libquicktime Documentation

# Introduction

This is the API documentation for Libquicktime.

Click Modules (on top of the page) to get to the main API index. Here, you find just some general blabla :)

# History

Libquicktime started as a patch for quicktime4linux to add support for the GNU build tools. Due to the high interest in an easily installable, general purpose quicktime library, the patch (which was done by Arthur Peters) soon gained attention. Other possible improvements were discussed, most notably a more modular structure (i.e. dynamic loading of codec plugins). This required some changes in the internal architecture, which could no longer be maintained as a patch, so the sourcecode was forked and the libquicktime project was created.

The following years brought no revolution but lots of evolution. Some features, most notably AVI support could be ported from quicktime4linux. Other things, like support for nonconstant framerates, QTVR and some more codecs are exclusive to libquicktime.

While libquicktime was initially meant to be a 100% compatible replacement for quicktime4linux, this goal was given up due to the increasing differences in the 2 libraries. But since libquicktime still has a more or less compatible compatibility layer, porting quicktime4linux applications should still be easy.

Today, libquicktime focuses mostly on the professional sector. Sample accurate seeking and high resolution audio and video codecs are things you really need when you take multimedia processing seriously.

# API conventions

All quicktime4linux functions, which could be used without change, are still prefixed with quicktime_. Some of these functions have flaws, and it was decided to write replacements. These new functions (API extensions) are prefixed with lqt_.

# Usage

The easiest way is to use pkg-config to get the compiler flags necessaty for libquicktime. In each sourcefile, which uses libquicktime functions, you simply need to include <lqt.h>.