FourCC

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(Related formats)
 
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Uses of FourCCs include:
 
Uses of FourCCs include:
 
* Multimedia codec identifiers (many formats: [[AVI]], [[QuickTime]], etc.)
 
* 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]]
 +
* [[Macintosh resource file|Macintosh resource types]]
 
* [[IFF]] - chunk identifiers, FORM types
 
* [[IFF]] - chunk identifiers, FORM types
 
* [[RIFF]] - chunk identifiers, form and LIST types
 
* [[RIFF]] - chunk identifiers, form and LIST types
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* [[ICC profile]] - tag signatures and types
 
* [[ICC profile]] - tag signatures and types
 
* [[PICT]] - application comment signatures
 
* [[PICT]] - application comment signatures
* [[BMP]] - color spaces
 
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==

Latest revision as of 13:46, 7 May 2019

File Format
Name FourCC
Ontology

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.

[edit] 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 byte order, the characters of a FourCC may or may not be stored in reverse order.

[edit] Related formats

Uses of FourCCs include:

[edit] Links

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