# OpenSlide

> free software library

**Wikidata**: [Q10610457](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10610457)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/openslide

## Summary
OpenSlide is a free software library designed to read and process large whole-slide images (WSIs) in formats like Aperio SVS and TIFF. It provides a standardized interface for accessing high-resolution microscopy images, enabling applications to efficiently render and manipulate these files without handling format-specific details.

## Key Facts
- **Type**: Software library for whole-slide image processing
- **License**: GNU Lesser General Public License, version 2.1
- **Latest Version**: 3.4.1 (released 2015-04-20)
- **Primary Formats**: Aperio SVS, TIFF, BigTIFF
- **Dependencies**: Requires libjpeg, LibTIFF, zlib, OpenJPEG, GLib, Cairo, libpng, GDKPixBuf, and libxml2
- **Programming Language**: C
- **Website**: [https://openslide.org/](https://openslide.org/)
- **Source Code**: Hosted on GitHub at [https://github.com/openslide/openslide](https://github.com/openslide/openslide)
- **Package Names**: Available as `openslide` on openSUSE and `py-openslide` on MacPorts

## FAQs
### Q: What is OpenSlide used for?
A: OpenSlide is used to read and process large whole-slide images (WSIs) in formats like Aperio SVS and TIFF. It provides a standardized interface for applications to access and manipulate high-resolution microscopy images.

### Q: What dependencies does OpenSlide require?
A: OpenSlide depends on several libraries, including libjpeg, LibTIFF, zlib, OpenJPEG, GLib, Cairo, libpng, GDKPixBuf, and libxml2. These are necessary for its functionality.

### Q: Is OpenSlide free software?
A: Yes, OpenSlide is distributed under the GNU Lesser General Public License, version 2.1, allowing users to freely run, study, change, and distribute it.

### Q: What file formats does OpenSlide support?
A: OpenSlide supports Aperio SVS, TIFF, and BigTIFF formats. It provides a unified interface for reading and processing these formats.

### Q: Where can I find the source code for OpenSlide?
A: The source code for OpenSlide is available on GitHub at [https://github.com/openslide/openslide](https://github.com/openslide/openslide).

## Why It Matters
OpenSlide plays a crucial role in digital pathology and microscopy by providing a standardized way to handle large whole-slide images. It simplifies the process of reading and processing high-resolution microscopy files, which are essential for diagnostic and research purposes. By abstracting the complexities of different file formats, OpenSlide enables developers to create applications that can efficiently render and analyze these images without worrying about format-specific details. This library supports critical workflows in medical imaging, research, and education by ensuring compatibility and interoperability across different systems and platforms.

## Notable For
- **Standardized Interface**: Provides a unified API for reading various whole-slide image formats, simplifying development for applications that need to handle high-resolution microscopy data.
- **Open Source**: Distributed under the GNU Lesser General Public License, ensuring accessibility and freedom for users and developers.
- **Cross-Platform Support**: Available as a package on openSUSE and MacPorts, indicating broad compatibility and ease of integration.
- **Dependency Management**: Relies on a robust set of libraries, including libjpeg, LibTIFF, and OpenJPEG, to ensure reliable performance.
- **Active Development**: Regular releases, with the latest version (3.4.1) released in 2015, demonstrating ongoing maintenance and improvement.

## Body
### Overview
OpenSlide is a free software library designed to read and process large whole-slide images (WSIs) in formats like Aperio SVS and TIFF. It provides a standardized interface for accessing high-resolution microscopy images, enabling applications to efficiently render and manipulate these files without handling format-specific details.

### Technical Details
- **Programming Language**: OpenSlide is written in C, ensuring high performance and compatibility across different systems.
- **Dependencies**: The library relies on several key dependencies, including libjpeg for JPEG image support, LibTIFF for TIFF file handling, and zlib for compression. Additional dependencies include OpenJPEG for JPEG 2000 support, GLib for core functionality, Cairo for graphics rendering, libpng for PNG image support, GDKPixBuf for image loading, and libxml2 for XML parsing.
- **File Formats**: OpenSlide supports Aperio SVS, TIFF, and BigTIFF formats. It provides a unified interface for reading and processing these formats, making it easier for applications to handle high-resolution microscopy data.

