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+.. default-domain:: c
+.. highlight:: c
+
+The core API (excluding backend-specific components) is declared in ``pugl.h``:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ #include <pugl/pugl.h>
+
+The API revolves around two main objects: the `world` and the `view`.
+An application creates a world to manage top-level state,
+then creates one or more views to display.
+
+****************
+Creating a World
+****************
+
+The world is the top-level object which represents an instance of Pugl.
+It handles the connection to the window system,
+and manages views and the event loop.
+
+An application typically has a single world,
+which is constructed once on startup and used to drive the main event loop.
+
+Construction
+============
+
+A world must be created before any views, and it must outlive all of its views.
+A world is created with :func:`puglNewWorld`, for example:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ PuglWorld* world = puglNewWorld(PUGL_PROGRAM, 0);
+
+For a plugin, specify :enumerator:`PUGL_MODULE <PuglWorldType.PUGL_MODULE>` instead.
+In some cases, it is necessary to pass additional flags.
+For example, Vulkan requires thread support:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ PuglWorld* world = puglNewWorld(PUGL_MODULE, PUGL_WORLD_THREADS)
+
+It is a good idea to set a class name for your project with :func:`puglSetClassName`.
+This allows the window system to distinguish different applications and,
+for example, users to set up rules to manage their windows nicely:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglSetClassName(world, "MyAwesomeProject")
+
+Setting Application Data
+========================
+
+Pugl will call an event handler in the application with only a view pointer and an event,
+so there needs to be some way to access the data you use in your application.
+This is done by setting an opaque handle on the world with :func:`puglSetWorldHandle`,
+for example:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglSetWorldHandle(world, myApp);
+
+The handle can be later retrieved with :func:`puglGetWorldHandle`:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ MyApp* app = (MyApp*)puglGetWorldHandle(world);
+
+All non-constant data should be accessed via this handle,
+to avoid problems associated with static mutable data.
+
+***************
+Creating a View
+***************
+
+A view is a drawable region that receives events.
+You may think of it as a window,
+though it may be embedded and not represent a top-level system window. [#f1]_
+
+Creating a visible view is a multi-step process.
+When a new view is created with :func:`puglNewView`,
+it does not yet represent a "real" system view:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ PuglView* view = puglNewView(world);
+
+Configuring the Frame
+=====================
+
+Before display,
+the necessary :doc:`frame <api/frame>` and :doc:`window <api/window>` attributes should be set.
+These allow the window system (or plugin host) to arrange the view properly.
+For example:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ const double defaultWidth = 1920.0;
+ const double defaultHeight = 1080.0;
+
+ puglSetWindowTitle(view, "My Window");
+ puglSetDefaultSize(view, defaultWidth, defaultHeight);
+ puglSetMinSize(view, defaultWidth / 4.0, defaultHeight / 4.0);
+ puglSetAspectRatio(view, 1, 1, 16, 9);
+
+There are also several :enum:`hints <PuglViewHint>` for basic attributes that can be set:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglSetViewHint(view, PUGL_RESIZABLE, PUGL_TRUE);
+ puglSetViewHint(view, PUGL_IGNORE_KEY_REPEAT, PUGL_TRUE);
+
+Embedding
+=========
+
+To embed the view in another window,
+you will need to somehow get the :type:`native view handle <PuglNativeView>` for the parent,
+then set it with :func:`puglSetParentWindow`.
+If the parent is a Pugl view,
+the native handle can be accessed with :func:`puglGetNativeWindow`.
+For example:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglSetParentWindow(view, puglGetNativeWindow(parent));
+
+Setting an Event Handler
+========================
+
+In order to actually do anything, a view must process events from the system.
+Pugl dispatches all events to a single :type:`event handling function <PuglEventFunc>`,
+which is set with :func:`puglSetEventFunc`:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglSetEventFunc(view, onEvent);
+
+See `Handling Events`_ below for details on writing the event handler itself.
+
+Setting View Data
+=================
+
+Since the event handler is called with only a view pointer and an event,
+there needs to be some way to access application data associated with the view.
+Similar to `Setting Application Data`_ above,
+this is done by setting an opaque handle on the view with :func:`puglSetHandle`,
+for example:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglSetHandle(view, myViewData);
+
+The handle can be later retrieved,
+likely in the event handler,
+with :func:`puglGetHandle`:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ MyViewData* data = (MyViewData*)puglGetHandle(view);
+
+All non-constant data should be accessed via this handle,
+to avoid problems associated with static mutable data.
