[binutils.git] / zlib / zlib.3

.TH ZLIB 3 "2 May 2012"
.SH NAME
zlib \- compression/decompression library
.SH SYNOPSIS
[see
.I zlib.h
for full description]
.SH DESCRIPTION
The
.I zlib
library is a general purpose data compression library.
The code is thread safe, assuming that the standard library functions
used are thread safe, such as memory allocation routines.
It provides in-memory compression and decompression functions,
including integrity checks of the uncompressed data.
This version of the library supports only one compression method (deflation)
but other algorithms may be added later
with the same stream interface.
.LP
Compression can be done in a single step if the buffers are large enough
or can be done by repeated calls of the compression function.
In the latter case,
the application must provide more input and/or consume the output
(providing more output space) before each call.
.LP
The library also supports reading and writing files in
.IR gzip (1)
(.gz) format
with an interface similar to that of stdio.
.LP
The library does not install any signal handler.
The decoder checks the consistency of the compressed data,
so the library should never crash even in the case of corrupted input.
.LP
All functions of the compression library are documented in the file
.IR zlib.h .
The distribution source includes examples of use of the library
in the files
.I test/example.c
and
.IR test/minigzip.c,
as well as other examples in the
.IR examples/
directory.
.LP
Changes to this version are documented in the file
.I ChangeLog
that accompanies the source.
.LP
.I zlib
is available in Java using the java.util.zip package:
.IP
http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/Programming/compression/
.LP
A Perl interface to
.IR zlib ,
written by Paul Marquess ([email protected]),
is available at CPAN (Comprehensive Perl Archive Network) sites,
including:
.IP
http://search.cpan.org/~pmqs/IO-Compress-Zlib/
.LP
A Python interface to
.IR zlib ,
written by A.M. Kuchling ([email protected]),
is available in Python 1.5 and later versions:
.IP
http://docs.python.org/library/zlib.html
.LP
.I zlib
is built into
.IR tcl:
.IP
http://wiki.tcl.tk/4610
.LP
An experimental package to read and write files in .zip format,
written on top of
.I zlib
by Gilles Vollant ([email protected]),
is available at:
.IP
http://www.winimage.com/zLibDll/minizip.html
and also in the
.I contrib/minizip
directory of the main
.I zlib
source distribution.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
The
.I zlib
web site can be found at:
.IP
http://zlib.net/
.LP
The data format used by the zlib library is described by RFC
(Request for Comments) 1950 to 1952 in the files:
.IP
http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1950 (for the zlib header and trailer format)
.br
http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1951 (for the deflate compressed data format)
.br
http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1952 (for the gzip header and trailer format)
.LP
Mark Nelson wrote an article about
.I zlib
for the Jan. 1997 issue of  Dr. Dobb's Journal;
a copy of the article is available at:
.IP
http://marknelson.us/1997/01/01/zlib-engine/
.SH "REPORTING PROBLEMS"
Before reporting a problem,
please check the
.I zlib
web site to verify that you have the latest version of
.IR zlib ;
otherwise,
obtain the latest version and see if the problem still exists.
Please read the
.I zlib
FAQ at:
.IP
http://zlib.net/zlib_faq.html
.LP
before asking for help.
Send questions and/or comments to [email protected],
or (for the Windows DLL version) to Gilles Vollant ([email protected]).
.SH AUTHORS
Version 1.2.7
Copyright (C) 1995-2012 Jean-loup Gailly ([email protected])
and Mark Adler ([email protected]).
.LP
This software is provided "as-is,"
without any express or implied warranty.
In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages
arising from the use of this software.
See the distribution directory with respect to requirements
governing redistribution.
The deflate format used by
.I zlib
was defined by Phil Katz.
The deflate and
.I zlib
specifications were written by L. Peter Deutsch.
Thanks to all the people who reported problems and suggested various
improvements in
.IR zlib ;
who are too numerous to cite here.
.LP
UNIX manual page by R. P. C. Rodgers,
U.S. National Library of Medicine ([email protected]).
.\" end of man page
Commit	Line	Data
5ca28f79 L	1	.TH ZLIB 3 "2 May 2012"
	2	.SH NAME
	3	zlib \- compression/decompression library
	4	.SH SYNOPSIS
	5	[see
	6	.I zlib.h
	7	for full description]
	8	.SH DESCRIPTION
	9	The
	10	.I zlib
	11	library is a general purpose data compression library.
	12	The code is thread safe, assuming that the standard library functions
	13	used are thread safe, such as memory allocation routines.
