zlib
zlib is a widely used, open-source software library for data compression and decompression, implementing the DEFLATE compression algorithm. It provides functions for compressing and decompressing data in memory or to/from files, supporting formats like gzip and raw DEFLATE. The library is written in C and is known for its high performance, portability, and reliability across various platforms.
Developers should learn and use zlib when they need efficient lossless data compression for applications such as file archiving, network transmission, or storage optimization, especially in performance-critical systems like web servers, databases, or embedded devices. It is essential for handling compressed data formats like PNG images, HTTP gzip encoding, or software package distributions, where reducing data size improves speed and resource usage.