INFO: Advantages of Device-Dependent Bitmaps (94918)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API), when used with:
- Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
- Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
This article was previously published under Q94918
4.00 | 3.10 3.50 3.51
WINDOWS | WINDOWS NT
kbgraphic
SUMMARY
A Device-Dependent Bitmap (DDB) is much faster than a Device
Independent-Bitmap (DIB) to BitBlt(). For this reason, it is often a good strategy under Win32 (as well as under Windows 3.1) to create a DDB from a DIB when caching or calling *Blt() functions.
The slight drawback of memory overhead for the DDB is handled well by
Win32. With Windows 3.1, the DDB memory could be marked as discardable.
Under Win32, the memory will be paged out if system resources become tight
(at least until the next repaint); if the memory is marked as
PAGE_READONLY, it can be efficiently reused, [see VirtualProtect() in the Win32 Application Programming Interface (API) Help file].
However, saving the DDB to disk as a mechanism for transfer to other
applications or for later display (another invocation) is not recommended.
This is because DDBs are driver and driver version dependent. DDBs do not
have header information, which is needed for proper translation if passed
to another driver or, potentially, to a later version of the driver for the
same card.
MORE INFORMATION
Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.5 and later support DIBSections. DIBSections
are the fastest and easiest to manipulate, giving the speed of DDBs with
direct access to the DIB bits.
NOTE: Win32s does not support DIBSections.
Modification Type: | Minor | Last Reviewed: | 2/11/2005 |
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Keywords: | kbinfo KB94918 |
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