libicns Documentation

Copyright (C) 2009 Mathew Eis
Released under the terms of the LGPL v2 or later
libicns release 0.6.2, version 2.0.1

Table of contents:


Part I: Tutorial / Example

A quick read of a 128x128 icon with mask from 'test.icns'
#include <stdio.h>

#include "icns.h"

int main(void)
{
	int		error = 0;
	FILE            *inFile = NULL;
	icns_family_t	*iconFamily = NULL;
	icns_image_t	iconImage;
	
	inFile = fopen( "test.icns", "r" );
	
	if ( inFile == NULL ) {
		fprintf(stderr,"Unable to open test.icns!\n");
		goto cleanup;
	}
	
	// Import icon family from the file data
	error = icns_read_family_from_file(inFile,&iconFamily);
		
	fclose(inFile);
		
	if(error) {
		fprintf(stderr,"Unable to read icns family from file!\n");
	} else {

		// Read in a 128x128 32-bit RGBA image (with mask in alpha channel)
		// from the 128x128 32-bit icon and 128x128 8-bit mask
		error = icns_get_image32_with_mask_from_family(iconFamily,ICNS_128X128_32BIT_DATA,&iconImage);
		
		if(error) {
			fprintf(stderr,"Unable to get 128x128 image icon family!\n");
		} else {
			// Print out some information about the image
			printf("width: %d\n",image->imageWidth);
			printf("height: %d\n",image->imageHeight);
			printf("image channels: %d\n",image->imageChannels);
			printf("image pixel depth: %d\n",image->imagePixelDepth);
			printf("image data size: %ul\n",image->imageDataSize);
		}
		
		// Free the memory used by the image
		icns_image_free(&iconImage);
	}
	
	// Free the memory used by the icon family
	if(iconFamily != NULL) {
		free(iconFamily);
		iconFamily = NULL;
	}
	
	return error;
}

Part II: Data types and constants

Basic Data Types

To ensure that libicns can be easily ported to various systems, it uses it's own data types, based off standard C library as defined in <stdint.h>:

stdint.h typelibicns typedescription
uint8_ticns_bool_tflag
uint8_ticns_uint8_t8-bit unsigned int
int8_ticns_sint8_t8-bit signed int
uint16_ticns_uint16_t16-bit unsigned int
int16_ticns_sint16_t16-bit signed int
uint32_ticns_uint32_t32-bit unsigned int
int32_ticns_sint32_t32-bit signed int
uint64_ticns_uint64_t64-bit unsigned int
int64_ticns_sint64_t64-bit signed int
uint8_ticns_byte_t8-bit unsigned int

Please note that if porting to a different system, the bit-widths are important.

Icon Family and Element Header Types

The type and size of an icon family or element:

typedef struct icns_type_t {
  int8_t                c[4];
} icns_type_t;

typedef int32_t         icns_size_t;


Icon Family and Element Types

The structure of an icon element:

typedef struct icns_element_t {
  icns_type_t           elementType;    /* 'ICN#', 'icl8', etc... */
  icns_size_t           elementSize;    /* Total size of element  */
  icns_byte_t           elementData[1]; /* icon image data */
} icns_element_t;

The structure of an icon family:

typedef struct icns_family_t {
  icns_type_t           resourceType;	/* Always should be 'icns' */
  icns_size_t           resourceSize;	/* Total size of resource  */
  icns_element_t        elements[1];    /* icon elements */
} icns_family_t;


Icon Image Type

The structure of an icon image

typedef struct icns_image_t
{
  icns_uint32_t         imageWidth;     // width of image in pixels
  icns_uint32_t         imageHeight;    // height of image in pixels
  icns_uint8_t          imageChannels;  // number of channels in data
  icns_uint16_t         imagePixelDepth;// number of bits-per-pixel
  icns_uint64_t         imageDataSize;  // bytes = width * height * depth / bits-per-pixel
  icns_byte_t           *imageData;     // pointer to base address of uncompressed raw image data
} icns_image_t;


