# phpman > perldoc > Image::Base

## NAME
    [Image::Base](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3ABase/markdown) - base class for loading, manipulating and saving images.

## SYNOPSIS
    This class should not be used directly. Known inheritors are [Image::Xbm](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3AXbm/markdown) and [Image::Xpm](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3AXpm/markdown).

        use [Image::Xpm](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3AXpm/markdown) ;

        my $i = [Image::Xpm](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3AXpm/markdown)->new( -file => 'test.xpm' ) ;
        $i->line( 1, 1, 3, 7, 'red' ) ;
        $i->ellipse( 3, 3, 6, 7, '#ff00cc' ) ;
        $i->rectangle( 4, 2, 9, 8, 'blue' ) ;

    If you want to create your own algorithms to manipulate images in terms of (x,y,colour) then you
    could extend this class (without changing the file), like this:

        # Filename: mylibrary.pl
        package [Image::Base](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3ABase/markdown) ; # Switch to this class to build on it.

        sub mytransform {
            my $self  = shift ;
            my $class = ref( $self ) || $self ;

            # Perform your transformation here; might be drawing a line or filling
            # a rectangle or whatever... getting/setting pixels using $self->xy().
        }

        package main ; # Switch back to the default package.

    Now if you "require" mylibrary.pl after you've "use"d [Image::Xpm](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3AXpm/markdown) or any other [Image::Base](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3ABase/markdown)
    inheriting classes then all these classes will inherit your "mytransform()" method.

## DESCRIPTION
  new_from_image()
        my $bitmap = [Image::Xbm](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3AXbm/markdown)->new( -file => 'bitmap.xbm' ) ;
        my $pixmap = $bitmap->new_from_image( '[Image::Xpm](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3AXpm/markdown)', -cpp => 1 ) ;
        $pixmap->save( 'pixmap.xpm' ) ;

    Note that the above will only work if you've installed [Image::Xbm](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3AXbm/markdown) and [Image::Xpm](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3AXpm/markdown), but will work
    correctly for any image object that inherits from [Image::Base](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3ABase/markdown) and respects its API.

    You can use this method to transform an image to another image of the same type but with some
    different characteristics, e.g.

        my $p = [Image::Xpm](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Image%3A%3AXpm/markdown)->new( -file => 'test1.xpm' ) ;
        my $q = $p->new_from_image( ref $p, -cpp => 2, -file => 'test2.xpm' ) ;
        $q->save ;

  line()
        $i->line( $x0, $y0, $x1, $y1, $colour ) ;

    Draw a line from point ($x0,$y0) to point ($x1,$y1) in colour $colour.

  ellipse()
        $i->ellipse( $x0, $y0, $x1, $y1, $colour ) ;

    Draw an oval enclosed by the rectangle whose top left is ($x0,$y0) and bottom right is ($x1,$y1)
    using a line colour of $colour.

  rectangle()
        $i->rectangle( $x0, $y0, $x1, $y1, $colour, $fill ) ;

    Draw a rectangle whose top left is ($x0,$y0) and bottom right is ($x1,$y1) using a line colour
    of $colour. If $fill is true then the rectangle will be filled.

  new()
    Virtual - must be overridden.

    Recommend that it at least supports "-file" (filename), "-width" and "-height".

  new_from_serialised()
    Not implemented. Recommended for inheritors. Should accept a string serialised using serialise()
    and return an object (reference).

  serialise()
    Not implemented. Recommended for inheritors. Should return a string representation (ideally
    compressed).

  get()
        my $width = $i->get( -width ) ;
        my( $hotx, $hoty ) = $i->get( -hotx, -hoty ) ;

    Get any of the object's attributes. Multiple attributes may be requested in a single call.

    See "xy" get/set colours of the image itself.

  set()
    Virtual - must be overridden.

    Set any of the object's attributes. Multiple attributes may be set in a single call; some
    attributes are read-only.

    See "xy" get/set colours of the image itself.

  xy()
    Virtual - must be overridden. Expected to provide the following functionality:

        $i->xy( 4, 11, '#123454' ) ;    # Set the colour at point 4,11
        my $v = $i->xy( 9, 17 ) ;       # Get the colour at point 9,17

    Get/set colours using x, y coordinates; coordinates start at 0.

    When called to set the colour the value returned is class specific; when called to get the
    colour the value returned is the colour name, e.g. 'blue' or '#f0f0f0', etc, e.g.

        $colour = xy( $x, $y ) ;  # e.g. #123456
        xy( $x, $y, $colour ) ;   # Return value is class specific

    We don't normally pick up the return value when setting the colour.

  load()
    Virtual - must be overridden. Expected to provide the following functionality:

        $i->load ;
        $i->load( 'test.xpm' ) ;

    Load the image whose name is given, or if none is given load the image whose name is in the
    "-file" attribute.

  save()
    Virtual - must be overridden. Expected to provide the following functionality:

        $i->save ;
        $i->save( 'test.xpm' ) ;

    Save the image using the name given, or if none is given save the image using the name in the
    "-file" attribute. The image is saved in xpm format.

## CHANGES
    2000/05/05

    Added some basic drawing methods. Minor documentation changes.

    2000/05/04

    Created.

## AUTHOR
    Mark Summerfield. I can be contacted as <<summer@perlpress.com>> - please include the word
    'imagebase' in the subject line.

## COPYRIGHT
    Copyright (c) Mark Summerfield 2000. All Rights Reserved.

    This module may be used/distributed/modified under the LGPL.