zlib.createBrotliDecompress() Method in Node.js

Introduction to zlib.createBrotliDecompress()

The zlib.createBrotliDecompress() method in Node.js is part of the zlib module and is used to decompress data that has been compressed using the Brotli algorithm. Brotli is a modern compression format known for high compression ratios and is widely used for delivering web content efficiently.

What is Brotli?

Brotli is a compression algorithm developed by Google, offering better compression than Gzip in many cases. It's especially efficient when used with text-based resources like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Most modern browsers and servers support Brotli, making it an ideal choice for web performance optimization.

Purpose of createBrotliDecompress()

The createBrotliDecompress() method returns a transform stream that takes Brotli-compressed input and outputs the original uncompressed data. It's perfect for decompressing files or data streams in real-time.

Syntax of createBrotliDecompress()

zlib.createBrotliDecompress(options)

- options (optional): An object with stream or Brotli-specific settings. Most use cases work fine without specifying any options.

Basic Example

Below is a simple example that reads a Brotli-compressed file and decompresses it:

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

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

const brotliDecompress = zlib.createBrotliDecompress();

input.pipe(brotliDecompress).pipe(output);

In this example, data.txt.br is decompressed and saved as data.txt.

Error Handling in Streams

It’s a good idea to catch errors that may occur during decompression:

brotliDecompress.on('error', (err) => {
  console.error('Decompression failed:', err);
});

When to Use Brotli Decompression

• When receiving Brotli-compressed files from external sources
• To handle Brotli-encoded HTTP responses
• For decompressing static assets in build tools

Benefits of Using Brotli with Node.js

• Better compression ratios than Gzip
• Fully supported in modern browsers and servers
• Improved performance for web and file operations

Conclusion

The zlib.createBrotliDecompress() method in Node.js provides a convenient way to handle Brotli-compressed data. Whether you're building a web server or processing data files, this method ensures that Brotli-compressed content can be decompressed quickly and reliably using a stream-based approach.

---