Icon Info Type

Information about a given icon type

typedef struct icns_icon_info_t
{
  icns_type_t           iconType;         // type of icon (or mask)
  icns_bool_t           isImage;          // is this type an image
  icns_bool_t           isMask;           // is this type a mask
  icns_uint32_t         iconWidth;        // width of icon in pixels
  icns_uint32_t         iconHeight;       // height of icon in pixels
  icns_uint8_t          iconChannels;     // number of channels in data
  icns_uint16_t         iconPixelDepth;   // number of bits-per-pixel
  icns_uint16_t         iconBitDepth;     // overall bit depth = iconPixelDepth * iconChannels
  icns_uint64_t         iconRawDataSize;  // uncompressed bytes = width * height * depth / bits-per-pixel
} icns_icon_info_t;


Icon Type Constants

The various icon types found within an icon family:

static const icns_type_t  ICNS_ICON_VERSION              = {{'i','c','n','V'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_512x512_32BIT_ARGB_DATA   = {{'i','c','0','9'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_256x256_32BIT_ARGB_DATA   = {{'i','c','0','8'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_128X128_32BIT_DATA        = {{'i','t','3','2'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_128X128_8BIT_MASK         = {{'t','8','m','k'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_48x48_1BIT_DATA           = {{'i','c','h','#'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_48x48_4BIT_DATA           = {{'i','c','h','4'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_48x48_8BIT_DATA           = {{'i','c','h','8'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_48x48_32BIT_DATA          = {{'i','h','3','2'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_48x48_1BIT_MASK           = {{'i','c','h','#'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_48x48_8BIT_MASK           = {{'h','8','m','k'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_32x32_1BIT_DATA           = {{'I','C','N','#'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_32x32_4BIT_DATA           = {{'i','c','l','4'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_32x32_8BIT_DATA           = {{'i','c','l','8'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_32x32_32BIT_DATA          = {{'i','l','3','2'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_32x32_1BIT_MASK           = {{'I','C','N','#'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_32x32_8BIT_MASK           = {{'l','8','m','k'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_16x16_1BIT_DATA           = {{'i','c','s','#'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_16x16_4BIT_DATA           = {{'i','c','s','4'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_16x16_8BIT_DATA           = {{'i','c','s','8'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_16x16_32BIT_DATA          = {{'i','s','3','2'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_16x16_1BIT_MASK           = {{'i','c','s','#'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_16x16_8BIT_MASK           = {{'s','8','m','k'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_16x12_1BIT_DATA           = {{'i','c','m','#'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_16x12_4BIT_DATA           = {{'i','c','m','4'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_16x12_1BIT_MASK           = {{'i','c','m','#'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_16x12_8BIT_DATA           = {{'i','c','m','8'}};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_32x32_1BIT_ICON           = {{'I','C','O','N'}};

Used for initializing variables or during errors:

static const icns_type_t  ICNS_NULL_DATA                 = {{ 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 }};
static const icns_type_t  ICNS_NULL_MASK                 = {{ 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 }};


File/Resource Type Constants

The icns family data type:

static const icns_type_t  ICNS_FAMILY_TYPE               = {{'i','c','n','s'}};

The Macbinary file header:

static const icns_type_t  ICNS_MACBINARY_TYPE            = {{'m','B','I','N'}};

Used for initializing variables or during errors:

static const icns_type_t  ICNS_NULL_TYPE                 = {{ 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 }};


Error return codes

Constants returned by most libicns functions:
return code constantvaluedescription
ICNS_STATUS_OK 0no error
ICNS_STATUS_NULL_PARAM-1a null pointer was passed to a function
ICNS_STATUS_NO_MEMORY-2an error occured allocating memory
ICNS_STATUS_INVALID_DATA-3invalid data was read or passed to a function
ICNS_STATUS_IO_READ_ERR1an error occured while reading a file
ICNS_STATUS_IO_WRITE_ERR2an error occured while writing to a file
ICNS_STATUS_DATA_NOT_FOUND3the necessary or requested data was not found
ICNS_STATUS_UNSUPPORTED4the requested data was not supported by libicns


Part III: Manipulating the icon family

Reading and writing to files

int icns_write_family_to_file(FILE *dataFile,icns_family_t *iconFamilyIn);
int icns_read_family_from_file(FILE *dataFile,icns_family_t **iconFamilyOut);