	14	It provides in-memory compression and decompression functions,
	15	including integrity checks of the uncompressed data.
	16	This version of the library supports only one compression method (deflation)
	17	but other algorithms may be added later
	18	with the same stream interface.
	19	.LP
	20	Compression can be done in a single step if the buffers are large enough
	21	or can be done by repeated calls of the compression function.
	22	In the latter case,
	23	the application must provide more input and/or consume the output
	24	(providing more output space) before each call.
	25	.LP
	26	The library also supports reading and writing files in
	27	.IR gzip (1)
	28	(.gz) format
	29	with an interface similar to that of stdio.
	30	.LP
	31	The library does not install any signal handler.
	32	The decoder checks the consistency of the compressed data,
	33	so the library should never crash even in the case of corrupted input.
	34	.LP
	35	All functions of the compression library are documented in the file
	36	.IR zlib.h .
	37	The distribution source includes examples of use of the library
	38	in the files
	39	.I test/example.c
	40	and
	41	.IR test/minigzip.c,
	42	as well as other examples in the
	43	.IR examples/
	44	directory.
	45	.LP
	46	Changes to this version are documented in the file
	47	.I ChangeLog
	48	that accompanies the source.
	49	.LP
	50	.I zlib
	51	is available in Java using the java.util.zip package:
	52	.IP
	53	http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/Programming/compression/
	54	.LP
	55	A Perl interface to
	56	.IR zlib ,
	57	written by Paul Marquess ([email protected]),
	58	is available at CPAN (Comprehensive Perl Archive Network) sites,
	59	including:
	60	.IP
	61	http://search.cpan.org/~pmqs/IO-Compress-Zlib/
	62	.LP
	63	A Python interface to
	64	.IR zlib ,
65	written by A.M. Kuchling ([email protected]),
66	is available in Python 1.5 and later versions:
67	.IP
68	http://docs.python.org/library/zlib.html
69	.LP
70	.I zlib
71	is built into
72	.IR tcl:
73	.IP
74	http://wiki.tcl.tk/4610
75	.LP
76	An experimental package to read and write files in .zip format,
77	written on top of
78	.I zlib
79	by Gilles Vollant ([email protected]),
80	is available at:
81	.IP
82	http://www.winimage.com/zLibDll/minizip.html
83	and also in the
84	.I contrib/minizip
85	directory of the main
86	.I zlib
87	source distribution.
88	.SH "SEE ALSO"
89	The
90	.I zlib
91	web site can be found at:
92	.IP
93	http://zlib.net/
94	.LP
95	The data format used by the zlib library is described by RFC
96	(Request for Comments) 1950 to 1952 in the files:
97	.IP
98	http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1950 (for the zlib header and trailer format)
99	.br
100	http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1951 (for the deflate compressed data format)
101	.br
102	http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1952 (for the gzip header and trailer format)
103	.LP
104	Mark Nelson wrote an article about
105	.I zlib
106	for the Jan. 1997 issue of Dr. Dobb's Journal;
107	a copy of the article is available at:
108	.IP
109	http://marknelson.us/1997/01/01/zlib-engine/
110	.SH "REPORTING PROBLEMS"
111	Before reporting a problem,
112	please check the
113	.I zlib
114	web site to verify that you have the latest version of
115	.IR zlib ;
116	otherwise,
117	obtain the latest version and see if the problem still exists.
118	Please read the
119	.I zlib
120	FAQ at:
121	.IP
122	http://zlib.net/zlib_faq.html
123	.LP
124	before asking for help.
125	Send questions and/or comments to [email protected],
126	or (for the Windows DLL version) to Gilles Vollant ([email protected]).
127	.SH AUTHORS
128	Version 1.2.7
129	Copyright (C) 1995-2012 Jean-loup Gailly ([email protected])
130	and Mark Adler ([email protected]).
131	.LP
132	This software is provided "as-is,"
133	without any express or implied warranty.
134	In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages
135	arising from the use of this software.
136	See the distribution directory with respect to requirements
137	governing redistribution.
138	The deflate format used by
139	.I zlib
140	was defined by Phil Katz.
141	The deflate and
142	.I zlib
143	specifications were written by L. Peter Deutsch.
144	Thanks to all the people who reported problems and suggested various
145	improvements in
146	.IR zlib ;
147	who are too numerous to cite here.
148	.LP
149	UNIX manual page by R. P. C. Rodgers,
150	U.S. National Library of Medicine ([email protected]).
151	.\" end of man page