FourCC - Revision history

Jsummers: /* Related formats */

2019-05-07T13:46:29Z

‎Related formats

Jsummers: /* Related formats */

2018-10-06T14:42:29Z

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Jsummers: /* Related formats */

2016-01-16T17:52:57Z

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Jsummers: Created page with "{{FormatInfo |formattype=electronic |subcat=Elements of File Formats }} A '''FourCC''' (four-character code) is an arbitrary 32-bit identifier that doubles as a vaguely-readab..."

2015-12-16T16:05:40Z

Created page with "{{FormatInfo |formattype=electronic |subcat=Elements of File Formats }} A '''FourCC''' (four-character code) is an arbitrary 32-bit identifier that doubles as a vaguely-readab..."

New page

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Elements of File Formats
}}
A '''FourCC''' (four-character code) is an arbitrary 32-bit identifier that doubles as a vaguely-readable 4-character [[ASCII]] string. A FourCC often identifies a data format, or the type of data contained in a segment of a file.

Some definitions of the term "FourCC" restrict it to identifiers of data formats, or even more strictly, to multimedia formats. This article does not adopt such a strict definition.

== Format details ==
FourCC is not a formal standard. Each format that uses FourCCs defines its own rules about what constitites a valid FourCC. However, there are conventions that seem to be followed fairly consistently by most formats.

FourCC code names are case-sensitive. Names shorter than 4 characters are padded on the right with spaces. A name contains only printable ASCII characters (often only letters and digits), with spaces allowed only for padding.

There is no standard for whether the letters are uppercase, lowercase, or a mix of both. Some formats use the character case for special purposes.

In files that use little-endian [[Endianness|byte order]], the characters of a FourCC may or may not be stored in reverse order.

== Related formats ==
Uses of FourCCs include:
* Multimedia codec identifiers (many formats: [[AVI]], [[QuickTime]], etc.)
* [[Resource Fork|Macintosh file types and creator codes]]
* [[IFF]] - chunk identifiers, FORM types
* [[RIFF]] - chunk identifiers
* [[Boxes/atoms format]] - box identifiers, brands
* [[PNG]] - chunk identifiers
* [[ICNS]] - image types
* [[ICC profile]] - tag signatures and types
* [[PICT]] - application comment signatures
* [[BMP]] - color spaces

== Links ==
* [[Wikipedia:FourCC]]
* [http://www.fourcc.org/ FOURCC.org] - Tracks codes used in multimedia formats

[[Category:Naming and numbering systems]]

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 Uses of FourCCs include:
 * Multimedia codec identifiers (many formats: [[AVI]], [[QuickTime]], etc.)
-* [[Macintosh resource file|Macintosh file types and creator codes]]
+* [[Macintosh type/creator code|Macintosh file types and creator codes]]
 * [[IFF]] - chunk identifiers, FORM types
 * [[RIFF]] - chunk identifiers, form and LIST types
@@ Line 27: / Line 28: @@
 * [[ICC profile]] - tag signatures and types
 * [[PICT]] - application comment signatures
 == Links ==

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 * [[Resource Fork|Macintosh file types and creator codes]]
 * [[IFF]] - chunk identifiers, FORM types
-* [[RIFF]] - chunk identifiers
+* [[RIFF]] - chunk identifiers, form and LIST types
 * [[Boxes/atoms format]] - box identifiers, brands
 * [[PNG]] - chunk identifiers