..
    The rinohtype PDF builder I use chokes on right-justified images
    failing to wrap them with the text. It also chokes on the |xxx|
    format hyperlinks to externals that I use for opening in a separate
    tab. Therefore I have html and rinoh conditionals in these docs (typ)
    Don't ask me why I had to repeat the main title for html and rinoh
    separately....

.. only:: html

    .. image:: alpaca128.png
        :height: 92px
        :width: 128px
        :align: right

    =======================
    Welcome to Alpyca 3.1.2
    =======================

.. only:: rinoh or rst

    =======================
    Welcome to Alpyca 3.1.2
    =======================

This document describes the Alpyca package, a Python API client library for
ASCOM Alpaca, produced by the ASCOM Initiative, and derived from Ethan
Chappel's Alpyca 1.0.0. Ethan kindly released the name **Alpyca** to the ASCOM
Initiative, hence this expanded package starts life as Version 2.0.

The package provides all of the ASCOM Standard universal interfaces to
astronomical devices using the Alpaca network protocol. As an application
developer, your usage of the various devices is simplified and universal,
independent of the particular make/model of device.

.. only:: html

    For example, the same code can be used to control any ASCOM-compatible
    telescope. This includes not only telescopes that are controlled with
    classic ASCOM/COM on a Windows machine, but also any telescopes which
    are *not* connected to a Windows machine, but instead speak Alpaca
    natively. The Windows |remote| gives an Alpaca interface to any
    Windows-resident device, allowing you to use the device via this library
    from any platform on the net or local host.

    .. Tip::
        **Start Here:** :doc:`introduction`

    .. Note::
        This is version 3.1.2, a maintenance release. For release notes
        see |changes| on the |github|.

    For background see |about| on the |ascsite|. As an astronomy developer
    wanting to use Alpaca, we suggest you look over |devhelp| and join
    the |supforum|.

    .. Attention::
        Alpaca is not dependent on Windows. See |about|.

.. only:: rinoh or rst

    For example, the same code can be used to control any ASCOM-compatible
    telescope. This includes not only telescopes that are controlled with
    classic ASCOM/COM on a Windows machine, but also any telescopes which
    are *not* connected to a Windows machine, but instead speak Alpaca
    natively. The Windows
    `ASCOM Remote middleware <https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/ASCOMRemote/releases>`_
    gives an Alpaca interface to any Windows-resident device, allowing you
    to use the device via this library from any platform on the net or
    local host.

    .. Tip::
        **Start Here:** :doc:`introduction`

    .. Note::
        This is version 3.1.2, a maintenance release.
        For release notes see `the CHANGES document
        <https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/alpyca/blob/master/CHANGES.rst>`_ on
        the `Alpyca GitHub repository
        <https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/alpyca>`_.

    For background see
    `About Alpaca and ASCOM <https://ascom-standards.org/About/Index.htm>`_
    on the
    `ASCOM Initiative web site <https://ascom-standards.org/index.htm>`_.
    As an astronomy developer wanting to use Alpaca, we suggest
    you look over
    `Alpaca Developers Info <https://ascom-standards.org/AlpacaDeveloper/Index.htm>`_ and join the
    `ASCOM Driver and Application Development Support Forum <https://ascomtalk.groups.io/g/Developer>`_.

    .. Attention::
        Alpaca is not dependent on Windows! See `About Alpaca and ASCOM <https://ascom-standards.org/About/Index.htm>`_.

.. |changes| raw:: html

    <a href="https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/alpyca/blob/master/CHANGES.rst" target="_blank">
    the CHANGES document</a> (external)

.. |github| raw:: html

    <a href="https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/alpyca/" target="_blank">
    Alpyca GitHub repository</a>

.. |ascsite| raw:: html

    <a href="https://ascom-standards.org/index.htm" target="_blank">
    ASCOM Initiative web site</a> (external)

.. |about| raw:: html

    <a href="https://ascom-standards.org/About/Index.htm" target="_blank">
    About Alpaca and ASCOM</a> (external)

.. |remote| raw:: html

    <a href="https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/ASCOMRemote/releases" target="_blank">
    ASCOM Remote middleware</a> (external)

.. |devhelp| raw:: html

    <a href="https://ascom-standards.org/AlpacaDeveloper/Index.htm" target="_blank">
    Alpaca Developers Info</a> (external)

.. |supforum| raw:: html

    <a href="https://ascomtalk.groups.io/g/Developer" target="_blank">
    ASCOM Driver and Application Development Support Forum</a> (external)


.. toctree::
    :maxdepth: 2

    introduction

    alpacaclasses

    alpaca.exceptions

    alpaca.discovery

    alpaca.management

    faq

.. only:: html

    Indices and tables
    ==================

    * :ref:`genindex`
    * :ref:`modindex`
    * :ref:`search`