NAME
    Compress::LZW -- Pure perl implementation of LZW

WARNING
    This module does not yet support compress(1)'s .Z files!! Nor is its
    interface stable. Hence the alpha status. Expect support to come soon.

WARNING
    Read above once more :)

SYNOPSIS
      use Compress::LZW;
  
      my $compressed = compress($fatdata);
      my $fatdata    = decompress($compressed);
  
      my $smallcompressed = compress($thindata, 12);
      my $thindata        = decompress($smallcompressed, 12);
  
DESCRIPTION
    "Compress::LZW" it a perl implementation of the newly free LZW
    compression algorithm. It defaults to building a 16-bit codeword table,
    but provides the ability to choose a 12-bit table also. Depending on the
    size of your data, the 12-bit table may provide better compression.

  Functions
    "compress"
        Takes a string as its first argument, and returns the compressed
        result. You can also specify the size of your codeword table in
        @_[1], choosing either 12 or 16. 16 is the default. "compress" will

    "decompress"
        Takes a string as its first argument, and returns the decompressed
        result. You can also specify the size of your codeword table in
        @_[1], choosing either 12 or 16. 16 is the default.

EXPORTS
    "Compress::LZW" exports: "compress" "decompress" That's all.

SEE ALSO
    Other Compress::* modules, especially Compress::LZV1, Compress::LZF and
    Compress::Zlib.

AUTHOR
    Sean O'Rourke, <seano@cpan.org> - Original author,
    "Compress::SelfExtracting"

    Matt Howard <mhoward@hattmoward.org> - "Compress::LZW"

    Bug reports welcome, patches even more welcome.

COPYRIGHT
    Copyright (C) 2003 Sean O'Rourke & Matt Howard. All rights reserved,
    some wrongs reversed. This module is distributed under the same terms as
    Perl itself. Let me know if you actually find it useful.

    MH: Also, credit to Rocco Caputo for a 2nd implementation to study.
    Thanks!