You are here: The C API

# The C API

The MrSID SDK is a large set of C++ classes containing many features and designed for many different needs and workflows. There is a corresponding cost in learning and development time to working with the full SDK.

Recognizing this cost, the SDK also provides a small, C-based API for developers who wish to quickly implement or prototype simple decode support for MrSID, JPEG 2000 and NITF images.

The C API provides the following features:

- decode support for MrSID, JPEG 2000 and NITF
- basic metadata access
- file-based and stream-based decodes
- BSQ format output

Major features not available through the C API include:

- access to the image pipeline architecture (readers, filters, writers)
- support for other file formats
- encode support
- progress and interrupt delegates

NOTE: The C API is built on top of the C++ API. Although the linkage is done with C names, use of C++ runtime libraries is still required.

This chapter describes the basics of the C API, as implemented in the two files `ltic_api.h` and `lt_ioCStream.h`, in the include directory. The Reference Manual contains complete details and examples.

Click any link below for more information.

Image Support

Decode Support

Metadata Support

Streams