Reading specifically from an HFS+ resource fork (i.e. icon.icns/..namedfork/rsrc)

int icns_read_family_from_rsrc(FILE *rsrcFile,icns_family_t **iconFamilyOut);


Reading and writing to memory

int icns_export_family_data(icns_family_t *iconFamily,icns_size_t *dataSizeOut,unsigned char **dataPtrOut);
int icns_import_family_data(icns_size_t dataSize,unsigned char *data,icns_family_t **iconFamilyOut);


Creating an new icon family

int icns_create_family(icns_family_t **iconFamilyOut);


Counting the number of elements in an icon family

int icns_count_elements_in_family(icns_family_t *iconFamily, icns_sint32_t *elementTotal)


Part IV: Manipulating elements of the icon family

Getting and setting elements of the icon family

int icns_get_element_from_family(icns_family_t *iconFamily,icns_type_t iconType,icns_element_t **iconElementOut);
int icns_set_element_in_family(icns_family_t **iconFamilyRef,icns_element_t *newIconElement);


Adding and removing new elements of the icon family

int icns_add_element_in_family(icns_family_t **iconFamilyRef,icns_element_t *newIconElement);
int icns_remove_element_in_family(icns_family_t **iconFamilyRef,icns_type_t iconType);


Creating new elements from image data

int icns_new_element_from_image(icns_image_t *imageIn,icns_type_t iconType,icns_element_t **iconElementOut);
int icns_new_element_from_mask(icns_image_t *imageIn,icns_type_t iconType,icns_element_t **iconElementOut);


Updating existing elements with image data

int icns_update_element_with_image(icns_image_t *imageIn,icns_element_t **iconElement);
int icns_update_element_with_mask(icns_image_t *imageIn,icns_element_t **iconElement);


Part V: Manipulating images of the icon family and icon elements

Fast retrival of a complete icon image from an icon family

int icns_get_image32_with_mask_from_family(icns_family_t *iconFamily,icns_type_t sourceType,icns_image_t *imageOut);


Retriving a image or mask from an icon element

int icns_get_image_from_element(icns_element_t *iconElement,icns_image_t *imageOut);
int icns_get_mask_from_element(icns_element_t *iconElement,icns_image_t *imageOut);


Initializing an empty image - ready for data

int icns_init_image_for_type(icns_type_t iconType,icns_image_t *imageOut);
int icns_init_image(unsigned int iconWidth,unsigned int iconHeight,unsigned int iconChannels,unsigned int iconPixelDepth,icns_image_t *imageOut);


Freeing the memory allocated by an icon image

int icns_free_image(icns_image_t *imageIn);


Part VI: Decoding and encoding image data for certian formats

Decoding and encoding 3 channel RLE data

int icns_decode_rle24_data(icns_size_t dataSizeIn, icns_byte_t *dataPtrIn,icns_size_t *dataSizeOut, icns_byte_t **dataPtrOut);
int icns_encode_rle24_data(icns_size_t dataSizeIn, icns_byte_t *dataPtrIn,icns_size_t *dataSizeOut, icns_byte_t **dataPtrOut);


Decoding and encoding jpeg2000 image data

int icns_jp2_to_image(icns_size_t dataSize, icns_byte_t *dataPtr, icns_image_t **imageOut);
int icns_image_to_jp2(icns_image_t *image, icns_size_t *dataSizeOut, icns_byte_t **dataPtrOut);


Part VII: Misc utility functions

Getting information about a specific icon type

icns_icon_info_t icns_get_image_info_for_type(icns_type_t iconType);


Finding the correct mask type with an icon type

icns_type_t icns_get_mask_type_for_icon_type(icns_type_t);


Determining the correct icon type to use for a given image

icns_type_t icns_get_type_from_image_info(icns_icon_info_t iconInfo);
icns_type_t icns_get_type_from_image(icns_image_t iconImage);
icns_type_t icns_get_type_from_mask(icns_image_t iconImage);


Comparing icns_type_t data

icns_bool_t icns_types_equal(icns_type_t typeA,icns_type_t typeB);
icns_bool_t icns_types_not_equal(icns_type_t typeA,icns_type_t typeB);


Enable or disable the printing of error messages during runtime

void icns_set_print_errors(icns_bool_t shouldPrint);