Chapter 25. Generating Graphics
Topics in This Chapter
This chapter explores generating graphics using the GD extension functions described in Chapter 16. It is important to be aware of the issues involved with the creation of graphics on the fly. The first is that it is relatively costly in terms of CPU time. In most cases the flexibility of dynamic graphics is not worth what you pay in the load imposed on the server. Another issue is that making nice-looking graphics from PHP functions is not easy. Many techniques available in graphics editors are next to impossible. As you will see in the examples that follow, a lot of work goes into creating simple, flat charts. Last, while there is adequate support for text, functions you'd expect in a word processor do not exist. Text does not wrap at line ends. There is no concept of leading, spacing, or descenders. Regardless, generating graphics makes sense in some situations. This chapter contains some real examples that you can start using with very little modification.
|
