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)