Compression
Compression is a data processing technique that reduces the size of files or data streams by encoding information more efficiently, often by removing redundancy or using algorithms to represent data in a compact form. It is widely used in computing to save storage space, reduce transmission times over networks, and optimize performance in applications like media streaming, file archiving, and database management. Compression can be lossless, preserving all original data, or lossy, sacrificing some quality for greater size reduction.
Developers should learn compression to optimize applications for efficiency and user experience, such as reducing bandwidth usage in web development with tools like Gzip or Brotli, or minimizing storage costs in data-intensive systems. It is essential in fields like game development for asset management, in data science for handling large datasets, and in real-time systems where speed and resource constraints are critical. Understanding compression helps in making informed trade-offs between size, quality, and processing overhead.