NAME

       icon2gif  -  A  program  to  convert a series of editable text GIF icon specifications and
       named GIF files into a multi-image GIF, usable as a graphic resource file.   It  can  also
       dump existing GIFs in this format.

USAGE

       icon2gif [-q] [-a] [-d] [t TranslationTable] [-h] gif-file...

       If no gif-file is given, icon2gif will try to read a text input from stdin.

Specification Syntax

       Here is a syntax summary in informal BNF.  The token `NL' represents a required newline.

       <gif-spec> ::= <header-block> <image-block>...

       <header-block> ::= <header-declaration>...

       <header-declaration  ::=  |  screen width <digits> NL | screen height <digits> NL | screen
       colors <digits> NL | screen background <digits> NL | screen map <color-table> NL

       <color-table> ::= <color-declaration>... end NL

       <color-declaration> ::= rgb <digits> <digits> <digits> is <key> NL

       <image-block>   ::=   include   <file-name>   NL   |   image   NL   <image-declaration>...
       <raster-picture> [ <extension> ]

       <image-declarations> ::= image top <digits> NL | image left <digits> NL | image interlaced
       NL | image map <color-table> NL | image bits <digits> by <digits> NL <raster-block>

       <extension> := <comment> NL <extension-block> NL end NL | <plaintext> NL <extension-block>
       NL end NL | extension <hex-digits> NL <extension-block> NL end NL

       If the semantics of the `screen height', `screen width', `screen background', `image top',
       `image left' declarations aren't obvious to you, what are you doing with this software?

       A color table declares color indices (in ascending order from 0) and assiciates them  with
       key  characters.   These  characters can later be used in raster blocks.  As these must be
       printable and non-whitespace, you can only specify 94 colors per icon.  Life is like  that
       sometimes.

       A  raster  block  is just a block of key characters.  It should be sized correctly for the
       `image bits' declaration that leads it.

       The `comment' or `plaintext' keywords lead defined GIF89 extension record data (the  other
       two  GIF89 types, graphics control and application block, are not yet supported).  You can
       also say `extension' followed by a  hexadecimal  record  type.   All  of  these  extension
       declarations  must  be  followed by an extension block, which is terminated by the keyword
       `end' on its own line.

       An extension block is a series of text lines, each interpreted as a  string  of  bytes  to
       fill  an  argument block (the terminating newline is stripped).  Text may include standard
       C-style octal and hex escapes preceded by a backslash.

       All  <digits>  tokens  are  interpreted  as  decimal  numerals;  <hex-digits>  tokens  are
       interpreted  as two hex digits (a byte). All coordinates are zero-origin with the top left
       corner (0,0).  Range checking is weak and signedness checking nonexistent; caveat hacker!

       In general, the amount of whitespace and order of declarations within a  header  or  image
       block  is not significant, except that a raster picture must immediately follow its `image
       bits' bits declaration.

       The `include' declaration includes a named GIF as the next image.  The global  color  maps
       of included GIFs are merged with the base table defined by any `screen color' declaration.
       All images of an included multi-image GIF will be included in order.

       Comments may be preceded with `#' and will be ignored.

MEMORY REQUIRED

       For the compilation mode, proportional to the  size  of  the  input  file.   For  dumping,
       proportional to the line size of the widest GIF.

OPTIONS

       [-q]

               Quiet  mode.   Defaults off on MSDOS, on under UNIX.  Controls printout of running
              scan lines. Use -q- to invert.

       [-d]

               Dump the input GIF file(s) into the text form described above.

       [-t]

               Specify name characters to use when dumping raster blocks.   Only  valid  with  -d
              option.

       [-h]

               Print one line of command line help, similar to Usage above.

BUGS

       Because there are only 94 characters unambiguously usable for raster blocks, an attempt to
       dump a GIF with a larger color map will fail.

       Error checking is rudimentary.

Example:

       A sample icon file called `sample.ico' is included in the pic directory.

AUTHOR

       Eric S. Raymond <esr@snark.thyrsus.com>

       Man page created by T.Gridel <tgridel@free.fr>, originally  written  by  Eric  S.  Raymond
       <esr@thyrsus.com>

                                           giflib-tools                               icon2gif(1)