glib-compile-resources

The glib-compile-resources command line tool is part of the GLib library, which is a low-level C library for developing application frameworks, libraries, and system utilities.

glib-compile-resources is primarily used for compiling resource files into a binary format that can be embedded in a program. Resource files typically include images, UI definitions, CSS stylesheets, etc.

The tool takes a resource file in a special XML-based format (usually with a .gresource.xml extension) and generates a binary resource file (usually with a .gresource extension) that can be loaded by a GLib-based application at runtime. This binary resource file contains all the data and metadata required to access and use the resources.

The compiled resource file can be loaded and accessed within an application using the GLib API. This allows developers to easily bundle and distribute resources along with their application binaries, providing an efficient way to package and retrieve resources without relying on external files.

Overall, glib-compile-resources simplifies resource management in GLib-based applications by converting resource files into a format that can be easily embedded and accessed, improving performance and portability.