gstreamer/docs/fwg/intro.sgml

<chapter id="cha-doicare">
  <title>Do I care?</title>
  <para>
    This guide explains how to write new modules for GStreamer.  It is
    relevant to:
  </para>
  <itemizedlist>
    <listitem>
      <para>
	Anyone who wants to add support for new input and output
	devices, often called sources and sinks.  For example,
	adding the ability to write to a new video output system
	could be done by writing an appropriate sink plugin.
      </para>
    </listitem>
    <listitem>
      <para>
	Anyone who wants to add support for new ways of processing
	data in GStreamer, often called
	filters.  For example, a new data format converter could be
	created.
      </para>
    </listitem>
    <listitem>
      <para>
	Anyone who wants to extend GStreamer in
	any way: you need to have an understanding of how the plugin system
	works before you can understand the constraints it places on the
	rest of the code.  And you might be surprised at how much can be
	done with plugins.
      </para>
    </listitem>
  </itemizedlist>
  <para>
    This guide is not relevant to you if you only want to use the existing
    functionality of GStreamer, or use an application which uses GStreamer.
    You lot can go away.  Shoo...  (You might find the <emphasis>GStreamer
    Application Development Manual</emphasis> helpful though.)
  </para>
</chapter>

<chapter id="cha-prelimreading">
  <title>Preliminary reading</title>
  <para>
    The reader should be familiar with the basic workings of
    <application>GStreamer</application>.  For a gentle introduction to
    GStreamer, you may wish to read the <emphasis>GStreamer Application
    Development Manual</emphasis>.  Since <application>GStreamer</application>
    adheres to the GTK+ programming model, the reader is also assumed to
    understand the basics of GTK+.
  </para>
</chapter>