run-length encoding

1 definition found

run-length encoding - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  run-length encoding
  RLE
  
     A kind of compression algorithm which replaces sequences
     ("runs") of consecutive repeated characters (or other units of
     data) with a single character and the length of the run.  This
     can either be applied to all input characters, including runs
     of length one, or a special character can be used to introduce
     a run-length encoded group.  The longer and more frequent the
     runs are, the greater the compression that will be achieved.
     This technique is particularly useful for encoding black and
     white images where the data units would be single bit
     pixels.
  
     (1994-10-27)