Google posts compression code Zopfli to speed downloads

Google is open-sourcing a new general purpose data compression library called Zopfli that can be used to speed up Web downloads. The Zopfli Compression Algorithm, which got its name from a Swiss bread recipe, is an implementation of the Deflate compression algorithm that creates a smaller output size compared to previous techniques, wrote Lode Vandevenne, a software engineer with Google's Compression Team, on the Google Open Source Blog last week. "The smaller compressed size allows for better space utilization, faster data transmission, and lower Web page load latencies. Furthermore, the smaller compressed size has additional benefits in mobile use, such as lower data transfer fees and reduced battery use," Vandevenne wrote. The more exhaustive compression techniques used achieve higher data density but also make the compression a lot slower. This does not affect the decompression speed, though, Vandenne wrote. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here