govips API model
Separate handwritten helpers, vipsgen-generated operations, ImageRef lifecycle, and Reader/Writer streaming APIs. govips API guide
Binding guides
The four interfaces share the libvips core, but differ in installation, API shape, defaults, error propagation, and resource ownership. These guides explain those boundaries instead of presenting syntax differences as complete equivalence.
Current guides
Section titled “Current guides”Choose a binding
Select govips, sharp, pyvips, or the CLI from your language, deployment model, and error boundaries. Interface selection guide
Version boundaries
See which libvips version each binding links to or bundles before attributing a result difference to an API. Version compatibility matrix
Operation mapping
Compare load, resize, crop, composite, colour, and export names and parameter semantics. Cross-binding operation map
What to record in a comparison
Section titled “What to record in a comparison”Record the binding version, underlying libvips version, complete parameters, input characteristics, and output verification method. Different encoded bytes do not automatically mean a visual failure, while matching API names do not guarantee matching defaults.
Where to go next
Section titled “Where to go next”Use Recipes to see four implementations of the same task, or open default parameter differences for encoder defaults.