+
+If data is also associated with the world,
+it can be retrieved via the view using :func:`puglGetWorld`:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ PuglWorld* world = puglGetWorld(view);
+ MyApp* app = (MyApp*)puglGetWorldHandle(world);
+
+Setting a Backend
+=================
+
+Before being realized, the view must have a backend set with :func:`puglSetBackend`.
+
+The backend manages the graphics API that will be used for drawing.
+Pugl includes backends and supporting API for
+:doc:`Cairo <api/cairo>`, :doc:`OpenGL <api/gl>`, and :doc:`Vulkan <api/vulkan>`.
+
+Using Cairo
+-----------
+
+Cairo-specific API is declared in the ``cairo.h`` header:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ #include <pugl/cairo.h>
+
+The Cairo backend is provided by :func:`puglCairoBackend()`:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglSetBackend(view, puglCairoBackend());
+
+No additional configuration is required for Cairo.
+To draw when handling an expose event,
+the `Cairo context <https://www.cairographics.org/manual/cairo-cairo-t.html>`_ can be accessed with :func:`puglGetContext`:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ cairo_t* cr = (cairo_t*)puglGetContext(view);
+
+Using OpenGL
+------------
+
+OpenGL-specific API is declared in the ``gl.h`` header:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ #include <pugl/gl.h>
+
+The OpenGL backend is provided by :func:`puglGlBackend()`:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglSetBackend(view, puglGlBackend());
+
+Some hints must also be set so that the context can be set up correctly.
+For example, to use OpenGL 3.3 Core Profile:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglSetViewHint(view, PUGL_USE_COMPAT_PROFILE, PUGL_FALSE);
+ puglSetViewHint(view, PUGL_CONTEXT_VERSION_MAJOR, 3);
+ puglSetViewHint(view, PUGL_CONTEXT_VERSION_MINOR, 3);
+
+If you need to perform some setup using the OpenGL API,
+there are two ways to do so.
+
+The OpenGL context is active when
+:enumerator:`PUGL_CREATE <PuglEventType.PUGL_CREATE>` and
+:enumerator:`PUGL_DESTROY <PuglEventType.PUGL_DESTROY>`
+events are dispatched,
+so things like creating and destroying shaders and textures can be done then.
+
+Alternatively, if it is cumbersome to set up and tear down OpenGL in the event handler,
+:func:`puglEnterContext` and :func:`puglLeaveContext` can be used to manually activate the OpenGL context during application setup.
+Note, however, that unlike many other APIs, these functions must not be used for drawing.
+It is only valid to use the OpenGL API for configuration in a manually entered context,
+rendering will not work.
+For example:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglEnterContext(view);
+ setupOpenGL(myApp);
+ puglLeaveContext(view);
+
+ while (!myApp->quit) {
+ puglUpdate(world, 0.0);
+ }
+
+ puglEnterContext(view);
+ teardownOpenGL(myApp);
+ puglLeaveContext(view);
+
+Using Vulkan
+------------
+
+Vulkan-specific API is declared in the ``vulkan.h`` header.
+This header includes Vulkan headers,
+so if you are dynamically loading Vulkan at runtime,
+you should define ``VK_NO_PROTOTYPES`` before including it.
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ #define VK_NO_PROTOTYPES
+
+ #include <pugl/vulkan.h>
+
+The Vulkan backend is provided by :func:`puglVulkanBackend()`:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglSetBackend(view, puglVulkanBackend());
+
+Unlike OpenGL, almost all Vulkan configuration is done using the Vulkan API directly.
+Pugl only provides a portable mechanism to load the Vulkan library and get the functions used to load the rest of the Vulkan API.
+
+Loading Vulkan
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+For maximum compatibility,
+it is best to not link to Vulkan at compile-time,
+but instead load the Vulkan API at run-time.
+To do so, first create a :struct:`PuglVulkanLoader`:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ PuglVulkanLoader* loader = puglNewVulkanLoader(world);
+
+The loader manages the dynamically loaded Vulkan library,
+so it must be kept alive for as long as the application is using Vulkan.
+You can get the function used to load Vulkan functions with :func:`puglGetInstanceProcAddrFunc`:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ PFN_vkGetInstanceProcAddr vkGetInstanceProcAddr =
+ puglGetInstanceProcAddrFunc(loader);
+
+This vkGetInstanceProcAddr_ function can be used to load the rest of the Vulkan API.
+For example, you can use it to get the vkCreateInstance_ function,
+then use that to create your Vulkan instance.
+In practice, you will want to use some loader or wrapper API since there are many Vulkan functions.
+
+For advanced situations,
+there is also :func:`puglGetDeviceProcAddrFunc` which retrieves the vkGetDeviceProcAddr_ function instead.
+
+The Vulkan loader is provided for convenience,
+so that applications to not need to write platform-specific code to load Vulkan.