### Licensing and Distribution
- **License**: OpenSlide is distributed under the GNU Lesser General Public License, version 2.1, which allows users to freely run, study, change, and distribute the software.
- **Source Code**: The source code is available on GitHub at [https://github.com/openslide/openslide](https://github.com/openslide/openslide), where users can access the latest versions and contribute to the project.

### Versions and Releases
- **Latest Version**: The most recent version of OpenSlide is 3.4.1, released on 2015-04-20. Previous versions include 1.0.0, 1.1.0, 1.1.1, 2.0.0, 2.1.0, 2.2.0, 2.2.1, 2.3.0, and 2.3.1, all released on 2013-07-24.

### Package Availability
- **openSUSE**: OpenSlide is available as the `openslide` package on openSUSE.
- **MacPorts**: It is also available as `py-openslide` on MacPorts, indicating its compatibility with macOS systems.

### Website and Documentation
- **Website**: The official website for OpenSlide is [https://openslide.org/](https://openslide.org/), where users can find documentation, format specifications, and other resources.
- **GitHub**: The project's GitHub repository provides access to the source code, issue tracking, and community contributions.

## References

1. [Source](https://openslide.org/)
2. [Release 3.4.1. 2015](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.4.1)
3. [Release 1.0.0. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v1.0.0)
4. [Release 1.1.0. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v1.1.0)
5. [Release 1.1.1. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v1.1.1)
6. [Release 2.0.0. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v2.0.0)
7. [Release 2.1.0. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v2.1.0)
8. [Release 2.2.0. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v2.2.0)
9. [Release 2.2.1. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v2.2.1)
10. [Release 2.3.0. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v2.3.0)
11. [Release 2.3.1. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v2.3.1)
12. [Release 3.0.0. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.0.0)
13. [Release 3.0.1. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.0.1)
14. [Release 3.0.2. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.0.2)
15. [Release 3.0.3. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.0.3)
16. [Release 3.1.0. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.1.0)
17. [Release 3.1.1. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.1.1)
18. [Release 3.2.0. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.2.0)
19. [Release 3.2.1. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.2.1)
20. [Release 3.2.2. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.2.2)
21. [Release 3.2.3. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.2.3)
22. [Release 3.2.4. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.2.4)
23. [Release 3.2.5. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.2.5)
24. [Release 3.2.6. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.2.6)
25. [Release 3.3.0. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.3.0)
26. [Release 3.3.1. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.3.1)
27. [Release 3.3.2. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.3.2)
28. [Release 3.3.3. 2013](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.3.3)
29. [Release 3.4.0. 2014](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v3.4.0)
30. [Release 4.0.0. 2023](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/releases/tag/v4.0.0)
31. [Source](https://api.github.com/repos/openslide/openslide)
32. [Source](https://openslide.org/formats/aperio/)
33. [Source](https://openslide.org/formats/generic-tiff/)
34. [Source](https://www.loc.gov/preservation/digital/formats/fdd/fdd000328.shtml)
35. [Source](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/blob/4cd4b83c3ffff0382126d0618c85407f2c469b28/configure.ac#L55)
36. [Source](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/blob/4cd4b83c3ffff0382126d0618c85407f2c469b28/configure.ac#L59)
37. [Source](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/blob/4cd4b83c3ffff0382126d0618c85407f2c469b28/configure.ac#L62)
38. [Source](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/blob/4cd4b83c3ffff0382126d0618c85407f2c469b28/configure.ac#L104)
39. [Source](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/blob/4cd4b83c3ffff0382126d0618c85407f2c469b28/configure.ac#L123)
40. [Source](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/blob/4cd4b83c3ffff0382126d0618c85407f2c469b28/configure.ac#L124)
41. [Source](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/blob/4cd4b83c3ffff0382126d0618c85407f2c469b28/configure.ac#L125)
42. [Source](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/blob/4cd4b83c3ffff0382126d0618c85407f2c469b28/configure.ac#L126)
43. [Source](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/blob/4cd4b83c3ffff0382126d0618c85407f2c469b28/configure.ac#L127)
44. [Source](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/blob/4cd4b83c3ffff0382126d0618c85407f2c469b28/configure.ac#L128)
45. [Source](https://github.com/openslide/openslide/blob/4cd4b83c3ffff0382126d0618c85407f2c469b28/configure.ac#L131)