/ 
Graphics-Colourset-0.0601
/ README.mkdn

NAME

Graphics::Colourset - create sets of colours.

VERSION

version 0.0601

SYNOPSIS

use Graphics::Colourset;

my $cs1 = Graphics::Colourset->new(hue=>60, shade=>1);
my @colsets = Graphics::Colourset->make_n_coloursets(number=>3,
    hues=>\@hues,shades=>\@shades);

my $col_str = $cs1->as_hex_string('foreground');

DESCRIPTION

This module generates the colour definitions of a set of colours suitable for using as the basis of a colour-scheme for an X-Windows window-manager. They can also be used for CSS colour descriptions for Web-pages. The colours are defined as the traditional "hex string", or as the more recent "rgb string".

The aim of this is to avoid having to generate harmonious colour schemes by hand but to input a minimum number of parameters and to create all the colours from that.

DETAILS

Coloursets

A "colourset" is a set of five colours, suitable for defining one type of component in a window-manager or web-site "theme" or "colour scheme". All colours in a colourset have the same hue, but have different saturation and value (different "strengths") in keeping with their different roles.

They are oriented towards being used for generating colours for buttons and borders.

There are two parameters which determine the colours of a colourset.

Base and Alternative Coloursets

The "base" colourset is considered to be the main colourset; additional coloursets can be generated which are related to the base colourset in a contrasting-but-harmonious way.

One test for the harmoniousness is to compare two coloursets and decide whether they would be "ugly" together. This is done in a rule-of-thumb way, which isn't perfect.

CLASS METHODS

new

Create a new colourset, given an input hue, and foreground/background disposition.

$my colset = Graphics::Colourset->new( hue=>$hue, shade=>1, );

make_n_coloursets

my @colsets = Graphics::Colourset::make_n_coloursets(number=>$num, shades=>[1,0,3,4], hues=>[10,50,undef,undef], styles=>\@styles);

Make $num coloursets, based on the given shades and hues; if a shade is zero or undef, a random shade will be chosen; if a hue is undef, a random hue will be chosen. The coloursets will be generated, but checked with is_ugly to ensure that it isn't ugly. They will also be checked to make sure that they aren't the same as the other coloursets.

styles (optional): The possible colourset styles. By default, this is complement, splitcomp, triad, tetrad, analog, mono.

Note that larger numbers will take longer and be more difficult to generate.

attempt_n_coloursets

my @colsets = Graphics::Colourset::attempt_n_coloursets(number=>$num, shades=>[1,0,3,4], hues=>[10,50,undef,undef]);

Make $num coloursets, based on the given shades and hues; if a shade is zero or undef, a random shade will be chosen; if a hue is undef, a random hue will be chosen. The coloursets will be generated, but checked with is_ugly to ensure that it isn't ugly. They will also be checked to make sure that they aren't the same as the other coloursets.

If a colourset is ugly, an empty set is returned.

Note that larger numbers will take longer and be more difficult to generate.

OBJECT METHODS

as_hex_string

my $colstr = $self->as_hex_string('foreground');

Return the given colour as a hex colour string such as #99FF00

as_rgb_string

my $colstr = $self->as_rgb_string('foreground');

Return the given colour as an X colour string such as rgb:99/FF/00

greener_hue

my $green = $self->greener_hue();

Calculate a hue which is closer to green than the scheme's own hue

redder_hue

my $red = $self->redder_hue();

Calculate a hue which is closer to red than the scheme's own hue

equals

Checks if the given colourset equals the passed-in one.

if ($colset->equals($other_colset)) { ... }

is_ugly

my $ret = $colset1->is_ugly($colset2);

Compares two coloursets and declares whether they would be ugly together. This is naturally a subjective assessment on the part of the author, but hopefully helpful.

REQUIRES

Graphics::ColorObject
Getopt::Long
Getopt::ArgvFile
Pod::Usage
Test::More

INSTALLATION

To install this module, run the following commands:

perl Build.PL
./Build
./Build test
./Build install

Or, if you're on a platform (like DOS or Windows) that doesn't like the "./" notation, you can do this:

perl Build.PL
perl Build
perl Build test
perl Build install

In order to install somewhere other than the default, such as in a directory under your home directory, like "/home/fred/perl" go

perl Build.PL --install_base /home/fred/perl

as the first step instead.

This will install the files underneath /home/fred/perl.

You will then need to make sure that you alter the PERL5LIB variable to find the modules, and the PATH variable to find the script.

Therefore you will need to change: your path, to include /home/fred/perl/script (where the script will be)

    PATH=/home/fred/perl/script:${PATH}

the PERL5LIB variable to add /home/fred/perl/lib

    PERL5LIB=/home/fred/perl/lib:${PERL5LIB}

SEE ALSO

perl(1).

BUGS

Please report any bugs or feature requests to the author.

AUTHOR

Kathryn Andersen (RUBYKAT)
perlkat AT katspace dot com
http://www.katspace.com

COPYRIGHT AND LICENCE

Copyright (c) 2005 by Kathryn Andersen

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.