What is "bitmap strips"?

[Multiplex]

I notice that there have been several comits to change WPSs to bitmap strips - I was just wondering what this is...

[soap]

Instead of having (for example) eleven different icons for the battery (full, 90%, 80%, etc.) saved as separate bitmaps, and loaded individually, a bitmap strip is all eleven icons laid side-by-side like a film strip.  
Even though this strip is (for example) eleven times the size of any one icon - it is only one file to load into memory (saving load time) and only one of the icons is visible at a time.

[Multiplex]

Thanks - it's all there isn the Wiki too but I hadn't spotted this development - even after all these years the pace of development on Rockbox is impressive - one blink and you miss something!

Edit: Typos and remove the dopuble post caused by connection probs

[Job Van Dam]

Instead of having (for example) eleven different icons for the battery (full, 90%, 80%, etc.) saved as separate bitmaps, and loaded individually, a bitmap strip is all eleven icons laid side-by-side like a film strip. 
Even though this strip is (for example) eleven times the size of any one icon - it is only one file to load into memory (saving load time) and only one of the icons is visible at a time.

That's weird I got them laid out top to bottom not side by side. It works too.

Does Rockbox support both side by side and top to bottom bitmap strips? Just curious.

[Llorean]

No, it's top to bottom. Side to side was discussed, but top to bottom made more sense in the end for a few reasons.

[soap]

I wasn't trying to imply they were [][][][][][] instead of
[]
[]
[]
[]
[]
I guess it is a matter of perspective, but in either example the sides are touching.   

Like a strip of film.

EDIT - egads, even that is ripe with confusion.  See 35MM still photography film vs movies.

[Llorean]

Aha, there we go. Point clarified, I think.

[Twilight in Zero]

They're basically laid out the same way iconset bitmaps are.