The compound file structure is a RIFF-based structure upon which multimedia file formats can be defined. The compound file structure is a parameterized structure that provides for the following:
The goals of the compound file structure are to maximize flexibility and extensibility while minimizing implementation costs. Using the compound file structure, developers of multimedia data formats can define both simple and complex file formats.
The structure is flexible enough to be used for many purposes, but it can be simplified for use with simple file formats. Designers of new multimedia file formats can restrict the use of standard header fields, requiring some and removing others.
For example, a developer might define a compound file format that stores a series of bit maps in a single file, thus reducing compact disc seek times. Another developer might define a compound file format that contains a special type of audio resource, using the compound file header information to identify the attributes of the audio data stored within.