API to Determine Whether QuickTime Can Open a File

CanQuickTimeOpenFile

Determines whether the file could be opened using a graphics importer or opened in place as a movie.

CanQuickTimeOpenFile (FSSpecPtr fileSpec,
OSType fileType,
OSType fileNameExtension,
Boolean * outCanOpenWithGraphicsImporter,
Boolean * outCanOpenAsMovie,
Boolean * outPreferGraphicsImporter,
UInt32 inFlags);

fileSpec

Points to an FSSpec identifying the file in question. If you just want to ask about a particular file type and/or file name suffix in general, pass NULL.

fileType

Contains the file type if already known, or 0 if not known. If fileSpec is provided and fileType is 0, QuickTime will call the File Manager to determine the file type. If you pass NULL in fileSpec and 0 in fileNameExtension , you must pass a file type here.

fileNameExtension

 

Contains the file name suffix if already known, or 0 if not known. The file name suffix should be encoded as an uppercase four-character-code with trailing spaces; for instance, the suffix ".png" should be encoded as 'PNG' , or 0x504e4720. If fileSpec is provided and fileNameExtension is 0, QuickTime will examine fileSpec to determine the file name suffix. If you pass NULL in fileSpec and 0 in fileType , you must pass a file name suffix here.

outCanOpenWithGraphicsImporter

 

Points to a boolean which will be set to true if the file can be opened using a graphics importer and false otherwise. If you do not want this information, pass NULL.

outCanOpenAsMovie

 

Points to a boolean which will be set to true if the file can be opened as a movie and false otherwise. If you do not want this information, pass NULL.

outPreferGraphicsImporter

 

Points to a boolean which will be set to true if the file can be opened using a graphics importer and opened as a movie, but, all other things being equal, QuickTime recommends using a graphics importer. For example, QuickTime would recommend using a graphics importer for single-frame GIF files and opening as a movie for multiple-frame GIF files.

If you do not want this information, pass NULL.

Passing a non-NULL pointer disables the kQTDontUseDataToFindImporter and kQTDontLookForMovieImporterIfGraphicsImporterFound flags, if set.

inFlags

Specifies flags which modify search behavior. Pass 0 for default behavior.

Flags available are:

kQTDontUseDataToFindImporter

Tells QuickTime not to use the data in the file to help in the search. This will speed up the search, especially in cases where a negative result is returned, but it will cause QuickTime to report that it can not open files which aren't identified by a recognized file type or file name suffix.

kQTDontLookForMovieImporterIfGraphicsImporterFound

 

Tells QuickTime to short-circuit its search as soon as it finds one way to open the file. Pass this flag if you want to know whether a file can be opened with a graphics importer or as a movie, but you don't care which.

kQTAllowOpeningStillImagesAsMovies

 

Tells QuickTime to consider opening still images as movies. If this flag is set, if a file can be opened using a graphics importer QuickTime will automatically say it can be opened as a movie.

kQTAllowImportersThatWouldCreateNewFile

 

Tells QuickTime to include importers which would create new files. If this flag is clear, QuickTime only includes importers which can import in place without needing to create new files.

kQTAllowAggressiveImporters

 

Tells QuickTime to include movie importers for file types like PICT and TEXT which aren't traditionally thought of as movies.

If this flag is clear, QuickTime excludes these movie importers.

Error codes

paramErr
memFullErr

CanQuickTimeOpenDataRef

Determines whether the data reference could be opened using a graphics importer or opened in place as a movie.

CanQuickTimeOpenDataRef (Handle dataRef,
OSType dataRefType,
Boolean * outCanOpenWithGraphicsImporter,
Boolean * outCanOpenAsMovie,
Boolean * outPreferGraphicsImporter,
UInt32 inFlags);