File: gpgme.info,  Node: Features,  Next: Overview,  Prev: Getting Started,  Up: Introduction

1.2 Features
============

GPGME has a couple of advantages over other libraries doing a similar
job, and over implementing support for GnuPG or other crypto engines
into your application directly.

it’s free software
     Anybody can use, modify, and redistribute it under the terms of the
     GNU Lesser General Public License (*note Library Copying::).

it’s flexible
     GPGME provides transparent support for several cryptographic
     protocols by different engines.  Currently, GPGME supports the
     OpenPGP protocol using GnuPG as the backend, and the Cryptographic
     Message Syntax using GpgSM as the backend.

it’s easy
     GPGME hides the differences between the protocols and engines from
     the programmer behind an easy-to-use interface.  This way the
     programmer can focus on the other parts of the program, and still
     integrate strong cryptography in his application.  Once support for
     GPGME has been added to a program, it is easy to add support for
     other crypto protocols once GPGME backends provide them.

it’s language friendly
     GPGME comes with languages bindings for several common programming
     languages: Common Lisp, C++, Python 2, and Python 3.