VARIABLE LENGTH ENCODING SYSTEM

There is provided a high speed variable length coding system having a small hardware scale. This variable length coding system includes a variable length code table, a memory for storing quantized DCT coefficients, a section for sequentially coding the read-out quantized DCT coefficients, so as to output a variable length code table address in the case of a variable length code, and a code word and a code length in the case of a fixed length code, a section for coding information to be coded other than the quantized DCT coefficients, so as to output a variable length code table address in the case of a variable length code and a code word and a code length in the case of a fixed length code, a selector for selecting an address for the variable length code, a selector for selecting a code of the fixed length code, a delay circuit for delaying the code of the fixed length code, a selector for selecting one of the variable length code and the fixed length code, and a unit for putting the selected codes in a string so as to form a code string.