View source for Run-length encoding

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Compression
|pronom={{PRONOM|x-cmp/13}}
}}
'''Run-length encoding''' ('''RLE''') is a simple kind of data compression, in which a run of consecutive equal data values is replaced by a code indicating the run length and the data value.

RLE can be effective for some types of data, or as part of a more sophisticated algorithm, but by itself it is a poor general-purpose compression algorithm.

RLE is used in countless [[Graphics#Raster Graphics Formats|raster graphics]] formats.

== Related formats ==
Algorithms and compressed data formats based primarily on RLE:
* [[NeXT 2-bit RLE]]
* [[PackBits]]
* [[RLE90]]
* [[Run-length colour encoding]]
* [[ThunderScan compression]]

Note that most RLE implementations are used in only one format, and are not documented in a separate article.

== Links ==
* [[Wikipedia:Run-length encoding|Wikipedia article]]
* [http://www.fileformat.info/mirror/egff/ch09_03.htm Run-Length Encoding (RLE)], from the [[Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats]]
* [https://moddingwiki.shikadi.net/wiki/RLE_Compression RLE Compression] article on the Shikadi Modding Wiki, with a list of RLE variants used in proprietary game file formats.

[[Category:Graphics]]