+Its use it not mandatory and Pugl can be used with Vulkan loaded by some other method.
+
+Linking with Vulkan
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+If you do want to link to the Vulkan library at compile time,
+note that the Pugl Vulkan backend does not depend on it,
+so you will have to do so explicitly.
+
+Creating a Surface
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+The details of using Vulkan are far beyond the scope of this documentation,
+but Pugl provides a portable function, :func:`puglCreateSurface`,
+to get the Vulkan surface for a view.
+Assuming you have somehow created your ``VkInstance``,
+you can get the surface for a view using :func:`puglCreateSurface`:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ VkSurfaceKHR* surface = NULL;
+ puglCreateSurface(puglGetDeviceProcAddrFunc(loader),
+ view,
+ vulkanInstance,
+ NULL,
+ &surface);
+
+Showing the View
+================
+
+Once the view is configured, it can be "realized" with :func:`puglRealize`.
+This creates a "real" system view, for example:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ PuglStatus status = puglRealize(view);
+ if (status) {
+ fprintf(stderr, "Error realizing view (%s)\n", puglStrerror(status));
+ }
+
+Note that realizing a view can fail for many reasons,
+so the return code should always be checked.
+This is generally the case for any function that interacts with the window system.
+Most functions also return a :enum:`PuglStatus`,
+but these checks are omitted for brevity in the rest of this documentation.
+
+A realized view is not initially visible,
+but can be shown with :func:`puglShow`:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglShow(view);
+
+To create an initially visible view,
+it is also possible to simply call :func:`puglShow` right away.
+The view will be automatically realized if necessary.
+
+***************
+Handling Events
+***************
+
+Events are sent to a view when it has received user input,
+must be drawn, or in other situations that may need to be handled such as resizing.
+
+Events are sent to the event handler as a :union:`PuglEvent` union.
+The ``type`` field defines the type of the event and which field of the union is active.
+The application must handle at least :enumerator:`PUGL_CONFIGURE <PuglEventType.PUGL_CONFIGURE>`
+and :enumerator:`PUGL_EXPOSE <PuglEventType.PUGL_EXPOSE>` to draw anything,
+but there are many other :enum:`event types <PuglEventType>`.
+
+For example, a basic event handler might look something like this:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ static PuglStatus
+ onEvent(PuglView* view, const PuglEvent* event)
+ {
+ MyApp* app = (MyApp*)puglGetHandle(view);
+
+ switch (event->type) {
+ case PUGL_CREATE:
+ return setupGraphics(app);
+ case PUGL_DESTROY:
+ return teardownGraphics(app);
+ case PUGL_CONFIGURE:
+ return resize(app, event->configure.width, event->configure.height);
+ case PUGL_EXPOSE:
+ return draw(app, view);
+ case PUGL_CLOSE:
+ return quit(app);
+ case PUGL_BUTTON_PRESS:
+ return onButtonPress(app, view, event->button);
+ default:
+ break;
+ }
+
+ return PUGL_SUCCESS;
+ }
+
+Using the Graphics Context
+==========================
+
+Drawing
+-------
+
+Note that Pugl uses a different drawing model than many libraries,
+particularly those designed for game-style main loops like `SDL <https://libsdl.org/>`_ and `GLFW <https://www.glfw.org/>`_.
+
+In that style of code, drawing is performed imperatively in the main loop,
+but with Pugl, the application must draw only while handling an expose event.
+This is because Pugl supports event-driven applications that only draw the damaged region when necessary,
+and handles exposure internally to provide optimized and consistent behavior across platforms.
+
+Cairo Context
+-------------
+
+A Cairo context is created for each :struct:`PuglEventExpose`,
+and only exists during the handling of that event.
+Null is returned by :func:`puglGetContext` at any other time.
+
+OpenGL Context
+--------------
+
+The OpenGL context is only active during the handling of these events:
+
+- :struct:`PuglEventCreate`
+- :struct:`PuglEventDestroy`
+- :struct:`PuglEventConfigure`
+- :struct:`PuglEventExpose`
+
+As always, drawing is only possible during an expose.
+
+Vulkan Context
+--------------
+
+With Vulkan, the graphics context is managed by the application rather than Pugl.
+However, drawing must still only be performed during an expose.
+
+**********************
+Driving the Event Loop
+**********************
+
+Pugl does not contain any threads or other event loop "magic".
+For flexibility, the event loop is driven explicitly by repeatedly calling :func:`puglUpdate`,
+which processes events from the window system and dispatches them to views when necessary.
+
+The exact use of :func:`puglUpdate` depends on the application.
