Using GdkPixdata, images can be compiled into an application, making it unnecessary to refer to external image files at runtime. GdkPixBuf includes a utility named gdk-pixbuf-csource, which can be used to convert image files into GdkPixdata structures suitable for inclusion in C sources. To convert the GdkPixdata structures back into GdkPixbufs, use gdk_pixbuf_from_pixdata.