[VBnet Bitmaps] Pure VB: Obtaining Bitmap File Info Without APIs


	Visual Basic Bitmap Routines Pure VB: Obtaining Bitmap File Info Without APIs

Posted:	February 27, 1997
Updated:	Monday December 26, 2011

Applies to:	VB3, VB4-16, VB4-32, VB5, VB6
Developed with:	VB4-32, Windows 95
OS restrictions:	None
Author:	Unknown

Related:	BitBlt: Mimicking the PrintScreen Function BitBlt: Mimicking PrintScreen to Create a 'PrintForm' OleCreatePictureIndirect: Mimicking PrintScreen Using OLE

Prerequisites

None.

The Bitmap Info project demonstrates one means of obtaining from a bitmap file on the disk its image information without loading the actual bitmap.

Within a bitmap file are 2 header groupings of information describing the bitmap image in that file. This data is contained in the file's BITMAPFILEHEADER and BITMAPINFOHEADER structures. By using the VB Type to recreate these structures, the details of the bitmap contained in the file can be obtained with a simple binary read of this data.

(Note: due to the formatting of the code to allow pasting into VB, the strings used here will necessitate horizontal scrolling of the browser window on displays under 1024x768 full screen.)

BAS Module Code

None.

Form Code

To a form add two command buttons (Command1 and Command2) and nine labels (Label1 through Label9) for the results of the demo. The left-hand labels for the descriptions are optional. Also add a image control (Image1) with its Stretch property set to True, and a common dialog control (CommonDialog1). Add the following code:

Option Explicit

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Copyright ©1996-2011 VBnet/Randy Birch, All Rights Reserved.
' Some pages may also contain other copyrights by the author.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' Distribution: You can freely use this code in your own
'               applications, but you may not reproduce 
'               or publish this code on any web site,
'               online service, or distribute as source 
'               on any media without express permission.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Private Const CANCELERR = 32755
Private Const BI_RGB = 0&
Private Const BI_RLE8 = 1&
Private Const BI_RLE4 = 2&
Private Const BI_BITFIELDS = 3&
  
Private Type BITMAPINFOHEADER '40 bytes
    biSize            As Long
    biWidth           As Long
    biHeight          As Long
    biPlanes          As Integer
    biBitCount        As Integer
    biCompression     As Long
    biSizeImage       As Long
    biXPelsPerMeter   As Long
    biYPelsPerMeter   As Long
    biClrUsed         As Long
    biClrImportant    As Long
End Type
  
Private Type BITMAPFILEHEADER
    bfType            As Integer
    bfSize            As Long
    bfReserved1       As Integer
    bfReserved2       As Integer
    bfOhFileBits      As Long
End Type 


Private Sub Form_Load
  
 'initialize the form controls    
   Label1.Caption = ""
   Label2.Caption = ""
   Label3.Caption) = ""
   Label4.Caption = ""
   Label5.Caption = ""
   Label6.Caption = ""
   Label7.Caption = ""
   Label8.Caption = ""
   Label9.Caption = "Select a bitmap or RLE file to detail..."
     
 'position the form  
   Me.Move (Screen.Width - Me.Width) \ 2, (Screen.Height - Me.Height) \ 2

End Sub


Private Sub Command2_Click()

   Unload Me

End Sub


Private Sub Command1_Click()
  
  'create some working variables  
   Dim hFile as Long
   Dim tmp as String
  
  'create the variables to hold the bitmap info   
   Dim FileHeader As BITMAPFILEHEADER
   Dim InfoHeader As BITMAPINFOHEADER

   On Error GoTo FileErrorHandler
  
  'show the common dialog  
   CommonDialog1.CancelError = True
   CommonDialog1.ShowOpen
  
  'display a rendition of the loaded bitmap   
   Image1 = LoadPicture((CommonDialog1.filename))
   Image1.ZOrder 1
  
  'read the file header info  
   hFile = FreeFile
   Open CommonDialog1.filename For Binary Access Read As #hFile
     Get #hFile, , FileHeader
     Get #hFile, , InfoHeader
   Close #hFile
  
  'display the file info   
   Label9.Caption = CommonDialog1.filename
  
   Label1.Caption = InfoHeader.biWidth & " pixels"
   Label2.Caption = InfoHeader.biHeight & " pixels"
 
  'select the appropriate string based on the value of biCompression    
   Select Case InfoHeader.biSizeImage
     Case 0:    tmp = "BI_RGB bitmap; size variable not filled in."
     Case Else: tmp = Format$(InfoHeader.biSizeImage, "#,###,###") & " bytes"
   End Select
   Label3.Caption = tmp
  
   Label4.Caption = InfoHeader.biPlanes
   Label5.Caption = InfoHeader.biBitCount & " (" & 2 ^ InfoHeader.biBitCount & " colours)"

  'select the appropriate string based on the value of biCompression   
   Select Case InfoHeader.biCompression
     Case BI_RGB:  tmp = "Uncompressed bitmap."
     Case BI_RLE8: tmp = "RLE for bitmaps with 8 bits per pixel."
     Case BI_RLE4: tmp = "RLE for bitmaps with 4 bits per pixel."
     Case BI_BITFIELDS: tmp = "Uncompressed 16- or 32-bit-per-pixel format."
   End Select
   Label6.Caption = tmp

  'select the appropriate string based on the value of biClrUsed 
   Select Case InfoHeader.biClrUsed
     Case 0:
        tmp = "Bitmap uses the maximum number of colours corresponding to the"
        tmp = tmp & " bits-per-pixel for the compression mode."

     Case Is <>  0 And InfoHeader.biBitCount = 16:
         tmp = "The size of the colour table used to optimize performance"
         tmp = tmp & "of Windows colour palettes is " & Str$(InfoHeader.biClrUsed) 
   End Select
   Label7.Caption = tmp
 
  'select the appropriate string based on the value of biClrImportant  
   Select Case InfoHeader.biClrImportant
     Case 0:
        tmp = "All " & 2 ^ InfoHeader.biBitCount & " colour"
        tmp = tmp & " indices are considered important for displaying this bitmap."
     Case Is <>  0
        tmp = "The number of colours that are considered important for displaying"
        tmp = tmp & " this bitmap are " & Str$(InfoHeader.biClrImportant)
   End Select
   Label8Caption = tmp
   
   Exit Sub

'handle file errors or the user choosing cancel  
FileErrorHandler:

   If Err <>  CANCELERR Then MsgBox Error$(Err), 48, "Image Info"
   lblFileName = "No file was selected."

End Sub

Comments

Run the project and select a bitmap file. The bitmap statistics will be displayed.

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