+Plugins should call it with a ``timeout`` of 0 in a callback driven by the host.
+This avoids blocking the main loop,
+since other plugins and the host itself need to run as well.
+
+A program can use whatever timeout is appropriate:
+event-driven applications may wait forever by using a ``timeout`` of -1,
+while those that draw continuously may use a significant fraction of the frame period
+(with enough time left over to render).
+
+Redrawing
+=========
+
+Occasional redrawing can be requested by calling :func:`puglPostRedisplay` or :func:`puglPostRedisplayRect`.
+After these are called,
+a :struct:`PuglEventExpose` will be dispatched on the next call to :func:`puglUpdate`.
+
+For continuous redrawing,
+call :func:`puglPostRedisplay` while handling a :struct:`PuglEventUpdate` event.
+This event is sent just before views are redrawn,
+so it can be used as a hook to expand the update region right before the view is exposed.
+Anything else that needs to be done every frame can be handled similarly.
+
+Event Dispatching
+=================
+
+Ideally, pending events are dispatched during a call to :func:`puglUpdate`,
+directly within the scope of that call.
+
+Unfortunately, this is not universally true due to differences between platforms.
+
+MacOS
+-----
+
+On MacOS, drawing is handled specially and not by the normal event queue mechanism.
+This means that configure and expose events,
+and possibly others,
+may be dispatched to a view outside the scope of a :func:`puglUpdate` call.
+In general, you can not rely on coherent event dispatching semantics on MacOS:
+the operating system can call into application code at "random" times,
+and these calls may result in Pugl events being dispatched.
+
+An application that follows the Pugl guidelines should work fine,
+but there is one significant inconsistency you may encounter on MacOS:
+posting a redisplay will not wake up a blocked :func:`puglUpdate` call.
+
+Windows
+-------
+
+On Windows, the application has relatively tight control over the event loop,
+so events are typically dispatched explicitly by :func:`puglUpdate`.
+Drawing is handled by events,
+so posting a redisplay will wake up a blocked :func:`puglUpdate` call.
+
+However, it is possible for the system to dispatch events at other times.
+So,
+it is possible for events to be dispatched outside the scope of a :func:`puglUpdate` call,
+but this does not happen in normal circumstances and can largely be ignored.
+
+X11
+---
+
+On X11, the application strictly controls event dispatching,
+and there is no way for the system to call into application code at surprising times.
+So, all events are dispatched in the scope of a :func:`puglUpdate` call.
+
+Recursive Event Loops
+---------------------
+
+On Windows and MacOS,
+the event loop is stalled while the user is resizing the window or,
+on Windows,
+has displayed the window menu.
+This means that :func:`puglUpdate` will block until the resize is finished,
+or the menu is closed.
+
+Pugl dispatches :struct:`PuglEventLoopEnter` and :struct:`PuglEventLoopLeave` events to notify the application of this situation.
+If you want to continuously redraw during resizing on these platforms,
+you can schedule a timer with :func:`puglStartTimer` when the recursive loop is entered,
+and post redisplays when handling the :struct:`PuglEventTimer`.
+Be sure to remove the timer with :func:`puglStopTimer` when the recursive loop is finished.
+
+On X11, there are no recursive event loops,
+and everything works as usual while the user is resizing the window.
+There is nothing special about a "live resize" on X11,
+and the above loop events will never be dispatched.
+
+*************
+Shutting Down
+*************
+
+When a view is closed,
+it will receive a :struct:`PuglEventClose`.
+An application may also set a flag based on user input or other conditions,
+which can be used to break out of the main loop and stop calling :func:`puglUpdate`.
+
+When the main event loop has finished running,
+any views and the world need to be destroyed, in that order.
+For example:
+
+.. code-block:: c
+
+ puglFreeView(view);
+ puglFreeWorld(world);
+
+.. _pkg-config: https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/pkg-config/
+
+.. _vkCreateInstance: https://www.khronos.org/registry/vulkan/specs/1.2-extensions/man/html/vkCreateInstance.html
+
+.. _vkGetDeviceProcAddr: https://www.khronos.org/registry/vulkan/specs/1.2-extensions/man/html/vkGetDeviceProcAddr.html
+
+.. _vkGetInstanceProcAddr: https://www.khronos.org/registry/vulkan/specs/1.2-extensions/man/html/vkGetInstanceProcAddr.html
+
+.. rubric:: Footnotes
+
+.. [#f1] MacOS has a strong distinction between
+ `views <https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit/nsview>`_,
+ which may be nested, and
+ `windows <https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit/nswindow>`_,
+ which may not.
+ On Windows and X11, everything is a nestable window,
+ but top-level windows are configured differently.