1Blink Public API 2================ 3 4This directory contains the public API for Blink. The API consists of a number 5of C++ header files, scripts, and GYP build files. We consider all other files 6in Blink to be implementation details, which are subject to change at any time 7without notice. 8 9The primary consumer of this API is Chromium's Content layer. If you are 10interested in using Blink, please consider interfacing with Blink via the 11Content layer rather than interfacing directly with this API. 12 13Compatibility 14------------- 15 16The API does not support binary compatibility. Instead, the API is intended to 17insulate the rest of the Chromium project from internal changes to Blink. Over 18time, the API is likely to evolve in source-incompatible ways as Chromium's and 19Blink's needs change. 20 21Organization 22------------ 23 24The API is organized into two parts: 25 26 - public/platform 27 - public/web 28 29The public/platform directory defines an abstract platform upon which Blink 30runs. Rather than communicating directly with the underlying operating system, 31Blink is designed to run in a sandbox and interacts with the operating system 32via the platform API. The central interface in this part of the API is 33Platform, which is a pure virtual interface from which Blink obtains many other 34interfaces. 35 36The public/web directory defines an interface to Blink's implementation of the 37web platform, including the Document Object Model (DOM). The central interface 38in this part of the API is WebView, which is a good starting point for 39exploring the API. 40 41Note that public/platform should not depend on public/web. 42 43Basic Types 44----------- 45 46The API does not use STL types, except for a small number of STL types that are 47used internally by Blink (e.g., std::pair). Instead, we use WTF containers to 48implement the API. 49 50The API uses some internal types (e.g., WebCore::Node). Typically, these types 51are forward declared and are opaque to consumers of the API. In other cases, 52the full definitions are available behind the BLINK_IMPLEMENTATION 53preprocessor macro. In both cases, we continue to regard these internal types 54as implementation details of Blink, and consumers of the API should not rely 55upon these types. 56 57Similarly, the API uses STL types outside of the BLINK_IMPLEMENTATION 58preprocessor macro, which is for the convenience of the consumer. 59 60Contact Information 61------------------- 62 63The public API also contains an OWNERS file, which lists a number of people who 64are knowledgeable about the API. If you have questions or comments about the 65API that might be of general interest to the Blink community at large, please 66consider directing your inquiry to blink-dev@chromium.org rather than to the 67OWNERS specifically. 68