SCZ provides easy-to-use file compression and decompression tools that are lightweight and easily portable.
The SCZ application is a compression utility that allows for the compression and decompression of arbitrary data. The initial implementation includes new lossless compression algorithms that, when decompressed, result in a perfect restoration of the original data. It is referred to as the simple compression format and is designed to be used as a subroutine in other applications without any legal or technical encumbrances.
SCZ was created due to the complexity and size of standard compression routines like gzip and Zlib, which can be difficult to integrate, maintain, and comprehend. It's designed to solve a specific problem, which is that existing compression libraries are too large and intricate for some applications, making it difficult to include them within the applications themselves.
SCZ typically provides a compression ratio of 3:1, although on binary PPM image files it can achieve a compression ratio of ten to one, and on some text files, it can even achieve a ratio of 25:1. Despite the fact that zip and gzip can achieve marginally higher ratios, SCZ takes into account simplicity, memory footprint, and runtime speed, with diminishing returns in mind. To improve the compression ratio would drastically increase the complexity and runtime of SCZ, so the developers believe it to be an acceptable tradeoff.
The core compression and decompression algorithms of SCZ are only 178 and 45 lines of code, respectively, compared to zlib's 3,360 lines of code. The rest of the files provide convenient access methods for both files and buffers.
Although SCZ was intended for linking or compiling into other applications, the package includes two self-contained application programs that can be used as standalone compress/decompress utilities along with seven other files, including a header file and base compression and decompression functions, to name a few.
To use SCZ in your programs, you only need to include or link to the lib file(s), which can be used as command-line utilities or as raw routines. It works across all platforms, making portable and self-contained compression available to all applications.
In conclusion, SCZ is a great utility for those who require a lightweight data compression and decompression routine that is easy to integrate, understand, and maintain. While there are larger and more intricate compression libraries, SCZ fits into specific niches where those libraries aren't suitable. In the future, the developer plans to add a similar set of simple routines for lossy compression of specific types of data like images or audio files.
SCZ was created due to the complexity and size of standard compression routines like gzip and Zlib, which can be difficult to integrate, maintain, and comprehend. It's designed to solve a specific problem, which is that existing compression libraries are too large and intricate for some applications, making it difficult to include them within the applications themselves.
SCZ typically provides a compression ratio of 3:1, although on binary PPM image files it can achieve a compression ratio of ten to one, and on some text files, it can even achieve a ratio of 25:1. Despite the fact that zip and gzip can achieve marginally higher ratios, SCZ takes into account simplicity, memory footprint, and runtime speed, with diminishing returns in mind. To improve the compression ratio would drastically increase the complexity and runtime of SCZ, so the developers believe it to be an acceptable tradeoff.
The core compression and decompression algorithms of SCZ are only 178 and 45 lines of code, respectively, compared to zlib's 3,360 lines of code. The rest of the files provide convenient access methods for both files and buffers.
Although SCZ was intended for linking or compiling into other applications, the package includes two self-contained application programs that can be used as standalone compress/decompress utilities along with seven other files, including a header file and base compression and decompression functions, to name a few.
To use SCZ in your programs, you only need to include or link to the lib file(s), which can be used as command-line utilities or as raw routines. It works across all platforms, making portable and self-contained compression available to all applications.
In conclusion, SCZ is a great utility for those who require a lightweight data compression and decompression routine that is easy to integrate, understand, and maintain. While there are larger and more intricate compression libraries, SCZ fits into specific niches where those libraries aren't suitable. In the future, the developer plans to add a similar set of simple routines for lossy compression of specific types of data like images or audio files.
What's New
Version 1.8: N/A