zlib.createBrotliCompress() Method in Node.js

Introduction to zlib.createBrotliCompress()

The zlib.createBrotliCompress() method in Node.js is part of the zlib module and is used to create a stream that compresses data using the Brotli algorithm. Brotli is a modern, efficient compression algorithm developed by Google that often provides better compression ratios than Gzip, making it ideal for web content and static assets.

Why Use Brotli Compression?

Brotli is especially useful for compressing text-based formats like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Compared to Gzip, it achieves higher compression rates and often reduces file sizes significantly, leading to faster page loads and improved performance for users.

Syntax of createBrotliCompress()

Here’s the basic syntax of the method:

zlib.createBrotliCompress(options)

- options (optional): An object where you can specify Brotli-specific settings, such as params or compression level.

Basic Example

Let’s walk through a simple example that compresses a text file using Brotli:

const zlib = require('zlib');
const fs = require('fs');

const input = fs.createReadStream('example.txt');
const output = fs.createWriteStream('example.txt.br');

const brotli = zlib.createBrotliCompress();

input.pipe(brotli).pipe(output);

In this example, we create a Brotli compression stream and use it to compress example.txt into a new file example.txt.br.

Using Custom Compression Options

You can customize the compression using the params option, like this:

const brotli = zlib.createBrotliCompress({
  params: {
    [zlib.constants.BROTLI_PARAM_QUALITY]: 11
  }
});

This sets the compression quality to the maximum level (11), which provides better compression but may take more time.

Common Use Cases

• Compressing static files before serving them over HTTP
• Reducing size of logs or large text data
• Creating efficient backups of textual content

Benefits of Using Brotli

• Higher compression ratio compared to Gzip
• Widely supported in modern browsers
• Optimized for web performance and bandwidth savings

Conclusion

The zlib.createBrotliCompress() method in Node.js is a powerful tool for efficiently compressing data using the Brotli algorithm. It’s especially beneficial for serving web content quickly and reducing bandwidth usage. Whether you're building a web server or processing large volumes of text, Brotli compression can help make your Node.js applications more performant.