The present invention provides an image processing apparatus and an image
processing method that enable efficient use of code information storage
areas and can rapidly process code information to render characters. A
character data management unit stores reference information for
referencing the shape data of a character indicated by inputted character
data in an intermediate code buffer in association with an intermediate
code. Thereby, a data amount of the intermediate code buffer is reduced.
At the same time, reference information for referencing the intermediate
code is stored in a font cache buffer in association with the character
shape data. By dint of the mutual reference, when character shape data is
to be saved from, e.g., the font cache buffer to the intermediate code
buffer, intermediate codes referencing the shape data can be determined
from reference information of the character shape data and reference
information of the intermediate codes can be modified, so that processing
can be performed easily and rapidly.
