[4151] in java-interest
compressed classes
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Chris J. Nichols)
Tue Dec 12 12:53:25 1995
Date: Tue, 12 Dec 1995 10:06:12 -0600
From: "Chris J. Nichols" <nichlscj@cig.mot.com>
To: java-interest@java.sun.com
Classes are already packed tightly but can be compressed
to ~1.6/1. (Tried it on a few). This would shorten the transmission
time (since there is less to transmit) and reduce traffic.
Also storage space is reduced (not as big a deal).
Traffic reduction is important since one of the benefits of
the Java concept is to centralize the class libraries. As classes
are centralized, the sites are going to get a lot of hits. Even with mirored
sites and caching, compression would allow the reduction of all class loading
traffic by about 1.6/1.
The transmission time reduction would be shifted to processing
time to uncompress the class; however, while one class is being uncompressed
another could be loaded. The processing vs communications duel would play out
differently depending on the current state of the system. If you dont have
enough cycles to uncompress the class, then you likely dont have enough to
run it; therefore uncompression is tolerable in most cases (even with a
superfast network connection). The more likely case is a relatively slow
communication channel running on an idle box. In this case the
uncompression would occur rapidly. Compression is more important as more
complex applications are developed and the apps are unfortunately larger.
Many dialup connections already contain compression, and you
dont have to compress something twice, but many other communication legs
are not, and there are still many dialups without compression. A round of
thanks for DSP chips!
Tell me what you think ?
Any Sun developers listening ?
Footnote:
A month ago all I thought java was, was a fancy name (or variety) of
coffee. Must admit that this stuff is fascinating. The concept is
definately the future, and Java appears technically a good vehicle, but
in the past OK (or BAD) products win over GREAT products for non technical
reasons. (As he steps down from his soap box).
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