dynamic image creation / manipulation

timandkitty

Is there a way, using php or any other means, to create a permanent image file based completely on HTML code?

For example, is there some dynamic way to make this a permanent gif or jpg:

<table cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0 border=0 width=300>
 <tr>
  <td bgcolor=black><table cellpadding=15 cellspacing=0 border=0 width=100%>
    <tr>
      <td bgcolor=white align=center><font face=arial size=2><b>This is an image
      of a white box with a black outline!</b></font></td>
    </tr>
  </table></td>
 </tr>
</table>

...so that i can re-size it (or a more complex image) and place it whenever, however, and wherever I want, just as one can with an actual gif or jpg?

Any thoughts? I would really appreciate any advice on the matter...

THANKS!!!!

dpurdy

I'm not entirely sure if I understand the question, however have you looked into gd?
If you need to set it up run a search for the php_gd2.dll
download it in to php/extentions and open up your php.ini file make sure extension_dir = is set to the php/extentsions folder, and then take away the comment for extension=php_gd2.dll
gd should then be all set and running, the you can do some like
<?
header ("Content-type : image/png");
$im = ImageCreate(100, 40);
$black = ImageColorAllocate($im, 0, 0, 0);
ImageFilledRectangle($im, 0, 0, 100, 100, $black);
Imagepng($im);
ImageDestroy($im);
?>
to create a black rectangle, there are a bunch of images you can draw and should be able to find a nice online tutorial for it, I hope this helps and answers the question!

timandkitty

That's probably what I'll wind up doing. I was hoping there was some sort of dynamic image creation language that would allow me to design the artwork through HTML instead of all the PHP image code that I'm not yet too familiar with.

Wouldn't it be nice if every language worked the same way, with the same punctuation and the same operational keywords?

oh well...

dpurdy

The only way I can think of to do that in html is to use VML, however I don't think thats too popular ( and i didn't think it was very easy to use) and also it only runs in IE...

A uniform programming language? nah.... that would take out all the fun in cursing at the machine....