<chapter label="1" id="intro-chapter">
<title>Introduction</title>
 <sect1 id="intro">
  <title>Introduction</title>
  <para>
   <application>Dia</application> is an application for creating technical
   diagrams. Its interface and features are loosely patterned after
   the Windows program Visio. Features of Dia include multiple-page printing,
   export to many formats (EPS, SVG, CGM and PNG), and the ability
   to use custom shapes created by the user as simple XML descriptions.
   <application>Dia</application> is useful for drawing UML diagrams, network
   maps, and flowcharts.
  </para>
<!--
   I don't think it is in any official package
   <application>Dia</application> is included in the
   <filename>GNOME-PACKAGE</filename> package, which is part of the
   GNOME desktop environment.
-->
  <para>
   This document describes version &VERSION; of <application>Dia</application>.
    <figure>
      <title>Sample Flowchart Diagram</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>This is a simple flowchart diagram produced 
  				using <application>Dia</application>.
          </screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/sample-flowchart" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
    </figure>
  </para>
 </sect1>
 <sect1 id="news">
  <title>New in this version</title>
  <itemizedlist>
   <listitem>
    Transparency with <link linkend="colors">colors</link>
   </listitem>
   <listitem>
    Transformations, see <link linkend="grouping-objects">Grouping Objecs</link> - ToDo update
    for 0.97: property change working on selection, 0.98: transformations of groups
   </listitem>
   <listitem>
    Object meta info editor, see <link linkend="changing-properties">Changing Properties</link>
   </listitem>
   <listitem>
    Embedded images <link linkend="image">...</link>
   </listitem>
  </itemizedlist>
 </sect1>  
</chapter>                                                                       
