Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!merch!cpe!hal6000!trsvax!johnm
From: johnm@trsvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: File Formats Again
Message-ID: <194300050@trsvax>
Date: 15 Dec 88 14:50:00 GMT
References: <707@media.UUCP>
Lines: 19
Nf-ID: #R:media.UUCP:707:trsvax:194300050:000:953
Nf-From: trsvax.UUCP!johnm    Dec 15 08:50:00 1988


>2) GIF.  We think this is CompuServe's file format for images, but where
>	can we find a good specification?

CompuServe naturally :-)

Get on C$ and enter the command "GO PICS".  That will take you to the forum
that supports GIF.  There you will need to look around (or just ask) for a
form that you will fill out to become a developer.  You will find the
specification in one of the download libraries that is open to the general
public so it isn't an absolute necessity that you become a developer.  However,
if you do become a developer then you will get access to a private download
area with source code for a variety of things (including a variety of LZW
compression/decompression code that you can use).  Getting up to speed quickly
without some code to help you can be difficult because all GIF pictures are
compressed using the Lempel-Ziv-Welch algorithm (the same one used by Unix
compress, Zoo, and many of the Arc programs).

John Munsch