How do I integrate miniz into my C project?

Download the miniz.c and miniz.h files from the releases page and add them directly to your project. No external dependencies are needed, making it straightforward for various build systems like CMake or Meson.

Miniz vs zlib: which should I use?

Choose Miniz for MIT licensing, single-file simplicity, or built-in PNG/ZIP utilities. Opt for zlib if you need full API coverage, encryption support, or more extensive documentation and community resources.

Does miniz support multi-threading?

Miniz is optimized for single-threaded performance and does not natively support multi-threaded compression. For parallel processing, you may need to implement threading at the application level or consider other libraries.

How to compress a stream with miniz?

Use the low-level tdefl compressor with its state struct, allowing incremental calls for stream processing. The coroutine-style implementation supports feeding data byte by byte, as described in the features.

What's the compression performance of miniz compared to fastlz?

At level 1, miniz compresses 5-9% better than minilzo but is about 35% slower, as noted in the README. For higher levels, it compares favorably to zlib in both speed and ratio.

Can miniz handle large files efficiently?

Yes, miniz supports stream-based processing, so it can handle large files by compressing or decompressing in chunks without loading everything into memory, making it suitable for resource-constrained systems.

Open-Awesome

Miniz

MITC++3.1.2

A single C source file library implementing zlib compression, PNG writing, and ZIP archive manipulation with MIT licensing.

GitHub

2.9k stars421 forks0 contributors

What is Miniz?

Miniz is a lossless data compression library implemented in a single C source file that provides zlib-compatible compression and decompression functionality. It solves the problem of needing a portable, lightweight compression library with flexible licensing by offering an independent implementation of the zlib/Deflate standards along with additional utilities for PNG image writing and ZIP archive manipulation.

Target Audience

C/C++ developers working on embedded systems, mobile applications, games, or any project requiring a simple, portable compression library without zlib's licensing constraints.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Miniz over alternatives because it provides zlib-compatible functionality in a single file with MIT licensing, includes useful extras like PNG and ZIP support, and offers excellent portability and tuning options for resource-constrained environments.

Overview

miniz: Single C source file zlib-replacement library, originally from code.google.com/p/miniz

Use Cases

Best For

Embedded systems requiring lightweight compression
Game development needing portable archive manipulation
Mobile applications where single-file libraries simplify deployment
Projects needing zlib functionality with MIT licensing
Situations requiring stream-based compression processing
Development environments where simplicity and minimal dependencies are prioritized

Not Ideal For

Projects requiring encrypted ZIP archives for secure data handling
Applications that depend on the full zlib API beyond commonly used functions
Teams prioritizing extensive documentation and community support for rapid development
Systems where multi-threaded compression is essential for maximizing performance

Pros & Cons

Pros

MIT Licensing Flexibility

Uses the MIT license, avoiding zlib's licensing requirements and making it suitable for a wide range of commercial and open-source projects, as highlighted in the description.

Single-File Portability

Implemented as just miniz.c and miniz.h, allowing easy drop-in integration without complex build systems, which simplifies deployment in embedded and mobile environments.

zlib API Compatibility

Tested as a drop-in replacement for zlib's most used APIs with projects like libpng and libzip, facilitating seamless migration from zlib with minimal code changes.

Stream-Based Processing

Supports coroutine-style stream processing for incremental compression and decompression, enabling handling of data a byte at a time, ideal for real-time applications.

Extra PNG and ZIP Utilities

Includes built-in functions for writing PNG images and manipulating ZIP archives, adding practical value beyond standard compression for game and embedded development.

Cons

No Archive Encryption

Lacks support for encrypted ZIP archives, as admitted in the 'Known Problems' section, which limits its use in security-sensitive scenarios.

Sparse Documentation

The README notes minimal documentation, assuming familiarity with zlib API, so newcomers may struggle without prior compression library experience.

Incomplete zlib Feature Set

Only implements the most used zlib APIs, not the full suite, which could require workarounds for projects relying on less common functions.

Open Source Alternative To

Miniz is an open-source alternative to the following products:

zlib

zlib is a widely used software library for data compression, providing lossless compression algorithms that are used in many applications and file formats.

Frequently Asked Questions

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