[sword-devel] Given today's device capacities, is compression useful?

[DM Smith]

If most frontends download the zipped module, perhaps that is sufficient for in transit? Does it zip tiny enough for a module without compression? How does it compare to a module that uses zText or zText4?

Is at rest size really an issue? I think most people would have a module or two.

BTW, I have heard in 3rd world countries cellular is often the only means of accessing the internet and thus downloading files and that connections are not reliably stable.

In Him
	DM

> On May 7, 2025, at 9:03 PM, Greg Hellings <greg.hellings at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I think there is still reason for compression in transit and at rest. But I think Karl might be right that we should just look to de-compress the entire file at open to speed subsequent access.
> 
> I also think it might be worthwhile to change the tools to defaulting to the 4-byte versions rather than the 2-byte versions. The usability wins there are significant with basically no downside. The saving of 2 bytes in an offset is basically zero.
> 
> --Greg
> 
> On Tue, May 6, 2025, 4:38 PM Peter von Kaehne <refdoc at gmx.net <mailto:refdoc at gmx.net>> wrote:
>> I think Matej is right. Poor connection and small devices remain a reality
>> 
>> Also just as telephones get more powerful people develop new small devices. I would think that smart watches and whatever else will eventually attract attention by one developer or another. 
>> 
>> Sent from Outlook for iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
>> From: sword-devel <sword-devel-bounces at crosswire.org <mailto:sword-devel-bounces at crosswire.org>> on behalf of Matěj Cepl <mcepl at cepl.eu <mailto:mcepl at cepl.eu>>
>> Sent: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 11:07 pm
>> To: SWORD Developers' Collaboration Forum <sword-devel at crosswire.org <mailto:sword-devel at crosswire.org>>
>> Subject: Re: [sword-devel] Given today's device capacities, is compression useful?
>>  
>> On Tue May 6, 2025 at 6:45 PM CEST, Karl Kleinpaste wrote: 
>> > - Nobody is using PDP-11s any more, and we're not struggling to transfer 
>> > data over sloppy, error-prone 56kbps links. 
>> 
>> Except when we do … how is that Internet working in the rural 
>> India? I thought that particularly sword-related applications are 
>> meant to work for missionaries in environment hostile not only 
>> from the legal point of view. 
>> 
>> Best, 
>> 
>> Matěj 
>> -- 
>> http://matej.ceplovi.cz/blog/, @mcepl at en.osm.town 
>> GPG Finger: 3C76 A027 CA45 AD70 98B5 BC1D 7920 5802 880B C9D8 
>> 
>> We are told that [St. Anthony] once fell into dejection, finding 
>> uninterrupted contemplation above his strength; but was taught to 
>> apply himself at intervals to manual labour by a vision of an 
>> angel who appeared platting mats of palm-tree leaves, then rising 
>> to pray, and after some time sitting down again to work; and who 
>> at length said to him, “Do thus, and thou shalt be saved.” 
>> -- Life of St. Anthony 
>> 
>>  
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