Using the Brotli Compression Command (with examples)
Brotli is a compression algorithm developed by Google, which is known for its high compression ratio and efficiency. The Brotli command allows you to compress and uncompress files using this compression algorithm. In this article, we will explore different use cases of the Brotli command with code examples and explanations.
Use Case 1: Compress a File
brotli path/to/file
Motivation: By compressing a file using Brotli, you can significantly reduce its size, which can be useful in scenarios where storage or bandwidth is limited.
Explanation: In this use case, the brotli command is used to compress a file specified by path/to/file. The command will create a compressed version of the file with the “.br” extension next to the original file.
Example Output: If the original file is named “example.txt”, running this command will create a compressed file named “example.txt.br” next to it.
Use Case 2: Decompress a File
brotli -d path/to/file.br
Motivation: Sometimes, you might need to decompress a Brotli-compressed file to retrieve the original contents. This is especially useful when working with files that have been compressed using Brotli.
Explanation: In this use case, the brotli command is used with the “-d” option to decompress a Brotli-compressed file specified by path/to/file.br. The command will create an uncompressed version of the file next to the original file.
Example Output: If the compressed file is named “example.txt.br”, running this command will create an uncompressed file named “example.txt” next to it.
Use Case 3: Compress a File with Custom Output Filename
brotli path/to/file -o path/to/compressed_output_file.br
Motivation: By specifying a custom output filename, you can control the naming convention for the compressed file. This can be useful in situations where you want to follow a specific naming convention or avoid overwriting existing files.
Explanation: In this use case, the brotli command is used to compress a file specified by path/to/file. The “-o” option is used to specify the output filename as path/to/compressed_output_file.br. The command will create a compressed file with the specified output filename.
Example Output: If the original file is named “example.txt” and the specified output filename is “compressed_example.br”, running this command will create a compressed file named “compressed_example.br” in the specified output directory.
Use Case 4: Decompress a Brotli File with Custom Output Filename
brotli -d path/to/compressed_file.br -o path/to/output_file
Motivation: Similar to the previous use case, specifying a custom output filename allows you to control the naming convention for the uncompressed file. This can be beneficial when you want to organize and manage the decompressed files in a specific way.
Explanation: In this use case, the brotli command is used with the “-d” option to decompress a Brotli-compressed file specified by path/to/compressed_file.br. The “-o” option is used to specify the output filename as path/to/output_file. The command will create an uncompressed file with the specified output filename.
Example Output: If the compressed file is named “compressed_example.br” and the specified output filename is “output_example.txt”, running this command will create an uncompressed file named “output_example.txt” in the specified output directory.
Use Case 5: Specify the Compression Level
brotli -q 11 path/to/file -o path/to/compressed_output_file.br
Motivation: By specifying the compression level, you can trade off between compression speed and the resulting compression ratio. Using a higher compression level (e.g., 11) can achieve better compression ratios at the expense of longer compression times.
Explanation: In this use case, the brotli command is used with the “-q” option to specify the compression level as 11. The command is then followed by the file path and the “-o” option with the output filename. This will compress the file with the specified compression level and create a compressed file with the specified output filename.
Example Output: If the original file is named “example.txt” and the specified output filename is “compressed_example.br”, running this command will create a compressed file named “compressed_example.br” in the specified output directory, using the highest compression level (slowest and best compression).
In this article, we have explored different use cases of the Brotli command with detailed code examples, motivations, explanations, and example outputs. By leveraging the power of Brotli compression, you can compress and decompress files efficiently, achieving smaller file sizes without sacrificing much in terms of the original content.
