NAME
    Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC - building, finding and using VLC binaries

VERSION
    Version 0.0_5

SYNOPSIS
    Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC tries (in given order) during its installation:

    * Locate an already installed VLC via pkg-config.
    * Download prebuilt VLC binaries (if available for your platform). Not
    implemented.
    * Build VLC binaries from source codes (if possible on your system). Not
    implemented.

    Later you can use Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC in your module that needs to
    link agains LibVLC and/or related libraries like this:

            # Sample Makefile.pl
            use ExtUtils::MakeMaker;
            use Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC;

            WriteMakefile(
              NAME         => 'Any::VLC::Module',
              VERSION_FROM => 'lib/Any/VLC/Module.pm',
              LIBS         => Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->config('libs', [-lAdd_Lib]),
              INC          => Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->config('cflags'),
              # + additional params
            );

DESCRIPTION
    Please see Alien for the manifesto of the Alien namespace.

    In short `Alien::LibVLC' can be used to detect and get configuration
    settings from an installed VLC and related libraries. Based on your
    platform it (doesn't currently) offers the possibility to download and
    install prebuilt binaries or to build VLC & co. from source codes.

    The important facts:

    * The module does not modify in any way the already existing VLC
    installation on your system.
    * If you reinstall VLC libs on your system you do not need to reinstall
    Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC (providing that you use the same directory for
    the new installation).
    * The prebuild binaries and/or binaries built from sources are always
    installed into perl module's 'share' directory.
    * If you use prebuild binaries and/or binaries built from sources it
    happens that some of the dynamic libraries (*.so, *.dll) will not
    automaticly loadable as they will be stored somewhere under perl
    module's 'share' directory. To handle this scenario
    Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC offers some special functionality (see below).

METHODS
  config()
    This function is the main public interface to this module. These
    functions return string:

            Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->config('prefix');
            Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->config('version');
            Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->config('includedir');

    These functions return lists of strings:

            Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->config('ldflags');
            Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->config('cflags');

    On top of that this function supports special parameters:

            Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->config('ld_shared_libs');

    Returns a reference to a list of full paths to shared libraries (*.so,
    *.dll) that will be required for running the resulting binaries you have
    linked with VLC libs.

            Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->config('ld_paths');

    Returns a reference to a list of full paths to directories with shared
    libraries (*.so, *.dll) that will be required for running the resulting
    binaries you have linked with VLC libs.

    NOTE: config('ld_<something>') return an empty list/hash if you have
    decided to use VLC libraries already installed on your system. This
    concerns pkg-config usage.

  check_header()
    This function checks the availability of given header(s) when using
    compiler options provided by
    "Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->config('cflags')".

            Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->check_header('vlc.h');
            Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->check_header('vlc.h', 'libvlc_media.h');

    Returns 1 if all given headers are available, 0 otherwise.

  get_header_version()
    Tries to find a header file specified as a param in VLC prefix direcotry
    and based on "#define" macros inside this header file tries to get a
    version triplet. Only `libvlc_version.h' makes sense.

            Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->get_header_version('libvlc_version.h');

    Returns string like '1.2.3' or undef if not able to find and parse
    version info.

  `find_libvlc' *(deprecated)*
        Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->find_libvlc();
        Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->find_libvlc(version => '>= 1.1.9');
        Alien::VideoLAN::LibVLC->find_libvlc(version => '= 1.1.10',
                                             suppress_error_message => 1);

    Finds installed libvlc.

    If `version' parameter is specified, required version is needed. Check
    documentation of `pkg-config' for format of version.

    If `suppress_error_message' parameter is specified and is true, nothing
    will be put to STDERR if libvlc is not found.

    Returns hash with following fields:

    * version
        a string with version.

    * cflags
        arrayref of strings, e.g. `['-I/foo/bar']'

    * ldflags
        arrayref of strings, e.g. `['-L/foo/baz', '-lvlc']'

    If libvlc of specified version isn't found, croaks.

BUGS
    Please post issues and bugs at
    http://rt.cpan.org/NoAuth/Bugs.html?Dist=Alien-VideoLAN-LibVLC

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
            Thanks to authors of other Alien modules.
            Since 0.05 this module is based on L<Alien::SDL>.

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

    The full text of the license can be found in the LICENSE file included
    with this module.

