Image Compressor Components

Overview

This chapter discusses the attributes of image compressor components and the functional interfaces these components must support. An image compressor component is a code resource that provides compression or decompression services for image data. Throughout this chapter, the term image compressor component is used to describe both compressor and decompressor components.

The information in this chapter is intended for developers of image compressor components. Application developers normally do not need to be familiar with this material to use the Image Compression Manager.

This chapter has been divided into the following sections:

• "About Image Compressor Components" presents general information about image compressor components.
• "Using Image Compressor Components" discusses how the Image Compression Manager uses image compressor components to compress and decompress images.
• "Image Compressor Components Reference" describes the data structures used by the Image Compression Manager to communicate with image compressor components. It also provides a comprehensive reference to the functions that your image compressor component must support.
• "Summary of Image Compressor Components" presents a summary of image compressor components in C and in Pascal.

If you are developing an image compressor component, you should read all the material in this chapter. In addition, you should read the appropriate sections of the chapter "Component Manager" in Inside Macintosh: More Macintosh Toolbox .