How to Use the 'ect' Command (with Examples)

The Efficient Compression Tool (ECT) is a powerful file optimizer written in C++ that focuses on enhancing compression for various file types including PNG, JPEG, gzip, and Zip files. The primary motivation for using ECT is to reduce the storage size of files without compromising their quality, thereby saving disk space and enhancing file transfer efficiency. With its support for multithreading and multiple compression levels, ECT provides users with both speed and thoroughness in compression tasks. This article explores several practical use cases of ECT to demonstrate its utility and effectiveness.

Use case 1: Compress a File

Code:

ect path/to/file.png

Motivation:

When dealing with images, particularly those that are frequently uploaded or transferred over the internet, reducing file size without losing image quality becomes crucial. Compressing a PNG file using ECT can bring about significant savings in size, which is beneficial for websites to load faster and consume less bandwidth.

Explanation:

• ect: This is the command to invoke the Efficient Compression Tool.
• path/to/file.png: The path specifies the location of the file to be compressed. This example focuses on PNG images given their widespread use and typically larger size.

Example Output:

After running the command, users might see:

Original size: 1056KB
Compressed size: 789KB
Compression complete. Filesize reduced by 26%.

Use case 2: Compress a File with Specified Compression Level and Multithreading

Code:

ect -9 --mt-deflate path/to/file.zip

Motivation:

Files often require varied levels of compression depending on their usage scenario. For instance, when archiving a zip file intended for long-term storage, maximizing compression is beneficial. By setting the highest compression level and using multithreading, ECT ensures that the file is compressed to its smallest possible size efficiently.

Explanation:

• -9: This flag sets the compression level to the slowest yet most optimal setting. Compression levels range from 1 (fastest and least compression) to 9 (slowest and best compression).
• --mt-deflate: This option enables multithreading for deflating (compressing) files, allowing the tool to use multiple CPU cores for faster execution.
• path/to/file.zip: The path to the zip file that is to be compressed.

Example Output:

Compression level set to maximum.
Multithreading enabled. Using 4 threads.
Original size: 50MB
Compressed size: 32MB
Time taken: 1 min 45 sec

Use case 3: Compress All Files in a Directory Recursively

Code:

ect -recurse path/to/directory

Motivation:

In situations where an entire directory has multiple subfolders and files that require compression, manually compressing each file can be cumbersome. The recursive compression feature allows users to compress every file within the directory and its subdirectories, ensuring a comprehensive optimization of storage space.

Explanation:

• -recurse: This flag tells ECT to compress files recursively within the entire directory hierarchy.
• path/to/directory: Specifies the directory whose content will be compressed.

Example Output:

Recursively compressing directory: /path/to/directory
Total files processed: 120
Total original size: 5.8GB
Total compressed size: 3.5GB

Use case 4: Compress a File, Keeping the Original Modification Time

Code:

ect -keep path/to/file.png

Motivation:

While compressing files, maintaining the original metadata, such as modification time, can be critical for various scenarios, like software development or digital archiving, where file timestamps are significant for integrity and version tracking.

Explanation:

• -keep: Ensures the original file’s modification time is preserved post-compression.
• path/to/file.png: Path to the specific file that requires both compression and retained metadata.

Example Output:

File compressed successfully.
Modification time preserved: 2023-09-21 14:37:12

Use case 5: Compress a File, Stripping Metadata

Code:

ect -strip path/to/file.png

Motivation:

In certain situations, especially when privacy is a concern, users may choose to remove metadata from files. Stripping metadata can also reduce file size slightly and potentially enhance privacy by eliminating embedded information such as camera details or geolocation from images.

Explanation:

• -strip: This option removes metadata from the file during compression.
• path/to/file.png: Indicates the file from which metadata should be stripped before compression.

Example Output:

File compressed and metadata stripped.
Original size: 550KB
Compressed size after stripping metadata: 540KB

Conclusion:

The Efficient Compression Tool (ECT) offers versatile options for file compression, catering to specific needs such as metadata manipulation, modification time preservation, and multithreaded optimization. These examples demonstrate how users can harness ECT’s capabilities to effectively manage and optimize their digital content. Whether dealing with large archives, sensitive files, or simple image optimization tasks, ECT provides comprehensive solutions to meet diverse compression requirements.