Introduction (How to Write a WIC-Enabled Codec)
The Windows Imaging Component (WIC) is an extensible platform for digital imaging on the Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. WIC is also available on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, either as part of Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 or as a separate component that you can redistribute. Any application using the WIC can access, display, process, and print images in any image format that provides a WIC-enabled codec, using a single set of consistent interfaces that eliminate the need for specialized knowledge of specific formats.
The Windows Vista Explorer, Windows Vista Photo Gallery, Live Photo Gallery, and Windows 7 Photo Viewer are built on WIC. After a WIC-enabled codec is installed on a Windows Vista or Windows 7 system, the operating system provides the same level of support for the associated image format as for the standard image formats that ship with the platform. Because you write the codec for your own image format, you can ensure consistent quality wherever your image format is used, and you get the benefits of full platform support.
Related topics
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Conceptual
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How to Write a WIC-Enabled CODEC