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                                   ICO2GIF
       Windows .ICO to .GIF image file converter -- Version 1.0 for DOS

                   Copyright (c) 1996 J. Ashley Roeckelein
                             ashley@primenet.com
                 http://www.primenet.com/~ashley/index.html
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This is a DOS command-line program that converts common Windows ICO-formatted
image files into GIF-formatted image files.

After searching high and low for a similar utility (I wanted to put some of
the zillions of ICO images I have laying around on my web page), I couldn't
find such a beast.  To be fair, there were a few Windows programs that I
could pipeline images through, but this would take much too long and be much
too tedious to do one image at a time.  So, I whipped one up.  Features:

  o Wildcard filenames are permitted (eg: *.ICO)
  o Images may be magnified
  o GIF background color can be specified
  o User-specified color can be converted to GIF background color
  o User-specified color can be inserted according to the 'AND' bitmap mask
    embedded in ICO ('AND' bitmap mask is used by Windows for transparency)
  o ICO RGB color map can be dumped to screen for inspection

To run the program (and to obtain current instructions), type:

    ICO2GIF

...at the command line.

---------------------------------[ CREDITS ]----------------------------------

Information on the Windows ICO file format was mined from the following web
page titled "Windows Bitmap File Format" by mediatel-admin@mediatel.lu:
http://www.mediatel.lu/mmedia/graphic/h_bmp.html

The GIF-encoding is performed by a function from a wonderful GIF source code
library called gif_lib, created by a guy named Gershon [gershon@cs.utah.edu].

----------------------------[ LEGAL-TYPE STUFF ]------------------------------

Copyright (c) 1996 by J. Ashley Roeckelein.  This software is freeware, is
freely distributable, and may be included in archive distributions.  This
software may NOT be sold, may NOT be used for profit, and may NOT be altered
in any way, without prior arrangement with J. Ashley Roeckelein.  The user
shall assume ALL risks associated with the use of this software, period.

The Graphics Interchange Format(c) is the Copyright property of CompuServe
Incorporated.  GIF(sm) is a Service Mark property of CompuServe Incorporated.

Windows is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation
in the United States and/or other countries.

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