Convert image data to character array

Question

I'm building a mobile advertising sdk for the iPhone and I assume that the only way to store the images that will represent the button icons for the landing page controller [in the library] is to convert the images into character arrays.

When I have the character array defined inline like:

const char backButtonData[] = { 0x00, 0x01, 0xFF, ... };

... I can access it like this:

UIImage *backButtonImage = [UIImage imageWithData:[NSData dataWithBytesNoCopy:backButtonData length:sizeof(backButtonData) freeWhenDone:NO]];

...and set up the controller's toolbar buttons with these icon images.

I've looked all over hoping to find a script to take image data and spit out a character array but came up empty handed so I've tried myself but have failed miserably.

What I need [hopefully] is a script or function to take the data from:

NSData *imageData = UIImagePNGRepresentation(image);

and spit it out into this format:

0x00, 0x01, 0xFF, ... so I can copy and past it into my source file.

Any ideas [or link to a script or tool that will do this] ?;

Answer 1

I think you really should look into using the UIImage class method +(UIImage*)imageNamed:(NSString *)name which will load an image file for you.

But if you really want to embed an image file into your app as a char array have a look at the xxd command line tool and its -i option.

Answer 2

Thanks a lot epatel, this post also saved me some struggle.

xxd -i

really works great for creating a char array of binary data.