory management
of the assorted object and class structures, maintains
parent/child relationships and deals with dynamic implementations
of such types. That is, their type specific implementations are
relocatable/unloadable during runtime.
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term></term><listitem><para>
* A collection of fundamental type implementations, such as integers,
doubles, enums and structured types, to name a few.
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term></term><listitem><para>
* A sample fundamental type implementation to base object hierarchies
upon - the GObject fundamental type.
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term></term><listitem><para>
* A signal system that allows very flexible user customization of
virtual/overridable object methods and can serve as a powerful
notification mechanism.
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
<varlistentry><term></term><listitem><para>
* An extensible parameter/value system, supporting all the provided
fundamental types that can be used to generically handle object
properties or otherwise parameterized types.
</para></listitem></varlistentry>
</variablelist>
</para>
</preface>
<reference>
<title>API Reference</title>
&gobject-GType;
&gobject-GTypePlugin;
&gobject-GTypeModule;
&gobject-The-Base-Object-Type;
&gobject-Enumeration-and-Flag-Types;
&gobject-Boxed-Types;
&gobject-Generic-values;
&gobject-param-value-types;
&gobject-Varargs-Value-Collection;
&gobject-GParamSpec;
&gobject-Signals;
&gobject-Closures;
&gobject-Value-Arrays;
</reference>
<reference>
<title>Tools Reference</title>
&glib-mkenums;
&glib-genmarshal;
&gobject-query;
</reference>
<index/>
</book>